Under the radar: Mumbai's unsung heroes are at work

Saleha Khan 21 from Govandi was on the verge of dropping out of school when a revelation struck her With concerns surrounding womens safety in Govandi her parents decided to discontinue her schooling However she believed there was more to life than living under the fear of social pressuresldquoI convinced my parents to let me study and give me a chance to prove myself Upon agreement I was enrolled in a school where I completed grades 9 and 10 in 2018 Post matric what transpired was a lifealtering event for me and my familyrdquo Saleha tells MiddayWith her relentless desire to pursue education Saleha became a recipient of the Savitribai Phule Award at the state level When she was headed to the award ceremony she decided to take her father along who was left speechless and humbled by her daughterrsquos outstanding achievements Thus began her journey as a changemaker in Mumbairsquos slumsGetting ahead of the curve in GovandiComing from a Muslim background ndash Khan admits the economic disparities that mar her community Often Muslim girls abandon education owing to a myriad of issues like womenrsquos safety financial constraints supporting family and lack of proper schools in the locality Endowed with the will of steel Saleha overcame obstacles only to lay out a blueprint for fellow girls with aspirationsShe remarks ldquoI am the most educated girl in my familyrdquo Currently pursuing a Mastersrsquo in Sociology ndash she has taken upon the role of challenging societal stereotypes and breaking the mould Collegegoer in the day and a reformer by night ndash her desire to bring a change in society is rooted in her vision to create more lsquoSalehasrsquo like herConsequently she began sensitising young women in her neighbourhood towards education and health ldquoTo this date many young women continue to drop out of school when their menstrual cycle commences Due to unfound inhibitions fear and lack of education parents discontinue their schooling ndash thereby obstructing their developmentrdquoIt is this repression that Saleha aims to eradicate by working as a volunteer with Bal Raksha Bharat a nongovernmental organisation that works for the welfare of underprivileged children in the neglected corners of Indian societylsquoMain bhi isi basti se hursquoSaleha recalls the initial hesitance she faced when she began voicing her ideas lsquoWhen I began conducting awareness sessions I lacked confidence Nonetheless as I went deeper into social work I gradually became sure of myself This was more pronounced during the Disaster Risk Management program where I learnt and taught others how to bring change within the self by taking a stand for our peoplerdquoA lsquoChild Championrsquo with Bal Raksha Bharat she spreads the message of education and health amongst the people of her community ldquoI tell the parents of young daughters ndash Main bhi isi basti se hu kyu na hum sab milkar ek group banaye sath school janey k liyerdquoWith persistent efforts Saleha has empowered several teenage girls from Govandi to attend school in packs of 810 They say small drops make an ocean and ocean it is ndash of sisterhood camaraderie and a profound sense of achievement upon breaking stereotypesSpeaking about her vision Saleharsquos dream is to rekindle hope in the hearts of young girls ldquoMany girls are devoid of equal opportunities due to the misogynistic nature of our society It is a deeply unfortunate reality and my only wish is to give these girls the same opportunity that I got back in 2017rdquoThe Saleha has been to New York to represent India at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals program in 2023 conducted 275 sessions on menstrual health delivered a TEDx talk participated in programs by Youth Ki Awaz mobilised girls for lsquokabaddirsquo training and much more Saleha emerges as a ray of light that refuses to dim down no matter what challenges life throws at herCurating dreams at Cuff ParadeDuring her formative years Lakshmi Rambalak Mendon 18 from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar Cuffe Parade watched a South Indian movie that happened to stir her soul Called lsquoMiss Indiarsquo the plot of the film revolves around a female entrepreneur who goes to the United States and deals with daunting challenges ndash only to emerge as a successful businesswomanWatching the movie was like an epiphany Taking a cue from the lead she began aspiring to become a beautician In a conversation with Midday she shares ldquoI enrolled for a beauty course when I was in grade 9 with Salaam Bombay FoundationrdquoPost lessons Laxmi would come home to experiment with makeup looks on her mothers and sisterrsquos faces Not only this she began imparting beauty services at her chawl in Ambedkar Nagar and made financial gains However things were not always this smooth for the Biharbased girlGrowing from onersquos griefldquoMy father used to sell clothes at Churchgate to earn daily wages One day he left for Kurla to collect a new piece of stock when he met with an accident and succumbed to his injuries This happened when I was only in grade 7 and it left us shatteredrdquo shares LaxmiA father is someone who provides his family with a quality life education health and that is exactly how Laxmirsquos father served his unit However his demise left a deep void in the life of Mendons and they had to migrate back to Bihar for two yearsldquoIt was very difficult for us and especially so for our mother Shes very hard working but she never had to go out to earn as my father provided for everything Our mother only had to take care of our health nutrition and home chores but now she was left alone to take care of three children all by herselfrdquo Laxmi explainsEven though Mumbai is called the city of dreams people tend to downplay the amount of effort it takes to fulfill those dreams It was no different for Laxmirsquos mother who had to shed her walls for survival She began upskilling herself learnt marketing techniques and began selling kids wear at Cuffe Parade to provide for her childrenrsquos educationldquoTill this date she works hard for us to ensure that we feel no gaps Nothing is missing except our fatherrdquo she adds Pursuing an Economics major while minoring in Psychology at Sophia College Laxmi dreams of becoming an entrepreneurBeauty with a purposeDespite challenges Laxmi has not given up on her dreams ldquoMany industries work only for privileged women who can afford quality products Thats not who I am targeting I want to educate women living in slums on beauty enhancers like facials pedicures manicures spas etcrdquoUpon research Laxmi has derived that for underprivileged women ndash itrsquos tougher to avail beauty services Most of the women want to look good but they cannot afford makeovers owing to skewed prices Also a lot of these women carry misinformed notions about products and hence refrain from trying out skin treatmentsrdquoShe continues ldquoI believe that when you look good you feel good and that is when you perform well Thus I want these women to shed inhibitions I admit that I have to work very hard to raise awareness about my beauty products as these women find creams to be harmfulrdquoHailing from Seoli in Bihar Laxmirsquos articulation is sharp and she knows how to hit the message home Her dream is to launch her beauty parlour to provide distinguished services at a cost lower than market pricesShe also plans to provide chemicalfree homemade products for her customers so that they know what she is providing is safe She also wants to employ others like her to expand her business and manage her studies at the same time Lakshmi stands out as an inspiration to all the young girls who aspire to be entrepreneurs and make their dreams come true in the face of adversitiesTechnology for a greener planetOn a typical afternoon walk back from school Antop Hillbased Pooja Kamleskumar Jaiswals 15 heart sank when she noticed her favourite chilli plant had dried up Its once vibrant leaves had turned brown and its branches had shriveled upUpon a discussion with her mother she learnt that the plants had been overwatered The death of her cherished plant filled Pooja with rage and a desire to do something about it Determined to turn her sorrow into action she embarked on a techmissionArmed with a scientific temper Pooja conceptualised a soil moisture sensor to revolutionize plant care Reflecting on her innovation she shares with Midday Just like humans require balanced nutrition for survival plants thrive on the right amount of water Any imbalance can spell disaster for their wellbeing impacting not only their lives but also our environment on a larger scaleHer solution An ingenious automated plant watering system that she devised in 2022 Equipped with a sensor that can gauge soilrsquos moisture needs Poojas invention ensures plants receive precisely the hydration they need This breakthrough nurtured under the TECHVISION project embodies her passion for technological innovationA budding inventor with an eye on the future Poojas journey is not just about acclaim and accolades Engaged with the Salaam Bombay Foundation for a year now she is keen to uncover the realm of robotics driven by a vision to create a meaningful impact ldquoI want to become a robotics engineer and shape the landscape of technology for bettering our environmentrdquo she addsWith ambitions soaring high Pooja aims to take her project to the national level Undeterred by challenges she dreams of a commercial scaleup for her watering devise recognising the pressing need for her innovation