for 200 girls from Dharavi, Mumbai in self-defence, gift wrapping, personality development and other skill building activities.
The 48-week training program titled as the ‘Lakshya Project’ has been initiated with an aim to equip the girls both physically and mentally to tackle any harassment or violence against them. The program included simple and easy defence techniques. The girls also received training for personality development and gift wrapping to enhance their confidence and act as a source of livelihood respectively.
Dr. Duru Shah, Founder, We Foundation, said, “Initially we faced a lot of resistance in mobilising the girls for these training sessions. Even parents were not happy about their daughters attending these sessions. It has taken a lot of ground work to bring about a mind-set change and we are pleased with the kind of confidence the girls are exhibiting today. This project is set to become bigger now.”
The recording of crimes against women in India, including rape, domestic violence and abuse, has risen in recent years with 4 out of 5 women becoming victims. This is a step by Metropolis Healthcare to give these girls the weapons to fight back. The Lakshya Project is an on-going project by Metropolis and We Foundation and will continue to transform the lives of women for years to come.