Case Study: Sangeeta Koholin's Journey of Transformation

Village: Dholkatta

Panchayat: Pathariya

Post: Mahubana

District: Dumka, Jharkhand

Name of the Person: Sangeeta Kolin

Family Details:

Name of the Case : Sangeeta Kolin (Age: 20 years )

Father: Mangra Kol (Age: 66 years)

Mother: Saloni Kolin (Age: 64 years)

Brother: Samuel Kol (Age: 13 years)

Introduction:

Sangeeta Kolin, a resident of dholkatta, lives with her family where her father, Mangra Kol, works as a farmer and also migrant labour, while her mother, Saloni Kolin, is a farmer and home maker. Sangeeta's younger brother, Samuel is a student.

Sangeeta dreamt of being economically self-dependent and supporting her family. However, their family's financial situation was precarious, making it challenging for her to pursue higher education. Her father worked as a daily wage labour and farmer, often living outside the village for work. It's difficult for her parents to support both siblings' education due to limited income.

Problem faced by the client:

To alleviate their financial struggles, sangeeta's parents considered having her to earn money by working. They preferred this option over education, believing it would better support the family. As a result, sangeeta began working at a young age to support her family, which was challenging her in the time of her development.

Despite these obstacles, sangeeta wishes to continue her studies, become self-dependent, and pursue a career as a nurse. She knew that one day her parents would arrange her marriage. She feared that her life would become like her mother's, where she would have to be submissive to her husband, just as her mother was. Her circumstances made her to accept the reality of her situation.

Family's Participation in the Project:

In 2019, sangeeta was introduced to the animator of the ayo aidari trust and selected her as a group member of kishan mandal, where she soon became the leader. Through this group, the facilitator educated her about the harmful impacts of child marriage and child labour, as well as the importance of education in shaping her future. With the facilitator's support, sangeeta was enrolled in school.

Inspired by the facilitator, sangeeta promised to continue her studies. As a result of this newfound awareness, her family decided not to marry her off as a child and instead allowed her to pursue her education. She actively participated in meetings and training sessions organized by the project. Sangeeta's family, including her father mangara kol, mother saloni kol, and brother samuel kol, also attended the project’s sessions and meetings. They helped organize the gatherings and contributed to the program’s activities.

It was there that she first heard about the "girls first fund", an organization dedicated to empowering girls for their upliftment. This concept resonated deeply with sangeeta, as she realized that the organization prioritized girls' needs, believing that they must be empowered first. This idea inspired her to focus on her own self-empowerment, recognizing that she needed to uplift herself first.

Life Before the Project:

Before the involvement in the ayo ayi dari trust project, sangeeta’s family had limited knowledge about critical issues such as child marriage, domestic violence, health, and gender discrimination. Her mother, saloni, was married at the age of 13, and her father, mangara, was married at 15. Both sangeeta's parents had limited education; saloni had dropped out of school in the 4th grade.

At that time, the family had no awareness of the child marriage act, which severely limited their understanding of the importance of education and the rights of children and women.

Transformation of Her life:

The project’s intervention significantly impacted sangeeta’s life and her family. Through the kishori mandal and various activities organized under the ayo ayi dari trust with the help of girls first fund , sangeeta and her family gained critical knowledge on issues like child marriage, domestic violence, health, and gender equality.

With the encouragement of her family and the support of the fellowship , sangeeta completed her intermediate education in 2023. Following this achievement, she enrolled in kaushal vikas for anm (auxiliary nurse midwife) training. She completed her training successfully and then went on to do practical work at umah.

Currently, sangeeta is employed in a private job, earning a monthly income of rs. 8,000. This has helped her and her family become financially more stable, breaking the cycle of poverty and limited opportunities they had faced.

Conclusion: sangeeta's journey from a young girl forced to drop out of school to becoming an empowered, educated woman earning an income serves as a powerful example of how education, awareness, and community programs can uplift individuals and families in rural areas. And this possible only for the support of girls first fund and who dedicated fund to empowering girls for their upliftment