Meet Jhulima Mallick. At 21 years, she is a first time voter in 2019.
Jhulima grew up in a poor agrarian family from Bandudi Village in the Kandhamal district of Odisha. The community is small and largely overlooked. Jhulima, too, would have been lost in the crowds of the tiny village with no access to basics, had she not fought to pave the way for her personal successes and triumphs.
With a combination of Life Skills Education Sessions and an invigorating Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Camp, a refresher training at SWATI, Jhulima became a leader in her own right in her community. She organises monthly meetings to train young girls in her community to improve their awareness and access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. She has successfully prevented two instances of child marriage in her village and has a string of other achievements to her credit, including acting as a guest and facilitator in a Block Level Convergent Meeting and has even joined training in sewing under the DDU-GKY.She currently serves as the Vice President of the Block Level Girls DLs Federation for the K.Nuagaon Block in her district.
Most importantly, Jhulima was selected as the representative for children and first-time voters in her state. In a state-level conference, she voiced these demands on behalf of children in her state from the upcoming government in 2019:
1. On Improving The Indian Education System
2. On Better Implementation Of The POCSO Act
3. On Addressing Challenges To Girls’ Education
4. On Construction Of Toilets For Girls And Women
5. On The Need For Better Infrastructure
6. On The Nation She Wants For Children
