Back at Trinita it is so nice to see so many familiar faces among the girls and to meet some newly joined students.  The staff – as always—is so genuinely excited and we all get a little giddy in our round of “hellos”.   We start our series of workshops by giving the Cross Stitch group the fabric made by the Atlanta Girls School Students this winter.  They have all made word drawings using words that describe them.  Now the stitching girls do the same while our media training students document the process.  It is amazing to see the confidence that the girls who’ve been working with media since last January have gained.  The girls organize each student with her drawing to say their names and what they have drawn.  Tamanna is a clear leader and she also helps coach the sewing students who want to practice their English.  One determined but frustrated and nervous young woman practices with Tamanna for ten minutes until she is able to say, “My name is Reshma.  I make a tree and I love nature.”

 

What is also incredible is that Trinita is recognizing some of the strongest students and promoting them into supervisory positions with pay.  Ajmeri has been given a assistant teacher position and Mohammed is a paid assistant to the night shelter supervisor.  This is what we hope to continue and we have our eyes on Tamanna to be promoted to an assistant to Rupam, our computer instructor.  Tamanna is getting married in September but this may be to her benefit.  Her parents are very strict and have refused multiple times to let her finish her secondary education.  She is a grade 9 drop-out.   But her soon to be husband works in IT and when she told him about Cross Stitch he said “Oh, wow!” and told her she could continue in the program.  Perhaps in a wonderful twist of fate—getting married may allow her to continue her education…at least we can hope.

 

There is real growth happening here.  And we are so thankful to everyone who has been supporting this effort.  With your help these girls at least have a chance to gain the confidence to have some measure of control over their lives and their rights.