Self Defence for 1000 young girls in Nagpur, India

Voice volume is a crucial element of effective communication, influencing how we are perceived, how well we are understood, and the emotional impact of our message. The Prabodhini project empowers trainees to consciously use their voice volume as a tool for effective communication, particularly in self-defense.

Radha, a teenager from Nagpur, shares her powerful story of how Prabodhini helped her find her voice and defend herself:

"In my neighborhood, there was an older man who would stare at me and make inappropriate gestures whenever I passed by. One day, he even tried to grab me. I learned from my friends that he was doing the same thing to other girls. We were all terrified, but no one dared to confront him. I was so scared to go out, even to go to school.

Thankfully, I joined the Prabodhini Self-Defense Training. It taught me how to protect myself – physically, verbally, and mentally. I discovered the incredible power of using my voice, but also realized that it takes courage and self-confidence to speak up. The Prabodhini trainers helped us uncover our inner strength through role-playing, discussions, and by teaching us physical self-defense techniques. Learning these techniques gave me the confidence to know I could defend myself if needed.

The next time the man harassed me, I didn't stay silent. I shouted at him, 'You always look at me inappropriately! You're bothering many girls here! I'm going to tell my parents and the police!' My loud voice alerted neighbors, who came to help. My parents also warned him. He hasn't bothered me or any other girl since.

Through Prabodhini, I learned about the different forms of violence we face in society and how to fight back. I am incredibly grateful for the Prabodhini project. They helped me change my life!"

Today on Giving Tuesday, empower girls and women in India - make a difference to hundreds of lives and enable generosity and gratitude to be driving forces to change the world!

“It is not the happy who are grateful. It is the grateful who are happy.”
(Francis Bacon, English philosopher and statesman, 1561 - 1626)

Scientists have proven that gratitude makes us happy and healthy. Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough conducted a study with three comparison groups who kept diaries. The first group wrote down what they were grateful for, the second what had gone wrong that day, and the third wrote neutrally about their experiences. After ten weeks, Emmons and McCullough compared the results.

Those who had kept the gratitude diary showed measurably more optimism in psychological interviews than the subjects in the other two groups. They felt more vital and had a greater zest for life. Physical symptoms such as abdominal pain or headaches, dizziness or muscle tension were reduced; they went to the doctor less often and slept longer and better. Their fitness had also improved, and they did measurably more sport than the comparison groups (Stefanie Maeck, 26.12.2016, Spiegel online).

Suchita has been working as a self-defense trainer at the Prabodhini Mahila Foundation for ten years.

Anyone who does a job that helps other people to cope better with life is usually happy and grateful.

Suchita says: “It gives me great pleasure to work here. We teach self-defense to both young children and women. This work gives me great satisfaction because the girls and women learn to defend themselves in case of danger. If they feel that they cannot cope with a situation on their own, they call us. We deal intensively with their questions and problems, and that is a huge relief for them. It gives me great pleasure to see how they develop and learn to protect themselves.”

Watch the video of Suchita telling her story HERE.

Give today to strengthen girls and women in India!