120 girls gain life lessons at NTPC camp in Dadri

About 40 kilometres away from Noida city, a one-of-its kind summer camp is currently underway in Dadri, where pre-teen girls from government schools are having a plethora of experiences that will go a long way in their empowerment

About 40 kilometres away from Noida city, a one-of-its kind summer camp is currently underway in Dadri, where pre-teen girls from government schools are having a plethora of experiences that will go a long way in their empowerment.

The girls start their day at 7am with yoga sessions, followed by extracurricular classes, including self-defence. (Sourced)

Being held at NTPC’s (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) Dadri township, 120 girls from nearby villages are enrolled in the four-week long residential workshop of the public service undertaking (PSU) energy firm, which started on May 23 and will end on June 19.

From academic learning, physical fitness, gender sensitisation to life skills such as sanitisation, environment awareness and self-defence, the event is being held amid the summer vacation at government schools.

“Around 120 girls from 10 government schools near the NTPC’s Dadri township were selected for enrolment after they were screened for health complications. Consent was also required from their guardians for the four-week residential programme,” said V Shiva Prasad, general manager (human resources) at NTPC, Dadri.

The girls start their day at 7am with yoga sessions, which are followed by academic classes between 9am to 1pm. Following this, several extra-curricular classes are held, which include career counselling, self-defence, confidence building tips, public speaking and gender sensitisation.

Meet 10-year-old Sahren from Upper Primary Government School in Jaitwarpur village. She has plans to join the Indian Police Service (IPS) after learning about it at the ongoing summer camp.

“My brother is a police officer and I always look up to him. I told the instructors here about my dream to join the police force. They told me that instead of becoming a constable or inspector, I should aspire to become an IPS officer by studying and working hard,” said Sahren, whose father is an electrician.

The initiative has also created space for the girls to showcase their talents and capabilities.

Eleven-year-old Sandhya Khari said that she was always fond of singing but got an opportunity to hone her skills at the training camp. “I like to attend the singing classes here as it has made me realise my true potential. However, I want to be a doctor in the future. I am aware that it costs a large amount of money and that is why I have already started aspiring to get a scholarship,” she said. She is a resident of Janauna village in Dadri.

Shiva Prasad said that there will be an assessment of all the participants at the end of the four-week training camp and the top 10 students will be given a scholarship by the PSU. “The scholarship will entail education till class 12 at private schools located at the NTPC township in Dadri,” he said.

Shiva Prasad further added, “Such camps ensure that the girl child grows into a well-rounded adult; with ample curiosity and quality communication and social skills. Additionally, it motivates the girl child to nurture her creativity”.

The young participants said that they are extremely excited to be at the training camp and are eager to share their experiences with their family members and friends back home.

“In gender sensitisation classes, I have learnt new experiences that have given me a different perspective to look at things. For example, in our village, I have often seen that the birth of a boy is celebrated more than that of a girl, but I never questioned it. However, here we are being taught that girls and boys are equal. When I return home, I will tell my friends there’s nothing that a girl cannot do,” said Shivani (12), from Luharli village whose father is a milkman.

The training camp first took place in the year 2018 but could not be held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.