But despite outward appearances and an inexcusable lack of infrastructure – Topsia is a deeply felt community. We’ve spent this guided session working on a map of that we hope in time becomes an interactive document of what is thriving here and what needs to be addressed.

A vital part of the girls’ community

Elizabeth discusses community ideas

The map beginnings

There are some new faces in the Cross Stitch group and some exciting developments in the girls’ educational progress. Afrin and Nelufur who had been dropouts finally persuaded their parents to let them return to school, both are formally enrolled in 10th grade. Afrin has also been promoted to official teaching assistant to Rupam – the computer instructor and is doing a wonderful job. Everyone appreciates her patience and sweetness.

Four girls are continuing their college studies: Jahannara – the first in generations of her family to ever attend higher education, Sabita, Joyashree, and Moni are all attending business and accounting courses at a local college in Kolkata. Their progress is truly amazing considering the day-to-day struggles they face.

Moni lives in one small room with her mother, sister, two brothers, sister-in law and their two babies. They cook on a fire outside. There is no water. No electricity. No toilet.

Moni’s home is on the right.

Moni is working as a housemaid and studying. I met her on my first visit – before the formation of Cross Stitch—she was about to have to drop out because her father, now dead, was ill. I gave Trinita the funds to cover her education for two years out of my pocket. It was $200. She now has a private sponsor covering her college tuition thanks to ASHA Atlanta.
There is no quantifying the return on this investment. Where she would be without this support is where the few girls we’ve said goodbye to go – straight into marriage and having children.

We had a bittersweet visit with Tamanna who, at 18, is well and married and 7 months pregnant—adjusting but missing her friends in the program. Even with a “good match” husband—young, handsome, working in the computer industry and kind enough to bring her for a visit—she described herself as, “Managing…but sometimes everything is very hard”. She had dreams that she would still continue her education after marriage—a dream her in-laws denied. And Zarin who was a very serious student—always wearing her school uniform—ran away and married against the wishes of her family. She was also being sponsored for college and gave up that chance.

In the strata of possible outcomes—marriage is not the bottom for girls in the slums and statistically these young women are more likely to push for their own children’s education. So there is hope. But most end up repeating the cycle of poverty they live in and risk spousal and familial abuse—common and largely unchecked throughout India.

Times are changing and attitudes are shifting. With the terrible assault and death of Jyoti Singh, the 23 year old student raped and brutalized in Delhi, all of India is ignited with chants of “enough is enough” and most importantly fathers are talking about the rights of their daughters, but rights are often superseded by needs. More girls in Topsia (and everywhere in India) would be getting educated if their families weren’t desperately poor. A girl who leaves the Trinita program is immediately replaced with another waiting for the chance.

We have increased to 18 girls in the higher learning section of Cross Stitch—girls who are grateful for the sponsorship that combined with their hard work and determination will keep them students longer. There are millions of girls wishing they had this opportunity.

Simply click here: Start Some Good with Cross Stitch

Meanwhile the girls at Atlanta Girls School and Trinita Society in Kolkata are hard at work on a shared documentary project we’ll be excited to show by the end of the year. AND we are working on some creative ideas with our Stitching gang and hoping for some very interesting results.

But the next year hinges on our funding — and right now–individual donors are our only source. Every donation counts!!

5 girls in the Cross Stitch Project have graduated from Class 12…High School Graduates!!! These students are also sponsored by ASHA for Education and will be continuing on to college. This is just incredible.

Zarin (on left) is one of the 2012 High School Graduates. Gulzan (right) is an 8th grade dropout but has stuck with her computer and English training and shown great improvement!

Broadband was FINALLY installed in the Trinita office. This has allowed us to have some very lively Skype sessions over the summer. Everyone loves our cats and dogs (and kitchens).

The Atlanta Girls School is hosting a Cross Stitch club for the 2012-2013 school year. Welcome back Eason, Saajidah, Miranda and Margaret. We look forward to the doc they are going to make in tandem with the girls in Kolkata this fall.

Elizabeth and Phoebe will be traveling to India in January 2013 to evaluate 2012 and develop some new ideas and direction for 2013. They also hope to begin to shoot a series of short documentary films that will explore the complexities of gender oppression in India.

Plans are underway to start our own independent youth media hub in Atlanta. We hope to launch with a month long summer workshop in 2013.

And last but not least — we’ll be launching our 2013 Fundraiser online in the next week. And we need lots of help spreading the word….more to come on this…lots more!

Today we worked on creating bio-poems.  This was an assignment they had already tried once – they did a share with the Atlanta Girls School girls but it was an online assignment so we didn’t have time to really talk about how to go deeper with feelings while still using simple language.   We discussed the poems AGS girls had written and shared on the Cross Stitch private social network.   We were able to share what phrases like “through a different lens”, and “I am ocean deep,” meant.

working hard on bio-poems

Here is Tamanna’s first poem:

 I love cute children, they look like angels!

Honesty is the best policy, so I love people who are honest.

Time is very precious for the students.

I try my best to care for my parents,

I can feel their care for me.

I like people who smile.

I love to admire the beauty of nature.

I am a brave girl because, I can handle tough situations.

I am emotionally attached to my mother, I understand her feelings.

We live in a wonderful world, I believe in god and so are we!

And this is her second:

I am a strong person.

I am always ready for you.

Lover of honesty.

Who believes in you.

Who believes in my self.

Who fears god.

Who fears hell.

Who wants to give to the world.

Who gives you a new world.

Who sees your good life.

Who sees

I want to be and to have an independent girl in the future.

My name is Tamanna Parveen. 

The progress in expression and conceptual thinking the girls in Cross Stitch are making is really impressive.  I don’t say amazing because we knew all along the desire and the drive to achieve is so strong in these young women.  What helps is having the tutoring they need and being pushed to find their personal and creative voice.  During every workshop this week—the girls would grab their Flips and start documenting and interviewing.  They are the storytellers now.

Computer Teacher Rupam documents the girls at work

Our next step is to start fundraising for a community computer center.  Trinita is using their office for computer classes now and this poses a couple of problems.  The office is on the edge of the community and far for some students to come.  This especially hampers the girls because many parents don’t like them crossing the neighborhood alone.

If the computer center was more central in the community Trinita could also develop some programs that were income generating and provide more jobs for students.  We are talking about training the girls to use wordpress and offer web design service.  But even basic typing services would be a service in demand.

The boys would also benefit from this center and we’d work on strengthening a program for them.   It would be a real community computer center.

So this is the new dream.  We go home ready to look for the funding and make it a reality.