Name: Paramita Vaishnav
Age: 15 Years
Village: Palpur, South 24 Pargana
Role: Youth Leader
Parmita Vaishnav, a student of Palpur School, had a childhood marked by loneliness and emotional distance. Since her parents worked in another state, she was brought up mainly by her grandparents. Growing up away from her parents made her extremely introverted; she found it difficult to express her feelings and often remained withdrawn in social situations. This emotional isolation also reflected in her early participation in PRAAJAK sessions, where she attended irregularly and showed little interest, especially in sports activities like Kabaddi. She often made excuses of illness to avoid participation.
The turning point in Parmita’s life came when she was included in the “Kabaddi Lesson Plan and Leadership Training” initiative. PRAAJAK animators engaged her in one-on-one conversations and helped her understand the importance of teamwork and collective participation. After observing the game for a few days from the field, her hesitation gradually began to fade. When she was assigned small group responsibilities, her hidden leadership qualities started to emerge, giving her a new sense of confidence and belonging.
Despite initial social resistance and teasing from the community, Parmita and her team continued their practice with determination. Over time, they transitioned from casual clothing to proper sports uniforms, reflecting growing confidence and seriousness in their participation. Due to limited access to school grounds, Parmita and her peers developed an alternative plan to practice in open fields after the harvest season, ensuring continuity of their training with support from PRAAJAK animators.
Her initiative and leadership expanded far beyond sports activities. During the Basanta Utsav (Spring Festival), Parmita took the entire responsibility upon herself to mobilize local mothers, ensuring their active attendance in community meetings and regular participation in training programs, a duty she carried out with great dedication. Today, she spontaneously participates in various community action events. Working closely with other collective members, she actively plans and leads community-level events centered around gender rights and environmental awareness.
Taking her advocacy to a governance level, Parmita also represented her peers as a Child Leader at the local Panchayat meetings. She confidently voiced the key problems and challenges faced by children in her village while also highlighting the duties and responsibilities children have toward their community.
Parmita’s journey represents a powerful example of adolescent empowerment and gender norm transformation. A once silent and emotionally reserved girl has now become a confident negotiator and team leader, actively advocating for her rights and those of her peers. Her ability to engage with community members and secure access to sports facilities reflects a significant shift in rural gender dynamics and girls’ participation in public spaces.
This transformation has been made possible through PRAAJAK’s structured interventions. The “Kabaddi Lesson Plan and Leadership Training” played a key role in nurturing her leadership potential. One-on-one engagement by animators helped her overcome fear and resistance toward sports, while gradual assignment of responsibilities strengthened her confidence and decision-making abilities.
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