I, Vandna Saur, 20 years old and I belong to a tribal community. We have three members in our house. Mom and dad used to migrate from one city to another city. I am studying in second year of Bachlors.
When I haven’t joined the Balika panchayat, My family believed that we should only think about our family, not about what is happening around the society. I also beleived the same. I used to stay single at home and don’t chat with neighbour at all. That felt me in consciousness to girls shouldn’t speak about the matter going around, this is in her best interest. I used to remain silent thinking this.
After joining Balika Panchayat, my thought process got changed. Now, I believe that whatever injustice happening around, we should speak against that. I gained my knowledge from panchayat like child rights, early marriage, violence against women, gender descrimination, labour rights and importance of documentation.
Once upon a day, I got to know about Draupadi, a 13-years old. She was studying in class 8 but her parents dropped her out of the school. I went to her house and convinced the parents, initially they refused to listen but then they said “let us accept your point but who will prepare the papers for this?”
Then, I managed to prepare all the documents of Draupadi in a week and got her enrolled in school again. That made me super happy.
Ever since, I got Draupadi admitted in school, my neighbors have been taunting me that you have become a leader but that doesn’t matter and i don’t care about. I do whatever I feel right.
I have decided to work for the underprivileged poor people of my village throughout, wherever the knowledge I have acquired from Gramin Swavlambamn Samiti, I will work on it.
Vandana
Village- Bhelasi
Block- Baldevgarh, (Tikamgarh)