Role Models Needed

Today I visited the rural community I volunteer with through the small NGO, Ashta No Kai.  As I was planning this week's lesson I really tried to focus on what I could impart to the girls that would be of value and in keeping with the mission of the charity: empowering young women.  They attend "life skills" classes provided by Ashta No Kai, and have English lessons in school.  They are already far more proficient in English than I expect I will ever be in Hindi, so while it is useful for them to practice conversing with a native speaker, I feel that there is more I can offer. 

My fellow volunteer, Laura, and I with the girls from Standard 9 class.

Based on my observations from previous lessons, I thought they could do with a short lesson that revisited converting infinitive verbs to simple past tense.  I designed a lesson in which we could practice the rules governing regular verbs and try to memorize the irregular ones.  Not particularly electrifying, I am sure you would agree!  However, it got considerably more interesting for the girls when I applied these grammar rules to retelling someone's history.  That someone was Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai.

I read her autobiography, "I am Malala," a few years ago.  Sam had read it as the summer required read in preparation for 6th grade, and I picked it up when he had finished with it.  She truly is an inspirational young woman, and especially so when you consider the cultural/political/religious environment in which she grew up.  I thought that if she could inspire me, then maybe she could do the same for the girls in Nimgaon Bhogi, especially as they are similar in age to her and have grown up in a a geographically similar part of the world.  They are also living in a culture that does not always show long-term support for the education of women; admittedly for very different reasons to those of the Taliban!

I found a short animated YouTube video narrated in Hindi that summarized Malala's story to share with the girls (luckily, the school room in the community centre has a power supply and shutters at the windows, so I was able to use a portable projector).  When we had watched the video, I summarized again in simple English.  The girls then practiced writing in the simple past tense to retell the events in Malala's story.  The girls in Standard 9 (UK year 9 and US grade 8) were particularly enthralled and pored over the pictures in "Malala Hoon Main" - the Hindi version of Malala's autobiography that I had managed to find several copies of; at only 80 rupees each, I cleared the shelf!

The girls were reluctant to return the books to me, and one girl even offered to bring money next week to buy my copy!  With some initial confusion I was able to explain that the girls were welcome to borrow the books and then return next week for another girl to share.  I am going to try to find more copies in the meantime.  To be honest, I am a sucker for books and kids anyway - it's the one thing I can never deny my own children when we are out shopping!  But seeing their faces light up as they buried their noses in the pages was so heartwarming - this, I have decided, is what they need from me.  A broadening of their horizons through knowledge of people and places not covered in their school curriculum or the local media available to them.

So this is the question I have for you, dear readers... can you recommend some inspirational, positive role models that I can share with girls aged 12-16 who have very little knowledge of the world beyond their own here in India?  Especially role models that they can identify with?  Comment below or send me an email!