Romana Basak (name changed) (12), a Class V student had always dreamt of running in a marathon. Fourteen-year-old Basum Molla (name changed), a Class VI student too loves to run. Heran Sultana (name changed), a Class VI student too is an avid runner. What is common to all these girls and many more like them from Hingalganj, in Sundarbans is that they took part in the 5-km marathon Tata Steel Run 2023 in Kolkata recently. Around 37 students, mostly girls from the remote areas of Hingalganj, North 24-Parganas were excited to overcome the social and emotional barrier of taking part in a mega event in a big city.

Students of Swapnopuron Shiksha Niketan in Hingalganj, these girls and boys are a story of grit and determination. All first-generation learners, these students were trained for a week to be part of the marathon run. The school, which is up to Class IX has around 360 students. They celebrated their winter carnival on Saturday.

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These children from Sundarbans are trained in karate and physical education, apart from learning to play other sports like badminton, cricket and football. With an eye on their overall development, the students from Swapnopuron Shiksha Niketan also take part regularly in dance, drama and singing competitions. The girls recently took part in Sabala Mela in the district. Playing Santa to these students is Satarupa Majumdar, founder and secretary of Katakali Swapnopuron Welfare Society, making the dream come true for these girls. Education to these young students is also making a societal change.

Mothers of these girls are now coming forward to encourage the girls to wholeheartedly participate in extracurricular activities. Mostly from families struggling to make ends meet, children in Hingalganj lack access to proper exposure to sports and physical education. Girls were never allowed to participate in any outdoor games or cultural activities. “Initially, the parents were hesitant to let the girls stay out of the house till late hours and even overnight, but now they are not afraid. Mothers come to tell me that they want their girls to excel, which they could not though they wanted,” said Miss Majumdar