Naina had a dream. A dream that was shared by many girls in her village. A dream where she attended college to complete her higher education. A dream that a lot of high school girls in Devipur, Haryana, had never lived. The distant route to the college and the safety issues that came with it brought on several objections from families. But a determined crew can conquer miles. And when Naina and her peers came together, requesting for a bus to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, the Devipur girls built their own path to fulfilling their dreams.    

A theatre troupe’s enactment of Naina’s story received thunderous applause by the students and staff of Adarsh School in Karnal. This was one of the many events in Breakthrough’s Kishor-Kishori mela, which helped the private school students understand that, in their words, “We too are a part of the society and should contribute to it, (when it comes to gender issues like these)”. 

This was one of the many events in Breakthrough’s Kishor-Kishori mela, which helped the private school students understand that, in their words, “We too are a part of the society and should contribute to it, (when it comes to gender issues like these)”.

Another event at the mela showcased the power and effects of socio-economic privileges through a tool called ‘Power Walk’—a stark visual representation of how differently people with socio-economic status progress in life. 

But what is Kishor-Kishori mela? 

Breakthrough’s Kishor-Kishori melas are an annual community event. It is an opportunity to create an enabling environment for adolescents, to know the importance of education, and share their aspirations and dreams with adults. This year, we reached 125 Gram Panchayats of 6 districts in Haryana — Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, and Gurugram—from August 25 to September 13. We have been able to continue our efforts with the support of community developers,  district leads, Team Change Leaders, and partners like British Telecom, and British Asian Trust.

With our theme Badi si Asha (Big Aspirations), this year we place the spotlight on girl’s higher education. We take this message forward through interesting and informative theatre performances, muppet shows, relevant movie screenings, and raatri chaupal (night assemblies to ensure involvement of male participants).  

Stories of discrimination, violence, and subsequent change were brought alive through a muppet show in Rajkiya Varisht Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Sonipat in front of an excited and involved student body. Following laughs, claps and chatter, the adolescents promised to bring together their community and parents for the next event that evening in their area. 

As we approached dusk, adolescents, children and adults streamed into the common area in the village. Posters of what adolescents had learned from Breakthrough lined the walls of the space that soon became the venue for a repeat of the enthralling performances for the adults.  

Such unique means of communication through art give way to seamless dialogue on issues that can be otherwise difficult to address. As the girls enter a transformative phase in their lives, it is imperative to have this engagement with community and parents to form a supportive ecosystem for the girls to reach their full potential. These platforms for intergenerational dialogue are critical when the girls navigate through important life choices like career aspirations and pursuing higher education to fulfil their Badi Si Asha.

As the girls enter a transformative phase in their lives, it is imperative to have this engagement with community and parents to form a supportive ecosystem for the girls to reach their full potential. These platforms for intergenerational dialogue are critical when the girls navigate through important life choices like career aspirations and pursuing higher education to fulfil their Badi Si Asha.

Our Kishor-Kishori melas are always a huge success on the field, as our District Lead (Karnal, Sonipat, Panipat), Nisha Rani shared. “The best part about the Mela this year has been watching people get up and speak at the Forum Theatre or nukkad naatak. Even if one person tries to justify gender-based violence, others immediately oppose the view. This time, many adolescents brought their parents on stage, sharing ‘thank you’ cards and they also displayed their learnings from Taaron ki Toli sessions. In not just one, but multiple villages, we are seeing adolescents and young adults take the lead. Their confidence, that’s the most beautiful part”, she said.

This confidence, that we see rising under the banner of our work with adolescents, gives us hope to be a witness to several such success stories featuring charge-taking young minds like Naina and the Devipur girls. 

Photo source: All photos by Breakthrough