ENLIGHT KOLKATA

One day Puja Singh arrived at the CSC and informed everyone about her parents decision to marry her off. Marrying off girls in their teens was common in the community Puja belonged to and that was to be Puja’s fate as well. Puja was in Class X and wanted to continue with her studies than getting married. Understanding her aspiration, the SKHM teachers and counsellors tried to convince her family and also counselled Puja to stand up for herself.

Eventually Puja, too, put her foot down and expressed her firm desire to finish her studies and get a job before thinking of marriage. Following this, her family allowed her to sit for her exams which she passed easily and even got admission in Std XI (Humanities) in Shree Balkrishna Vitthalnath Balika Vidyalaya.

During lockdown, Puja had to go to her ancestral village wherein she steadfastly pursued her studies and continued to thwart away all attempts of her family to get her married. She is in regular connect with the SKHM teachers and coordinators and undertook online classes without fail.

Puja aspires to become an ICDS teacher and caregiver and thus productively engage in the society. She has made her aspiration clear with her family and has shared her wish to stay independent, earn for herself before getting married. She also wishes to educate her children well for their better future.