Tribal girls take to the skies

Dahanu: From the remotest tribal areas in Maharashtra straight to the skies, 100 youngsters are ready to take off and hit a new high.
”My name is Surekha Avtaar. I come from Dahanu. I am doing my Graduation I am pursuing a Diploma in Aviation and Hospitality Management,” said an aspiring airhostess.
Surekha is one among the 100 selected under a unique initiative of the Maharashtra government from the remotest tribal areas of the state.
The girls were transformed after extensive sessions in grooming, etiquettes and lessons in the English language.
From over 400 applications from scheduled tribes across the state with an annual average income less than Rs one lakh per family, getting here itself was not easy.
From the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli to the malnutrition hit Nandurbar, these youngsters many of them first generation learners, are putting their best foot forward concealing behind their smiles stories of strife and struggle.
Theirs is a journey of discovery, while for their families it started from discovering the meaning of the term itself.
From uneasy first steps to a spring in their step, these youngsters are on a flight of fancy spreading their wings, ready to take off to reach new highs, yet very much grounded in reality.
07/10/07 Ketki Angre/NDTV.com