These School Girls From Jharkhand Put Their Remote Village Up On Wikipedia

 

A group of young village girls with enormous grit has put the tiny village of Hutup in Jharkhand on the map as a first baby step towards a giant purpose, fighting odds to demand their right to education

The Village now has its own Wikipedia Page,created and updated by these young school-going children.

The state of Jharkhand features some of the highest rates of female illiteracy, child marriage and human trafficking. According to the 2011-2012 Jharkhand Census, 6 out of 10 girls are pulled out of school and forced into marriage.

“We wanted to introduce technology to girls in a way that will benefit them the most. We thought of putting Hutup on the map as it is a good way to introduce the girls to Wikipedia,” says Rose Thomson, a spokesperson for YUWA the NGO Organisation behind the movement entitled 'Pitch to Her'

In the past, the organisation’s efforts for the women in this area of Jharkhand have received global attention: they run a school in Hutup that places heavy emphasis on football for girls

In 2013, these girls bagged the bronze medal at the Gasteiz Cup in Spain, and were invited last year to participate in the USA Cup match.

With the introduction of the campaign, computer classes are now taught daily at the YUWA school. “We are looking to unleash simple, and practical solutions that can involve anything from art, and music to product design or even utility apps that can be implemented in 4-6 weeks,” says Thomson

In addition to full time teachers, YUWA also encourages its older girls to act as mentors to younger children. “I want to become a divorce lawyer. Many girls and women want a divorce because their husbands hurt them, and spend all the family’s money on drinking or gambling,” says 15-year-old Rinky who captained the team playing in Spain and the United States. “The women here don’t know how to get a divorce. I want to help women so they can be free to get a good job and save money for their future," she adds.