This Short Film Perfectly Captures The Sad Reality Of Many Little Girls In India

'The Tale of 2 Lajjos' shines light on the plight of girls who lack access to basic education.

The Tale of 2 Lajjos

Source - Nanhi Kali/YouTube

There was a time when we used to view education using the literacy lens. If someone knew how to read or write, we saw that as a win. Nothing wrong with that in a country like India, where literacy rate was and still is a huge issue. But surely education has to mean something more, right? It is a tool for someone to live a life of dignity. When basic schooling is denied to a child, it robs them of a future most of us, the privileged ones, take for granted. Education is the starting point for empowerment, especially in societies where patriarchy is deep-rooted.

In India, many young girls often find themselves lacking access to basic ten years of schooling. It could be for a variety of reasons - living in a remote area, economic situation of the family, prioritizing education of the son over the daughter, or something else altogether.

Project Nanhi Kali, founded in 1996 at K.C. Mahindra Education Trust by Anand Mahindra, to help little girls get access to education, came up with an amazing short film called ‘The Tale of 2 Lajjos’, to highlight the narrative that’s all too common for many girls in underserved communities across India.

Check it out.

The way the film delivers the message, from the point of view of the buffalo voiced by none other than the legendary Ila Arun, really puts things into perspective. Robbing a child of their right to education deeply affects their self-worth. Without the dignity that education provides, especially in today’s world, how can one even expect such girls to grow into confident women?

What is Project Nanhi Kali?

Project Nanhi Kali, which translates to ‘a little bud’ in Hindi, supports the education of underprivileged girls in India. Designed to support girls from low-income families to complete ten years of formal schooling, the project has impacted the lives of over 450,000 girls (called Nanhi Kalis) from underserved communities across the country. While that is a high number, it still isn’t enough. There are always more girls who need help.

And that is where you come in.

The project needs people to donate so they can continue to provide the materials and tools little girls need these days to access education with dignity - starting from books, school kits, a steady supply of feminine hygiene products, and much more.

If you liked the video, please share it forward. And if you’d like to go a step further and support the cause of #GirlChildEducation and to help Project Nanhi Kali put #AMillionGirlsInSchool, then you can donate here.