Shila playfully moves her hands like a fish, as she recites a poem with the young children she instructs. The children follow her every move, repeating after her with smiles all around. Her style of instruction is engaging, as she likes the children to move, sing, dance and be fully immersed in their learning experience. Giving them power through knowledge is what keeps her going.

“If I was able to complete my 10th in two years, imagine how much farther these young kids will go, learning from an early age,” Shila says. “I’m happy to teach students, but even happier when they show up to class without me calling them.”

Shila is 18-years-old and from Nizampur, in the Phulwarisharif area of Patna. She is the eldest of the her siblings, with two other sisters and two brothers, none of who are married. Her father is a day-wage labourer, working in jobs such as whitewashing while her mother is mentally ill, and has been staying with Shila’s brother for the past two years while he is studying.

Shila’s father does not share his earnings with his family and to survive Shila has taken upon herself, along with help from her younger sister, to manage the household. Along with housework, Shila was working on farming plots to earn some additional income, and earned about 50 rupees per day from this.

Shila used to go to Nari Gunjan center which prepared her till 4th standard level, but after that, she dropped her studies and was supporting household works, apart from working as an agricultural labor for a small amount of money in return.

Shila’s incredible strength of mind was demonstrated when she found the courage to defy her father’s wishes, something she had never done before and which is not common, at all, for girls in her community to do.

This started when Shila chose to pursue her studies. Community teachers from the Aga Khan Foundation’s adolescent girl’s empowerment project, Project Lehar, came to her village as part of their community mobilization efforts, and told her about the learning centre they were running to help girls who have dropped out receive scholastic education as well as training in life skills. Initially, when the community teachers came to speak to her, Shila took it very lightly, thinking that many NGOs come and go. Nonetheless she decided to enroll herself at the centre in November 2015.

Despite the efforts of the community teachers, Shila’s father refused for her to attend the centre because he thought it was too far from home. One day, she decided to go to the centre when her father wasn’t home and continued going to classes without her father’s knowledge. She quickly began enjoying the classes, specifically the life skills sessions which includes topics such as, positive thinking, health and hygiene and confidence building.

“Life skills is the reason I’m teaching today,” Shila says. “I used to fight with people a lot, and couldn’t control my anger. Now I stop and think before I reply.”

Surprisingly, when her father came to know about her attendance at the centre, he did not react. Shila continued to go to the centre, balancing courses along with her household and farm work, and even staying at the centre longer than the normal hours to study. Villagers used to taunt her for pursuing her studies instead of remaining at home, but their words never impacted her drive to continue learning.

The second instance of strength was shown when Shila refused a marriage arranged by her father. After three to four months of being in the centre, her father printed her marriage card and arranged her dowry. Shila knew this was happening but didn’t have the courage to refuse her father. When the boy came to visit her, he requested Shila to write her name and address, even though he himself was not a 10th pass and could barely write. Shila found this situation unnerving and afterwards she told her brother and father that she wanted to refuse the marriage. Relatives helped her put an end to the marriage and Shila is now focused on herself and her family.

Currently, Shila balances household work, teaching and preparing for her own exam. She spends the money she earns giving tuition to attend preparation courses for the exam she will retake. She received an offer from and NGO to teach at an ECD centre, and is waiting for proper certificates to be able to pursue this.

“My advice to other girls is to not be afraid of anything,” she says. “Develop confidence, believe in yourself, and don’t lose faith. You can come out of your homes and go much further.”