GIRLS ARE RISING INDEED!

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust... "

 

It may be an inevitable truth that we all come from dust and return to dust. The world will keep reminding you this fact over and over, in case you forget and, spread your wings too much and fly too far. 

But there are some girls in this world that defied this fact and did not surrender. They went on to prove that it is the journey between these two finite points that will still make us immortal; an extraordinary journey towards one's dreams. An indomitable spirit and unflagging enthusiasm decide whether we will kiss glory or taste the dust. Nine such determined girls chose to follow their hearts' desire and to never give up. Not even in circumstances that bereaved them of hope, momentarily. And this is how we got a soul-stirring documentary film- Girl Rising!

Girl Rising takes us into the lives of nine girls- Wadley, Amina, Ruksana, Yasmine and Sumi to name a few, who live in different parts of the world. Thanks to SEWA and the American Centre, for they gave us an experience of a lifetime by screening this film. In these hundred minutes, fixed in our seats and totally captivated by what we saw, we travelled with the girls across the world- to deserts, high mountains, cramped cities and even disaster hit areas. We experienced a plethora of emotions as we came across each girl’s story- awe, contempt, compassion, joy, sorrow, hope, despair, pride, euphoria! From having goose bumps, to moist eyes, to a content smile; I could feel it all.  All us SEWA girls were watching in silence, the struggle and success of the nine girls, separated from us (just)by the screen. But the undercurrents of a newly realised potential and a flame reignited were almost tangible. It became evident when every girl present there, expressed with a lot of fervour, how inspired they felt. The message through the stories of those girls had come across well. “There’s a Hero in all of us”, they said. The girls highlighted the pertinent issues related to women, especially education, and spoke about other social evils solemnly. They could somehow relate to the girls in the film and realised that the problems, unfortunately, are faced not just by women of their own country but by women worldwide. A noteworthy fact is that ultimately they were all convinced that hope and determination can bring a big change, a positive one at that. No matter how unfavourable the circumstances are, one should never give up on their efforts and hope. After all, beautiful wild flowers grow in the most unexpected and difficult places.

It was a moment of pride for all of us at SEWA, to see the girls stand up and speak for themselves. If this brilliant amalgamation of Art and Reality in the form of this film could do such wonders, more of such experiences should be brought to young girls with aspirations. The confidence and vigour that they radiated suggested of a revolution not too far in the future. They all had something precious to take back with them in the end. All they now need is their families by their side and a lot of opportunities to prove their worth...and sure then, will we RISE!