"I like staying here in Girls Collective . I have learned many new things here, including reading and writing and also the alphabets. I am also learning vocational skill of tailoring which will make me self-independent in future", says Geeta, a 16-year-old girl with silent expressions but with beautiful smile. Her eyes hold the dreamy expression when she thinks about the future. I had never been to school.

I started working at the age of 8 years. My father worked as laborer but the work was not constant. My mother also worked along with him to supplement the family income but still it was very less to support the family of seven members. The income was not constant and my parents sent my sister and me to our village in Raipur, Madhay Pradesh to our paternal uncle's home. There also I had to work all day and had to listen to their abuses. My father during his visit to village saw that and brought us to Delhi. After two months, the house where my parents were working was completed and they were left without work. Somebody whom we knew told us that a household in the vicinity needs a young girl to look after their two-years-old son. So I at the tender age of 8 years started working from 7 o'clock in the morning till 8p.m. in the evening. My work included looking after the child, washing utensils and cleaning the house. I worked there for two long years.

After two years, Geeta started having the problem of cough and cold, which her master interpreted as tuberculosis. They thought that she would communicate the disease to their young child and so they told her to quit. Geeta started sitting at home. At that time again her father lost his job and the family had to go through tough times. He started taking training in white washing and Geeta again started working in the other households. She worked there for 4 years, working to clean the utensils, clean the household but the family lost their mobile phone and the blame came on Geeta. She again had to quit the job.

Then Mr. Ratan Nishat, the maternal uncle of another girl staying at ashram, told her parents about Girls Collective and motivated them to send her there so that she could learn some vocational skill. Geeta came to the ashram like other girls but with lots of worries about her family in her small head. She started learning the reading and writing skills and can now stitch ladies dresses. She also takes part in the other activities of the ashram and takes keen interest in the social classes.

"Till now I had to depend upon others to provide me some work but now I have a good skill to earn my livelihood. My dream is to open up a tailor shop and be my own master. At the same time I want to help other children who did not get the chance to study and are working. I now realize that education and economic independence with one's dignity are very important in life", says Geeta.