1. Visited Mumbai on June 6th to see
Deepshikha project in Action

2. The guests received a
traditional Indian
welcome by the women,
who applied kumkum to
the forehead of the
guests and performed an
auspicious diya ceremony.

3. The girls and women
welcomed the guests with a
song, expressing the power
of unity among women
associated with Deepshikha,
the atmosphere was charged
with some women and girls
dancing to the tune.

4. During their visit Mr.
Dearlove and Mr. George
interacted with a group of
35 adolescent girls and
women from the project
areas of Mumbai and
Latur, gathered at a project
site in Mumbai.

5. The women and girls shared
their experiences of change
in self and in their
communities after being
associated with Deepshikha
project.

6. shared their experiences of
initiating development
activities in their villages.
Dakshata shared about
their work on averting
child marriages, building
toilets and prohibition of
liquor sell in her village.

7. Sangeeta and Nanda shared
their experiences of setting
up entrepreneurial business
with the AGGs; their dreams
of expanding their business
and need for further training
and guidance.

8. Poonam, a petite
adolescent girl from Latur,
in her high pitched and
confident voice explained
how she enjoys
participating in the
campaign for building
toilet in every house as
well as in initiating action
against child marriage and
dowry.

9. Sharda emphasized that the
thrust of the programme is
to bring adolescent girls
together as a group which
never happened before. The
adolescent now have a voice
and they are emerging as
strength (Kishori Shakti) of
the village.

10. Avani, Dipali, Yashoda and Pratibha,
the four prerikas from Mumbai come
from a similar background …. migrated
north Indian families where child
marriage is a norm and there are
restrictions on the mobility of girls;
moreover earning is considered as
‘men’s job’. All of them with great
efforts stood up to the pressure from
their families and not only continued
study and postponed their marriage
but also to got out of the house and
took up a job. Their dream is to bring
about similar changes in the lives of
other girls in their community.

11. The discussion that followed
the presentations addressed
issues like challenges in
forming groups, strategies
for encouraging adolescents
to save, investment and
process of business decisions
and influence of family
members on the utilization
of group fund. The women
too were keen to know the
situation of adolescents in
UK and asked a few
questions to the guests.

12. Mr. Dearlove and Mr. George
visited a prerika’s house in
the nearby slum locality and
got a feel of the living
condition of the women in
slums in Mumbai where the
project operates.

13. Responding to the women
and girls’ request for
continued support from
Barclays, Mr. Dearlove
expressed that Barclays is
proud to be associated with
Deepshikha in Maharashtra,
which aims to reach out and
change so many lives and
will continue their support
in the IInd phase of the
project .

14. In his feedback after the
visit Mr. Dearlove mentions
“It truly was an eye opening,
humbling, but also uplifting
experience.”