Hobbies and Hope

Cooking class at C2C Partner NGO

At C2C, we believe that every part of a girl’s life contributes to her self-confidence, autonomy, and overall well-being. Our curriculum of English language classes, Vedic math, Tech Lab, STEM courses, and life-skills training is designed to provide students with the tools necessary to transform their lives. In working with our partners, we focus on supporting all girls holistically to strengthen the four Cs—confidence, creativity, communication, and critical thinking.

We also believe in the importance of supporting the girls’ own individual interests and encouraging them to explore their talents. C2C girls have a vast range of talents and hobbies that they incorporate into their daily lives. These hobbies bring them joy and confidence, enhancing both their self-esteem and their desire to learn.

Tanvi, a fourteen-year-old student at C2C partner center FFLV, lives in a rental house with her family of five. They are in poor financial condition, as her father is unable to find steady work. 

Tanvi is extremely grateful for the C2C programs, which give her much-needed knowledge and training. “My father would have never been able to afford these courses,” she says, “but because of the C2C program, I’m getting this knowledge without paying a single rupee.”

Through C2C and with the inspiration of her teacher, Tanvi wants to become an IPS (Indian Police Service) officer. She says, “I want to eliminate corruption and discrimination from my country. And punish those who do harm to innocents. I want women to feel safe.”

On her path to her goal, Tanvi often turns to cooking as a way to both alleviate stress and provide for her family. “Cooking is my passion,” she says. “I enjoy cooking because it keeps me happy in my life. Whenever I feel sad or upset, cooking eases that for me in a big way. Every Sunday, I try to cook something special for my sister and my father.”

As she finds balance between her studies and her home life, Tanvi is focused on changing both her own future and that of her family. “I’ll study hard and I’ll achieve my dream,” she says. “I’ll make my father feel happy and proud of me. I’ll support my sister and my father, and I’ll give them a better life...free from struggle.”

All C2C girls come from difficult, often traumatic home lives. Twelve-year-old Sneha, a student at C2C partner The Small World, lost her parents at a very young age. Sneha still struggles with missing her parents, but is grateful for her education. “I’m proud to be a good learner in many activities,” she says. “I always try to give my 100% to learn those activities. Each and every activity teaches us new values, some knowledge, and some great skills too.”

Sneha credits C2C’s computer and English classes with giving her confidence and the determination to achieve her dream. She also incorporates her hobbies of playing sports as well as cultural activities like dancing and singing into her daily life. These hobbies keep her mind “busy and active” as she pursues her goal of becoming a civil engineer.

At C2C partner center SPRJK, ten-year-old Anjali also struggles with her family’s difficult situation, which is compounded by her parents’ troubles with finances, alcohol, abuse, and conflict. 

But Anjali finds both joy and escape through her favorite hobby of singing. “I love to sing my favorite songs and music,” she says. “It makes me happy and I really get into my own little bubble when I do. I express a lot of feelings through music, and I love that. I sing in the halls, in class, on the bus rides to school.”

Anjali credits C2C with giving her an interest in education and helping her learn valuable skills like English and computer technology. She has an admirable goal of wanting to become an army officer and “do something great for my nation.”

Tanvi, Sneha, and Anjali exemplify the C2C belief in holistic well-being. They have learned that engaging in their hobbies provides much-needed happiness, stress relief, and empowerment. By incorporating cooking, sports, dancing, and singing into their daily lives, they are also strengthening their confidence in their academic abilities.

As all the girls work to transform their lives, C2C both emphasizes and supports the importance of cultivating their interests, exploring their talents, and engaging in their favorite hobbies as they chart their paths to future success. 

The Power of Choice

Artwork by C2C Student

The girls we support at C2C come from extremely difficult backgrounds. They often live in poverty, have limited access to school, and are victims of abuse, child labor, and child marriage. Many of the girls have been orphaned after the loss of one or both parents. Some are forced to beg on the streets for money and food. In these abject circumstances, the girls rarely have a say about their lives.

One of C2C’s main goals is to give every one of these girls the tools to reclaim their power of choice. We believe that having the ability to make decisions about their future strengthens all areas of girls’ lives and identities. By using a curriculum that emphasizes the 4Cs—confidence, creativity, communication, and critical thinking—along with STEM education and holistic support, C2C empowers girls to learn how to make life choices that will drive their autonomy and independence.

A recent initiative through one of our partner centers proves the importance of choice and the impact of C2C in girls’ lives. Udayan Care runs a popular pan-India program designed to give at-risk girls financial support, personal development, and practical skills through workshops, internships, and apprenticeships.

As part of this program, Udayan recently launched a new fellowship initiative to provide girls with coaching in a variety of professional industries, such as IT programming, radiology, nursing, etc. The program administrators then work with recruiters to attain a goal of employing 100% of the girls. The program is beneficial to all parties involved—the girls gain both practical training and employable skills, and the companies gain employees from an already-trained workforce. 

At C2C, we sought to open up further opportunities for our students by connecting them with this new program. All of the girls interested in the program pre-qualified through a highly competitive process, and several C2C students applied for an Udayan fellowship. 

However, despite the program’s strong credentials, only two out of 11 eligible girls eventually chose to accept the fellowship. Of those two girls, one is genuinely interested in pursuing a career in nursing and healthcare, and the second girl is seeking admission into a master’s program in the US. Both of these young women believe the fellowship is an excellent fit for their future aspirations.

The nine girls who declined the new initiative were already enrolled in the programs of their choice and wished to continue studying in their own disciplines. Several of the girls are also pursuing more academic, rather than professional, areas of study.

After coming from circumstances in which they had little or no choice, these girls learned through C2C’s life-skills training and education how to make decisions that directly impact their individual futures. Whether they accepted or declined the fellowship, the girls chose the option that was best for them. They have developed confidence in their choices and understand how to think critically about decisions, pursue their interests, and further develop their abilities.

The C2C curriculum continues to emphasize the importance of choice in shaping the path of one’s life. Since inception, we have provided girls with STEM curriculums, sponsorships, and holistic support, in addition to workshops and mentoring on career development and professional training.

We encourage girls as students to pursue their passions, and once they graduate, we continue to assist them in charting out their career path. C2C’s support and focus on the 4Cs gives all of our students the power to critically consider their options and ultimately make confident, empowering decisions about their own futures. 

STEM Learning and the Power of Choice

C2C empowers girls with the skills and knowledge necessary for a successful, fulfilling future. Our mission includes an emphasis on STEM programming, which is especially pertinent in the wake of the pandemic as the worldwide demand for technology and digitization has risen dramatically. As a result, the tech industry in India provides increasingly advantageous opportunities for our proactive, engaged students. 

In strengthening the C2C curriculums, we have expanded our programs to address current IT issues, teach hands-on tasks, and encourage creativity. By combining tech programs with our life-skills training, we provide girls with the essential tools for gainful employment, personal safety and security, critical thinking, and overall well-being.

Cyber Security Workshop

On every level of society–from individuals to corporations–cyber security is a complex, ongoing concern. In late 2021, C2C provided our teenage students with a series of Powerpoint and video webinars to raise awareness about the ways in which their online activities–and areas of their personal lives–can be compromised. We addressed issues such as password and social media management, phishing, identity theft risks, and online payment methods. 

By knowing how to take necessary precautions while online, girls are better able to protect themselves from malicious cyberattacks. In addition to increasing their confidence in the digital world, this proactive awareness encourages the girls to use problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. 

Anatomy of PC systems

In December 2021, C2C provided girls aged 13-16 with workshops on assembling and disassembling PC-based computer systems, including the CPU. This activity is often used in computer labs across India as a training tool. By taking apart and putting together the computer, girls learned about the different components of the system and worked with specific tools and technical equipment. They also learned about software applications, such as how to install the Windows 10 operating system in PCs. This understanding of how systematic computer operations work adds yet another building block to the C2C girls’ educational and practical skills foundation.

Learning Programming via Gamification

Learning programming via gamification, an ongoing activity in C2C’s Techlab curriculum, strongly encourages the expression of ideas and creativity. Students employ Scratch, a free, easy-to-use, block-based programming tool. Used in many school systems throughout the world, Scratch is often a novel and innovative learning tool for the underprivileged girls served by C2C. Scratch users can create interactive stories, games, and animations, then share their favorite creations with a vibrant, global online community. 

By using Scratch, C2C girls learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively—all essential skills for the 21st century. To streamline the learning process, C2C provides notes, interactive projects, worksheets, and assignments for different levels. C2C girls use Scratch in a wide range of activities involving space, time, trigonometry, geometry, loops, conditional sequencing of tasks, etc. By understanding the intricacies of programming, girls develop a greater interest in technology-related careers.

C2C’s fusion of technology with life-skills training provides girls with both the knowledge and confidence necessary to pursue their future careers. C2C’s programs also align with the employment needs of the country, opening up a world of opportunities for girls and giving them the power to choose their own life’s path.