Kanshalya and Manju look like normal Rajasthani village girls. They wear brightly coloured Salwar suits and have their hair pulled back in a braid. But upon meeting them there is a clear difference between these 2 teenagers and the other girls in their village. They are treated well by their parents.
Most girls in rural Rajasthan receive little respect. They are considered a burden as they will need a dowry to take to their in-laws upon marriage. The demands are high, and many parents spend their life-savings marrying off their daughters. Consequently girls are considered to be unworthy of any education; they have to help in the household and in the fields until they are old enough to marry and move in with their in-laws.
Kanshalya and Manju are different. They have managed to change their lives. They joined the Veerni sewing course and received substantial training for several months. Now they are both employed by a local crafts centre and earn up to 1500 rupees per month. This is what has given them great self-respect.
Kanshalya, a 17 year old who is married but not yet living with her in-laws, says her parents are now more concerned about her well-being and ask if she has had enough rest. Earning money has increased her self-esteem. “It makes me very happy. It is an awesome feeling”.
Manju, not yet married at 19, thinks it is very important for girls to receive training or education. “Girls need it so they can progress in life and not struggle so much”. She is concerned though about what will happen to her once she is married. “When my family marries me off I will have to do what my husband wants me to do. If we live far away I won’t be able to come to the crafts centre. And my husband may not want me to work”.
These are just two of the many girls who have benefited from the activities of the Veerni Project. The aim is to empower these rural Rajasthani girls by training and educating them. In addition there will be economic empowerment as these young women begin to earn money. Veerni continues to provide sewing courses in several of its villages as well as in its offices in Jodhpur. The project’s vital work ensures more success stories like those of Kanshalya and Manju.