Having the time of her life at SHINE 21
19 year old Anishka was one of 500 delegates who attended our SHINE conferences (across three locations) last week. Anishka’s smile reflects how much she has loved the experience, especially the get up and dance time at the end when she was free from all the cares in her life.
Anishka says that SHINE 21 inspired her to keep studying despite the teasing and ridicule she gets from others in her slum community. Anishka is blessed to have a mother who values her education, and because of this, she is enrolled in a bachelor’s degree in law. They live in a small rented room in a poor slum because all of her mother’s money is spent on Anishka’s education.
It’s Anishka’s dream to be a lawyer and to defend the rights of women and others in her community. Attending SHINE has given her the determination to believe in herself and to work hard for her future. She says
“One day I will be a lawyer and this achievement will be a tight slap on the face of those men who think that girls are not made to study."
Lata - changing the next generation because of her education
Lata Ran’s story is very similar to Anishka’s. Lata is the youngest of 6 siblings, and the only child who now lives at home. Her father Mr Jai Singh is a security guard and her mother Mrs. Munni is a home maker. Lata is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Science. She also has a diploma in beauty parlour training. Lata belongs to a locality where all the people tease the family for teaching a girl child. Lata wants to become a teacher one day. Her vision is to teach slum kids for free, so that everyone has access to education.
Lata loved SHINE Conference, saying it was like a dream to hear a message that encourages her future …that’s because she gets a very different message from her community;
“I normally feel like an outcast for valuing education and working for a bright future. It’s like a torture to the girls who want to study further and have a dream of getting success. The people in this locality believe that girls are only made to get married and do house work.”
Thank you to our many supporters for your generous donation. You have made all of this possible for Lata, Anishka and the 500 SHINE21 delegates. There has been powerful impact and inspiring change because your story has intersected with the lives and stories of these women. This is empowerment.