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Asma Praveen has done her village in Bihar proud by having been chosen by SAkrisariya in Muzaffarpur district is among the many obscure, backward villages in the state of Bihar. This village would have remained unknown had it not been for the accomplishments of 19-year-old Asma Praveen, who catapulted her family and village to fame by being chosen for the prestigious United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) calendar for this year.
The UNPF, which promotes women’s empowerment and health, did not choose Asma just because she became the first girl in her community and village to attain the brown belt in karate. It was primarily in recognition of her determination to overcome social and economic hurdles in pursuit of education, and succeed, despite all odds. Born into a conservative Muslim family of limited economic means, Asma was allowed to move out of the house only when she accompanied her elder sister to the local madrasa. Among her six siblings, only the eldest of her four brothers studied up to graduation. Although this should have paved the way for Asma, the family was opposed to her studying beyond the five years in the madrasa. In fact, both her father and elder brothers forbade her from stepping out of the house, asking her to concentrate on household work. Little did they know that Asma’s desire to study was so strong that she wouldn’t give up until she found a way to fulfil her dreams. She would wake up early in the morning, finish all the household chores given to her, and then sneak out to study in the afternoon when her brothers were away. She would make sure that she was back home before her brothers returned from work. "I had a hunger to study and I decided that I would do whatever it took to be able do so. I realised that as long as my work at home got done, it would not hurt anyone if I went out to study," says Asma. Fortunately for Asma, Jagjagi, a learning centre for girls run by Mahila Samakhya (MS) in the village, had an extremely enthusiastic teacher at the helm of affairs. She encouraged Asma to study and selected her for MS’s Mahila Shikshan Kendra in Muzaffarpur, where she could pursue higher studies and learn vocational skills at the same time. According to Rooprani Gupta, the district resource person of the Mahila Samakhya, Muzaffarpur, girls were chosen for this centre on the basis of their educational abilities as well as the potential to become a role models and inspire others in their community. "Asma had all these qualities, and it was her dogged determination to study that tilted the balance in her favour. Since we also teach karate, which we believe boosts their levels of confidence, we thought this would be a good opportunity for her to nurture her talents," points out Gupta. "When I heard that I was selected for this course, it was a dream come true. But I was afraid that my family would not allow me to go, especially as it is about 23 km from my village. One day, when I found all my brothers in a good mood, I told them about my selection to the kendra. They didn’t agree. When my father heard about it, he too forbade me to go," recounts Asma. However, she didn’t lose heart. She sought the help of the MS teachers to persuade her family. When Poonam Kumari, MS district programme coordinator in Muzaffarpur, found that Asma’s family was reluctant, she invited them to visit the kendra and then take a final decision. It was after Asma’s mother inspected the place and was convinced her daughter would be safe, was consent given. Among the various vocational skills — like training in Madhubani and screen painting, candle making, and so on — that were given there, it was karate that attracted her attention. At the end of the nine-month course at the kendra, Asma became proficient in both karate and her studies. Even after she passed her Class 12 examination with a second division, Asma continued to pursue karate. Of the eight levels of excellence, Asma has achieved six. At present she is a brown belt with just two more levels to go to become a black belt. Seeing her remarkable talent, MS drafted her to teach karate and inspire girls studying at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas. For Asma, who conducted five training sessions, it was also an opportunity to earn money. She received Rs 1,000 for each session. She also received Rs 300 for each training session she held for girls studying in schools run under the National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL). Asma was chosen to interact with students of NPEGEL schools as they, too, build community support for girls’ education at the elementary level in educationally backward blocks in the state. Earlier this year, she
was chosen — along with Nirmala Kumari, the only female Deputy
Superintendent of Police in Muzaffarpur — to represent the district
at a recent event organised by the UNPF in a girls’ college in Patna
to promote gender empowerment. — WFS
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