a marathon of change

The TATA Mumbai Marathon is an annual event which is eagerly awaited by runners, philanthropists, and enthusiasts every year. WE Foundation participated in the event on 20th January 2019 with 15 adolescent girls from the Youth Friendly Centre in Dharavi, self-defence trainer Jameel, social worker Meera, yoga trainer and running enthusiast Niveditha, and four of our board members. Commonly, girls from underprivileged communities rarely step out of their locality, leave a lone participate in a large scale event like a marathon. This was the first time the girls wore jerseys, track pants and running shoes, and sported bandanas. The jerseys carried the ‘Too Shy to Ask’ app message, as this was great platform to raise awareness about sexual and reproductive health amongst the youth.

The training for the marathon helped the girls understand the importance of participation, personal fitness and a healthy lifestyle. The training wasn’t easy to say the least, with high resistance from their families and the community, eve teasing that the girls dealt with on a regular basis, and training in their 150 square foot homes being impossible. Jameel worked hard to motivate the girls and find ways for them to practice every day, and our Youth Friendly Centre provided a safe and secure atmosphere. We got on board a Marathon expert and trilithon runner who conducted sessions with the girls, encouraging them with personal stories of achievements, and educating them about the importance of stretching and stamina-building exercises.

The event was an eye-opener for the girls as they saw society come together in a way that class, caste, culture and especially gender didn’t matter. The understanding of what they could accomplish boosted their self-belief. Besides positively impacting their own world view, their participation created a positive impression on other girls and young women in their community. The funds generated from the event were invested back into the adolescent programs at the Youth Friendly Centre, that included self-defence training, computer classes and English literacy lessons. The girls took pride in being a medium of change themselves.