All the 386 women of Kotri Village along with the 60 adolescent girls are beneficiaries of Unnati Ki Shakti which eventually aims to attain an egalitarian status for them leaving no one behind.
Kotri Village, Jaisalmer District, Rajasthan: ‘I would like to become a Civil Servant’ said Miss. Chitranshi Suthar to Anjana Meghwal the former Jaisalmer Zila Pramukh and Current Member of Rajasthan State Commission for Women and above everything else a formidable source of inspiration for all the girls and women in the State and beyond. Notably Chitranshi a student of Arts in Girls’ Government Senior Secondary School at Kotri Village topped the entire district of Jaisalmer in Class 12 State Board Examinations held earlier this year wherein she scored 96.40%.
Being inspired by the life and work of Smt. Anjana Meghwal, Chitranshi had made a firm resolve of becoming an IAS Officer at the Inauguration Ceremony of Unnati Ki Shakti – the Pilot CSR Intervention by Viviid Emissions Reductions Universal Private Limited in collaboration with ARCH Development Foundation at Kotri Village on the theme of Girls’ and Women Empowerment. Chitranshi is also one of the prominent Youth ambassadors and Volunteers in the village.
All the 386 women of Kotri Village along with the 60 adolescent girls are beneficiaries of Unnati Ki Shakti which eventually aims to attain an egalitarian status for them leaving no one behind. This Intervention is pivoted around skill enhancement, livelihood generation, financial literacy, zero tolerance for gender based violence, learning self-defence skills and creating awareness about women’s and girls’ rights and their social entitlements.
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Aashaa Rani (name changed)- a 15 year old girl from Kotri Village who had been exceptionally good in academics was forced to drop out of school by her father when passed 5th standard back in the year 2017. Aashaa has ever since been helping her mother look after the household chores and taking care of her younger brothers.
“When we rolled out our intervention in Kotri and commenced with rapport building activities, we could see a spark in Aashaa. A spark to perform. A spark to do something for all the girls that she had perhaps missed out upon. A spark to break free from gender stereotypical shackles” says Baarju, the social outreach worker stationed by ARCH Development Foundation in Kotri Village.
“We were able to convince her parents to start sending her for the ice-breaking sessions. In a conservative village like Kotri, this was no ordinary feat. It signifies a change in the patriarchal mind-set that we have been able to trigger.” further adds Baarju. “We are working on one girl at a time and we know that the road ahead is far from easy. But we won’t give up, because the girls have pledged not to give up and that’s where we derive inspiration for Unnati Ki Shakti” exuberates Baarju.
“The situation in Kotri is no different from other villages across the country where girls have to ward off lecherous gaze from most of the boys and men. It is for this reason that we have started training the adolescent girls for self-defence. We are counselling them to become mentally strong and physically indomitable so that not only are they able to thwart off any untoward sexual gestures but are also able to stand up against any gender based violence inflicted on them or their peers. In fact, today on the occasion of International Day of the Girl Child, we are conducting a special sensitization workshop for all the girls about Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act wherein we will tell them about the provisions of this powerful legislation and will also apprise them about the helpline numbers to reach out in case of threat. We will also teach them several combative trick and techniques to protect themselves” said, Baarju.
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In an official statement issued by the Company, CEO of Viviid Emissions Reductions Universal Private Limited, Puneet Katyal said, “What we are witnessing in Kotri Village is nothing short of Girls Rising. I am happy that our CSR Intervention is bringing the girls out of their inhibitions and teaching them the art and science to live in the society without compromising on their rights and dignity. For us all days are dedicated to the girls. It is heartening to see that over and above managing the carbon portfolios for our renewable energy project clients we are also steadfastly working in the direction of improving the lives of girls and women in the communities where our clients operate. These girls and women have way to go!”
