I (center) am getting to know the participants with name games as other onlookers listen from near

the school rooms.

Dr. Abha Gupta (far left) spoke on the importance of personal care and self-discipline.

Leading a discussion on their interests and helping them represent/write them on paper.
Beginning a discussion about how they define themselves and their values: who their support systems are, achievements
and qualities they are proud of, activities they enjoy, how they see their life paths. I quickly had to come up with ways to
make these abstract concepts very tangible and important for the young women. At the same time, I had to establish a
strong sense of trust in our group so that they could openly talk about themselves and allow these inherently personal
topics become personal and meaningful to them.

Helping girls who can read become more comfortable with reading the newspaper, (for example, what
headlines mean, where to look for the date and different sections, identification of frequently printed
terms and people, such as the Prime Minister).
 Some girls volunteered to read headlines to
the group. Many were quick to jump in when
a girl stumbled. Reading and correctly
understanding headlines and demonstrating
knowledge about their country became a
lighthearted competition. My mother helped
me moderate since I couldn’t be prepared to
understand all the Hindi in the newspapers
myself. Together, we had fun with the girls
and for the first time got a complete picture
of the literacy levels in the room and the
degree of exposure to domestic affairs. Some
girls who told me they had been to school,
tried to read the paper upside down. Most
girls didn’t know about their prime minister
or parliament and had never seen or heard
the news before. So, after some girls got to
practice their oral reading and
comprehension skills, the lesson quickly
evolved into a basic civics and government
lesson. This is a small example of how I had
to be prepared every day to tackle any given
subject and on the spot identify what are the
important things for them to understand, and
how to effectively and interactively convey
them so that the girls not only remember
them, but begin to look at the world
differently: with more interest, curiosity, and
the feeling that they are a part of it and can
make it better.

As part of a lesson to bust the myth that

they and other girls in lower castes are
unintelligent, we spent a whole day talking
about the brain and the amazing things it
can do.
Here, a group works together to put
together a puzzle of the brain that I made to
illustrate senses and other aspects I tried to
tie to their daily activities and interests.
I ended the lesson reinforcing the theme
that whatever they really put their mind to,
they can achieve. I dismissed them on the
condition that they each promise me never
again to use the excuse that they don’t have
the brains for something. They must have
taken me seriously because, sure enough, I
never heard it out loud again. 
Some girls at the program’s end said their most favorite new word they learned was “neuron” because it is fun to
say and pretend play with, with pipe cleaners. 
 Pinky was one of the first
girls to open up to me in
front of the group. When I
asked the girls what their
hopes are for their futures,
she said she wants “to be a
good wife and mother, to
take really good care of
others.”
Her good nature but
fantastically unladylike
manners also struck me.
Often when other girls
talked while I or others were
talking, Pinky would jump to
my aid by slapping the
talking girls upside their
head, if they were close by,
or by swearing at them
across the room, just to get
their attention – and then
tell them to listen up.
So, just as I made it my goal
to find a way to make every
girl feel more accomplished
or closer to her goals by the
end of the program, I
decided I would help her
use less violent and vulgar
ways to encourage good
behavior – a skill very
important for rearing a
family, I think. However, I
am not sure how much I was
able to help. Unfortunately I
couldn’t help but smile back
at her every time she
slapped or cursed someone,
and once satisfied with the
silence. looked up at me
with a sweet smile

Talking individually to Pinky, as I “test” all the girls by asking them to tell me things they’ve learned and how they
are integrating that knowledge into their lives. This involved asking leading questions to push them to think and
tease out answers when they would give up saying that they cannot remember anymore. The most exhausting
part of interacting with the girls was actually doing exactly this: refusing to let them give up thinking or give up
trying new things (like reading out loud, speaking in front of others, etc) by being as creative and supportive as
possible.
Going over self defense basics as a few volunteers act out a multiple attacker scenario with me.
 25 of my 36 participating girls

Renu shows where she learned she should wash her hands better, after the “GlowGerm” activity. (they are
amused by my enthusiasm to photograph her hand.)
Above, Khusbu, Sumun, and Sapna show some of the clay items they made in an activity with the theme:
“when we think we are in difficulty or in deprivation, if we use our creativity and work with what we do
have, we can find still build a rewarding life.”

Below, interactive modeling of a solar eclipse (as was occurring in Agra that weekend).
 Above, Pinky shows a frock she stitched after Sumun taught her how.

Below, Beenesh (left) with pupil Yogaish (right) showing what they sewed together. These two became much
closer after they forged their sewing teacher-student bond in the SHAKTI program.
 Making photo frames
and then showing them
off (before pasting in
their photos). These
activities not only
boosted their self
esteem but also
remarkably improved
their cooperation skills.
[Above] Krishna (center)
looking to the right said:
“I’ve never used these
pretty things before. My
favorites were the
[googly] eyes.” After
unsuccessfully trying to
wheedle extra googly
eyes from me, she began
to cleverly trade her
craft supplies to fill her
frame with the quivering
eyes she earned; it was
very cute.

The group that cleaned up the fastest (including the mischievous Krishna) celebrates their triumph (Pinky,
Beenesh, Sumun, Khushbu, Krishna, Preeti (left to right)).
Teaching girls who
can write how to
write and send
letters.

They write practice

letters to family
members.

We exchange
addresses.

We talk about how

we will miss each
other after the
month is over and
joke about the
problem of time
zone differences
when calling.
 Participants with 1 of the favorite books I gave them and had them read to each other. Special thanks the Girl
Stars publication series for inspiring my young women.

Presenting a certificate of completion for the SHAKTI program to Urmilla, one of the first girls to independently
enroll herself in school after watching and discussing success stories of young Indian village women in the true
series Girl Stars.

Also presenting each girl with gifts and rewards, with the help of Mrs. Kanak Gupta (my mother, far left). Urmilla
is also more comfortable and confident in front of people.
Khushbu, one of the youngest and
most inspiring girls I had the privilege
of working with.

Early on, she told me her dream is to

go to school.

After meeting with and urging her

caretakers and brothers to enroll her,
she is now happily in school.

I spent much of my time

with the girls listening to
them tell me about
themselves and
encouraging them to be
introspective. Here,
Archana is telling me
what she has enjoyed
learning most from
Project SHAKTI: How to
sew and how we build
neural connections (with
pipe cleaners)!
Kusma, one of the girls now
in school and loving it,
stands with her Project
SHAKTI folder at the
beginning of the project,
and at the end when I am
presenting her with:
-a certificate for enrolling in
school
-parting gifts: art supplies
for her interest in art, a
dictionary and other school
supplies
- a certificate of completion
that I wrote and added
additional seals for:
participation and curiosity

Sumun and me.

She was one of the most
mature and helpful,
especially in keeping the
younger girls attentive
during craft sessions.