Govandi to New York: Teen raises local issues on global platform

Saleha Khan was in Std VIII when her family urged her to discontinue her studies owing to financial constraints. Her story isn't uncommon in Govandi, where girls are married off early and discouraged from completing school, let alone pursue higher education. But, even then, Saleha, now 18, had dreams that couldn't confine her to her neighbourhood in Bainganwadi. And she is seeing those through, bit by bit, by convincing her parents to allow her to go to college.

Last month, she was selected as one of the delegates for the Goalkeepers '18, an event organised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in New York on September 25-26.

The second-year B.Com student at Oriental College of Commerce in Sanpada was among the five picked from India and one of the 250 young leaders selected from 55 countries. She also attended the 73rd United Nations General Assembly meeting during her stay there.

Saleha Khan with Melinda and Bill Gates

Making waves
At the event, work carried out by the delegates on the 17 sustainable development goals was highlighted. "I picked sustainable education and water and health sanitation. When my father asked me to drop out of school for financial and safety reasons, I reasoned with him... I was able to convince him that if I go to school, and then college, with a large group of girls, safety wouldn't be an issue," said Saleha.

She, however, knows that her efforts have to go beyond just convincing parents. "We have to connect with our corporators. If we work with the government, only then can we bring about change. We have the right to education, and many of us are not even aware of it," she added.

Family's pride
"People don't talk about menstrual issues [in Govandi], and many girls/women are unable to share their problems. We need to explain the side effects of using cloth instead of a sanitary napkin."

But her first trip to the US wasn't all work and no play. She visited the New York Public Library, the Statue of Liberty and made a lot of friends. Apart from posing with Bill and Melinda Gates, she also met political leaders from various countries.

Her mother Parveen, 40, feels nothing but pride about her daughter's accomplishments. "She is the first from our family, and area, to go abroad. We are glad she continued her education. She wants to become a social worker, and we want her to fulfil her dreams," she said. In 2016, Saleha was awarded the Savitribai Phule Puraskar, while last year, she was nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize.

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