Neha Mardi resides in the remote Keledihi village of Rajnagar Block, Birbhum district. She is the first person in her village to score 94% in her XII board examinations and since then has continued to inspire many other first-generation learner (FGL) girls like her in her village and at Shreeja India centre. She is now in the second year of college and dreams of becoming a teacher. She is also a regular football player and acts as a Team manager for the Shreeja Birbhum Football Team. A sincere student and a committed leader, she has already stepped up to teach young first-generation learner (FGL) children (aged 4-10 years) in her village as a community mentor under Shreeja India’s project ‘Vidushee’.
Vidushee is making the community-driven ‘Football & Beyond’ program sustainable. This innovative intervention focuses on the formative years of FGL children who still cannot travel to the Shreeja centre by themselves, thereby affecting subsequent generations and making the young children developmentally ready. Vidushee teachers are rendering foundational learning to the rural children and conducting football-based fitness training for them. They are also receiving monthly scholarships for their community service and hence have become economically independent in the process. By becoming role models, Vidushee teachers like Neha are ensuring that the program benefits extend beyond just the girls involved and are also contributing towards changing the prevalent patriarchy-driven gender norms in their villages. Today, 27 such Vidushee teachers are supporting 700 plus rural children through the initiative. Being the brightest mind in her village, the community now respects Neha as a leader and sends their children to learn from her. Neha currently has 68 students in Vidushee. She continues to play a significant role in developing her village as a leader. She recently received an Award from Umeed foundation for her dedication towards education and also received a scholarship for the same as well.
