By Claudia Kruger | Fundraiser
Dear friend of Karuna Germany,
Our first chairwoman, Susanne Traud-Dubois, visited the Prabodhini project in Maharashtra in June 2024. She met Manisha, who has been a self-defence trainer at Prabodhini for ten years. She tells us what motivates her and why this work is so fulfilling for her.
Manisha has experienced a lot in the ten years since she started working as self-defence trainer at Prabodhini. She knows what the girls and women have to endure in their families, at school and in everyday life. For the participants in the courses, it is always a revelation to learn that having a female body does not mean having to put up with everything. They have never before suspected that they have the ability to defend themselves.
Constant physical harassment and teasing from boys at school and on the way to school often lead to girls going to school irregularly. This jeopardizes girls' school careers in addition to the difficulties they already face. The fact that the self-defence course also supports regular school attendance shows how important it is for girls to learn to defend themselves.
Communication and exchange are also important tools for boosting self-confidence and changing self-image. The trainers always have an open ear and are also available to all participants by telephone if they have any difficulties.
The fact that the 25 training hours of the course are spread over several weeks is an important aspect, as self-confidence needs to be practiced. Even the very tangible techniques need a practice routine so that they can be called upon quickly in an emergency. Manisha proudly explains that Prabodhini's courses are unique in their scope and intensity in Maharashtra; the courses offered by other providers usually only last a few hours or three to four days.
Watch here a short video about Manisha enthusiastically telling us about her experience of working as a self-defence trainer for Prabodhini since ten years. In the video Manisha says:
"These self-defence techniques are very helpful and they give the girls a new, fear-free, lighthearted attitude to life. We trainers have also benefited – as we feel safer, we can better face challenges.
Therefore, this training is very important for all of us!
Thank you very much!
By Claudia Kruger | Fundraiser and Speaker
By Claudia Kruger | Fundraiser and Speaker
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