NEEV, its more than running!🏃‍♀️

On March 8th 2022, when the world was celebrating ‘International Women’s Day’, a group of 26 young girls stepped on a small village road in Likhmewala 27PS, Rajasthan to complete their 5 kilometer run! It was the moment they had been preparing for the last 15 weeks. It was unprecedented, exhilarating, and festive! They had neither experienced the freedom of the road nor the thunderous clapping of the villagers upon return. But what they knew all along these 15 weeks is that they were learning new habits, getting stronger, making new friends, and enjoying running!

Which is why we started the ‘NEEV’ program in the first place. Using the yogic concept of ‘Panch Kosha’ and psychological concept of ‘Comfort Zone’, the participants went through a journey of inner transformation as they scaled the external goals on the running track.

What started with a 200 meter lap with shy looks and uncoordinated movements, transformed into a 5 kilometer run of teamwork and confidence. In the meanwhile girls developed awareness of their emotions, learnt articulation, imbibed healthy habits, and formed friendships. They ran about 50 kilometers in practice, improved school attendance rate by 10 percentage points, and formed a new identity for themselves as ‘running girls’ amid spaces traditionally not accessed by girls.

The best was the smile on their faces that continued to grow as the weather around us changed from a late summer to deep winter to brighter sunshine again!

Inspired by the transformation, next month we start the NEEV Program in more schools with 5k planned for October 11, International Girls Day! If you would like to sponsor the program for a village school, please  reach out to us!

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