Puja, aged about 19 years, lives with her mother in Village Kairasi, Block Khallikote. Early in her childhood she had lost her father. She remembered how her future did not look bright in the absence of a bread earner or any other means of income. However, today Puja is thankful to VHAI for opening her eyes and realizing the full potential within her.
Every girl has the right to decide her own future, but not every girl knows this, which is why proper guidance and motivation is important during adolescence. Very often girls are confused about their future plans. Facilitating girls with livelihood opportunities is an effective way to prevent child marriage that occurs as a result of financial compulsion.
As an adolescent group member, Puja became inspired by VHAI-MNCP team members and actively started looking for an opportunity to initiate her own small business besides her education. Being a member of a Self-Help Group, her mother has been regularly saving in the group from her low-level irregular income. Puja convinced her mother to take a soft loan from SHG to start a grocery cum stationary soap from their house. Her mother managed to get a loan from SHG and Puja opened the shop. However, she was not satisfied with her business and thus, continued to look for better opportunities for better earnings.
In the meantime, her mother received an attractive marriage proposal for Puja and decided to act upon it. Puja tried her level best to convince her mother against it citing her desires to continue her education and to financially support her. Puja also discussed the problem with MNCP project field staff and came to know that she can join free computer course run by MNCP project for economically disadvataged girls.
She somehow convinced her mother and joined the certificate course on computer application conducted by VHAI-MNCP project. Simultaneously she continued her education. Then after completion of the computer training course, she joined a short-term skill development course on ‘Pharmacy Assistance’ at Care Foundation, Bhubaneswar. After completion of the course, she is currently working in a pharmaceutical company as a Data Entry Operator with Rs 12,000 monthly salary at Bengaluru.
Puja is thankful to VHAI-MNCP project for grooming her up to such a level. The VHAI-MNCP team also feels proud of Puja’s achievement. Today, Puja is a role model for other girls in her locality.
“May God bless MNCP team. They helped us like our brothers and sisters to overcome the suffering from the consequences of child marriage and facilitating us with skill building and economic opportunities. We do not have the information and knowledge and if we were not associated with MNCP project our conditions would be worse than ever. I thank VHAI for their timely support”, Puja reflects.