Rescued girls aim for a new goal

AMRITA MUKHERJEE / TNN / Jul 5, 2006, 21:39 IST

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The Freedom through Football project started by a Kolkata based NGO endeavours to stop child abuse by empowering girls through sports.

With their salwars folded upto their knees and duppattas firmly wrapped around their waist, these young girls try to master the pass on the football field.
They are oblivious to the frenzy surrounding the World Cup 2006 and neither do they know about Parminder Nagra in Bend it Like Beckham. But to them the game might just mean an Escape To Victory.
Hailing from the districts of Hariharpara, Jalangi and Beldanga in Murshidabad, where child marriage and trafficking have almost become a norm, football can mean deliverance from societal shackles.
The Freedom Through Football project started by a Kolkatabased NGO endeavours to stop child abuse by empowering girls through sports. And helping them in the endeavour is women’s football coach, Kuntala Ghosh Dostidar.

"I was overwhelmed at the interest these girls showed. I trained around 370 girls in the age group of 9 to 17 years and I did some talent spotting too. I think if persisted seriously, some of the girls have a very good future," said Kuntala, adding, "I have sent a report to the All India Football Association asking for infrastructural and financial support. If they can be trained well, the best can play in the Kolkata teams."

Through football the NGO wants to break stereotypes of only teaching girls sewing and handicrafts. "We wanted to use innovative ways for their all round development.
That's why we thought of football as an option. And I must say the camp has worked wonders," said Baitali Ganguly, secretary of the NGO.
The NGO runs its operations among 1,250 girls in Murshidabad district. While some of them are rescued from trafficking, from child marriage and from abusive homes, others have a normal upbringing since all of them receive education and training in one place...
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"Many girls face a lot of stigma because of their past. The interactions with girls from the mainstream will help in their assimilation into society," Ganguly said.
The experiment of bringing a change through sport started with basketball. When the girls showed interest, they decided on the Freedom Through Football project.
"When we approached the parents, only 25 girls registered. We did not want to put any pressure on them. But when the camp started we were surprised to see a turn up of 125 girls. Much to our delight, the number kept on increasing. It's very important for the girls to become child advocates and claim their own right. Once the camp got over, we felt that we were moving in the right direction," Ganguly added.
Kuntala will soon go back to hold more such camps with the girls and plans are afoot to bring women's football to the red light areas and slums of Kolkata too.

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