Celebrating Girl Power 

About an hour’s drive from Darjeeling, nestled between the mighty Himalayan ranges, the road begins to crumble into disrepair as it descends toward Harsinghatta village. Passing green carpets of tea gardens and colourful cottages with tin-sheeted roofs, the setting appears quiet and peaceful in the clear mountain air and strong high-altitude sunshine. The calm remains unbroken—until one nears the local playground, where the chanting voices of sixteen children begin to echo across the mountainside. 

“Hiyaaah, Hiyaah!” 

A group of young, white-garbed kickboxers practicing their self-defense routines may seem like an unlikely sight in these placid hills, but this public display of discipline has become a regular occurrence in the village since January 2013, when World Vision India began training children in child protection and safety education. 

One particularly passionate thirteen-year-old kickboxer, Rinchen who brought home a bronze medal at the West Bengal State Sub-Junior Kickboxing Championships in June 2013—was especially admired by others. Conversations with the teammates showed the deep respect and strong sense of commitment the young students shared. 

“Rinchen is the most regular student at kickboxing practice,” said Ishika, Laxmi, and Gayatri in unison. All four girls from Harsinghatta village participated in the state championships and won either bronze or silver medals, and the village took great pride in their achievements. 

“I prayed that Rinchen would come back home with a medal, and my prayers were answered. I am very proud of her,” said Bimal Tamang, 36, mother of both Rinchen and four-year-old Rishab. 

Rinchen had good reason to put so much energy and effort into her practice. Two years earlier, she had a close brush with a potentially dangerous situation involving a local man. She managed to escape, thanks to the education and awareness she gained through child rights workshops, the children’s club, and the Life School for Transformational Development (LSTD) conducted by World Vision India in Harsinghatta village since 2011. “If there had been no awareness about child rights education for our children, there would have been a high chance of them being abused,” said Bimal. 

By the time of the incident, Rinchen’s understanding of the warning signs displayed by people with ill intent was already well developed. She was able to escape unharmed and receive immediate support from the local Child Protection Unit (CPU), which World Vision India had formed a few months earlier. The CPU responded promptly and helped lodge a First Information Report (FIR). “Without the CPU members, we would not have known how to navigate the legal process, and the police paid proper heed to us because of the CPU’s involvement,” said Bimal. 

Rinchen’s father, Puran, was supportive and present throughout the entire experience, even sparring with her outside of her classes. Puran, a 37-year-old seasonal driver and labourer, emphasized, “I strongly feel that all the daughters from the village should be trained in self-defense. We did not want to conceal the incident with our daughter, as could happen to anyone else. It serves as a reminder.” 

Rinchen’s case has since set an example for locals, both young and old, to be more vigilant about child safety. To date, 88 children between the ages of 4 and 18 have enrolled in the kickboxing tutorial programs, of which 54 are girls. All the young kickboxers participate in ongoing workshops and share a community responsibility to make Harsinghatta village one of the best examples of child safety in the entire Darjeeling district. 

-Daniel Mung/World Vision India 

Labels: #childprotection #childwellbeing #featurestory #girlpower #selfdefence #featurestory