Jabaaz Kishori Project - Sunbeam School Ballia

Three-Day Field Experience-Based Research Report & Action Plan

Intern Name: Akanksha Rai

Role: Research Intern

Project: Jabaaz Kishori

Duration: Three Days

 

1. Introduction

 

Jabaaz Kishori is a community-based project focused on understanding the challenges faced by adolescent girls in rural areas and working towards their empowerment. As a research intern, I participated in field visits across multiple villages over three days. The purpose of this report is to document the issues shared by the girls and propose an action plan based on real observations and interactions.

 

2. Day-wise Field Observations

 

Day 1: Lalwala Majbata Village

● Girls were not continuing their education after a certain level.

        

Major reasons identified:

● Family pressure

● Lack of awareness about education, career options, and independence

● Girls were unaware of ways to become financially and socially independent.

 

Day 2: Village Visits

Village 1

● Girls expressed the need for a community activity center.

    

Purpose of the center:

● Weekly group meetings

● Skill development activities such as sewing and drawing

● Group study and creative learning

● This showed a strong interest in collective growth.

 

Village 2: Government School (Classes 7th & 8th)

● Girls requested more opportunities for sports.

● Limited sports facilities and encouragement were observed.

 

Village 3 (Near Hillwood Academy)

This village faced several serious issues:

● Healthcare Problems

● Lack of clean drinking water.

● High number of kidney stone cases and other water-related diseases.

● Absence of good doctors and preventive healthcare services.

● Many villagers believed these health problems could not be solved.

Infrastructure Problems

● No pakka roads.

● Difficulty in travelling for:

1. Medical emergencies

2. Education

● This resulted in students not studying further.

● Menstrual Health Issues

● Many girls reported irregular menstrual cycles (after 3–4 months).

● Lack of medical guidance and awareness.

● Girls requested affordable medical treatment and health support.

 

Day 3: Village Visits

Village 1

● Girls stated that there were no major problems.

● However, hesitation was observed, indicating a lack of trust and need for longer engagement.

 

Village 2

● Similar issues of kidney stones due to water quality.

● No schools available after class 10th.

● Girls have to travel long distances for education.

● A suggestion was made to provide bicycles to support continued education.

 

3. Proposed Action Plan (Priority-wise)

 

Step 1: Affordable and Accessible Healthcare (Main Priority)

● Provide clean and safe drinking water facilities.

● Organize regular health camps with qualified doctors.

Focus on:

1. Kidney health

2. Preventive healthcare

3. Adolescent and menstrual health awareness

4. Ensure low-cost or free medical consultations and medicines.

 

Step 2: Road and Transport Facilities

● Construction of pakka roads connecting villages.

Improved access for:

1. Emergency healthcare

2. Schools and colleges

3. Provide bicycles to girls for easier travel to schools.

 

Step 3: Education Till Class 12

● Establish government schools up to class 12 in every village or nearby areas.

● Improve infrastructure in existing schools.

● Encourage continuation of education for girls.

 

Step 4: Motivation and Awareness

● Conduct motivation and counselling sessions.

● Career awareness programs.

● Encourage girls to dream of independence and a better future.

● Promote confidence and leadership skills.

 

Step 5: Safety, Legal Awareness, and Child Marriage Prevention

● Awareness about women and child helpline numbers.

● Encourage girls to seek help if they feel unsafe or forced into decisions.

● Strict action against child marriage with police and local authority support.

 

Step 6: Community and Skill Development Centres

● Establish centres for girls to meet weekly.

Activities to include:

1. Skill development

2. Sports

3. Fitness, yoga, and wellness sessions

4. Create safe spaces for sharing and learning.

 

4. Conclusion

 

The three-day field experience under the Jabaaz Kishori project highlighted serious challenges related to healthcare, education, infrastructure, and awareness. Addressing these issues through affordable healthcare, better roads, quality education, and motivation can help create a healthier, educated, and empowered generation of girls.

Find out more about the project at: Jaabaaz Kishori by Learning Forward India Foundation

Price of happiness- Aati Pema

Beneath the scorching June sun rays the dark tar road was sweltered and made road seem to wobble from afar. I was standing underneath a thicket by the road talking about the tests we gave, when I noticed a person walking almost aimlessly. Though it is not a usual seen as poverty still reigns here amidst those who were left behind by the "progressive world". An impulse nudged me to observe him. He was a middle-aged man but his state seems to age him, his hair ran down from the back of his head, his eyes seemed other worldly to me as it seemed to be looking for something but he was not observing anything. All of a sudden, he stopped and looked down. A look of curiosity and confusion bore on his face as he slightly tilted his head from side to side as if wondering what he is seeing. 

After observing for a few moments, he stood and looked up. I followed his gaze but nothing was there. He bent slowly and picked the object up; it was then that i saw what it was. It was a ten-rupee coin which must have been lost by a passerby. He looked at it with dearness and his countenance became jolly he held it against his chest looking up again he thanked. His eyes were like an empty space but it felt as though it looked for something. After thanking a few times, he carefully kept it in the pocket nearest to his heart and gave it a few good pat. Then again, he set on in his way, I had not known him there was a lesson. To be happy is a choice, to be grateful is a choice and our character is thus made by our choices. Situations are unpredictable but what we do in turn are our choices, and so are we defined. 

Aati Pema

St Thomas College 

Image Courtesy- Science News

 

Sudha Murty - Rishona Chopra

Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggaon in north Karnataka. She has written nine novels, four technical books, three travelogues, one short story collection, and two non-fiction pieces, including How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and Other Stories. 

Other books by her are - Grandma's Bag Of Stories, The Magic Of The Lost Temple, Grandparents Bag Of Stories, The Upside Down King, Gopi Diaries, The Man From The Egg, How The Sea Became Salty, How The Mango Got Its Magic, The Sage with two horns, The Magic Drum and many more.

Wise and Otherwise, initially published in English, is now available in several Indian languages—Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Oriya, Bengali and Kashmiri.

Wise and Otherwise is a book about heartwarming stories with a touch of reality. This book gives a clear account of her work and approach to it. An accomplished storyteller in Kannada, Sudha Murty wrote for the first time in English to inaugurate a fortnightly column in the New Sunday Express. She focused on her experiences, travels, and encounters with ordinary people with extraordinary minds.

From stories of honesty to humbleness, from humanity to rudeness. About a boy's honesty despite such poverty. Greediness despite richness. The opposites meet, and the harsh truth is shown. This book encounters real-life stories that leave a profound mark on our minds.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School