Purnima’s journey reflects the transformative power of dedication and leadership. Coming from an underprivileged family of farm labourers, she has been a vital part of Shreeja India for the past five years, balancing her studies in Sanskrit, Philosophy, and Bengali at Rajnagar College with her passion for football.
Shreeja India’s flagship program ‘Football & Beyond’ is a unique sports- based education endeavour that meaningfully engages, educates, enriches and thereby empowers first-generation learner girls and women, especially belonging to deprived indigenous communities in West Bengal. The initiative harnesses the power of football, a community sport to stop school dropouts,child marriages and other social evils by building social capital and leadership among girls and women. Under this program, as the captain of the Shreeja India Rajnagar football team, Purnima has excelled as not just a defender but a leader with determination and skill. She has honed her football abilities well and has gained the confidence to take on bigger responsibilities in life. She has refused to marry early, a norm still prevalent in her community. She says, “Football has given me freedom. When I am on the field with my Team, I feel confident, happy and secured. Football has given me an identity and made me a leader in Shreeja India and in my village. I wish to become a football coach and contribute towards supporting more girls like me and help develop grassroot football.”
Purnima is following her dreams with commitment and determination. She has recently stepped up to become the football coach at our Aligarh sub-center in Birbhum, transitioning into a role where she can inspire the next generation of players. This opportunity has given her more than just personal growth—it’s also providing her with an additional source of income to support her farming family. She wishes to pursue further training and education that will enable her to fulfil her life’s aspirations.
