Sapna Kumari Thakur of Sambhu Thakur, an adolescent girl from Hajminiya Darbar, Rajdevi Municipality ward 2 of Rautahat district, is an active member of the Bhagwati Women Empowerment Center (WEC) 5 members in her family. Three years ago, her elder sister passed away due medical issues, persistent socio-economic challenges, increased household responsibilities, and limited awareness within her family about the importance of girls’ education. Like many adolescent girls in her community, continuing her education became a distant dream as poverty and social pressures forced her to prioritize family needs over schooling therefore, she dropped school at 6 standards.
Sapna’s situation began to change after she joined the Women Empowerment Center under the Empowering Her initiative. Through regular participation in WEC meetings, awareness sessions on girls’ rights and education, life skills development activities, and group counseling, Sapna found importance of education in WEC and society. Listening to peers facing similar struggles helped her realize she was not alone, while continuous encouragement gradually rebuilt her self-confidence and motivation.
Sapna participated in Financial Literacy and Gender Action Learning System (GALS) trainings facilitated by the WEC facilitator. These sessions enhanced her understanding of financial planning, goal setting, and future visioning. Through the GALS methodology, Sapna clearly identified education as a critical pathway to achieving her long-term goals and improving her future livelihood prospects.
Parallel to empowering Sapna, WEC facilitators conducted counseling and dialogue sessions with her family, addressing both social and economic barriers and emphasizing the long-term benefits of educating girls. Also, family concern was about the Sapna’s guidance & security after the discussion with family members security was assure by WECs members & facilitator. This family-level engagement played a crucial role in changing attitudes and building parental support for Sapna’s return to school. She is now admitted to 7 standard classes in Shree Ram Naresh Laxman Secondary Government School regularly with renewed determination and hope.
"Joining the Women Empowerment Center gave me hope again. The sessions and support from WEC members helped me realize that education is my right, not just a dream. With their encouragement and my family’s support, I have returned to school and am determined to complete my studies. I want to inspire other girls in my community to never give up on their education."
Sapna’s journey from school dropout to re-enrollment clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of community-based empowerment approaches, particularly the integration of WEC support, financial literacy. Her story highlights how targeted interventions can reduce school dropout, promote educational continuity, and contribute to broader goals of girls’ education, gender equality, and social transformation.
