For 18-year-old T. Karuppayee, life would have taken a different turn had she not attended her nursing-related course. “Instead of learning about bones of female pelvis, I would have been married off by my parents and I would have borne children by now,” says this second-year ‘First Aid and Passion Care’ student of Vasantham Community College in Muthupandipatti in Usilampatti block. This region is infamous for female infanticide.
Ms. Karuppayee’s escape is not an odd case. M. Karthiga, who travels 12 km from Vaiyampatti to attend the course, says: “I was determined that I should continue my studies. I am confident of going to another city and earn for me and my family.”
Flanked by mountains and surrounded by fields, Vasantham Community College, run by Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW), is home to 82 students, many of whom have escaped early marriage. It teaches three primary courses: a one-year course in Fashion Designing, a computer course and its flagship programme, the nursing-related course.
“It was in 1989 that the government recognised the need for child protection. The ICCW began as a creche. On realising the magnitude of the problem in Usilampatti, the then Collector sought its service. At that time, there were no stringent laws to curb female infanticide. The college started work with one social worker and two animators,” says P. Pramil Kumar, Principal.
When the workers broached the female infanticide topic among villagers, they were reviled. “When asked why they killed the child, they’d say, ‘It is my child, it is my right.’ It was a dicey situation then,” Mr. Pramil Kumar says.
It all started with a mobile clinic that travelled to 20 villages. In the early 90s, there were hardly any primary health centres. It filled the vacuum by serving the women and slowly gained their confidence. “That is when we diversified into health education. As the young mothers began opening up about infanticide, we could grasp their reasoning for killing their infants,” says Mr. Pramil Kumar.
They did not want female children because they did not want a ‘burden.’ A woman who gives birth to a baby girl faced the risk of being deserted by her husband. And bringing up a girl and marrying her off were expensive affairs, they felt.
Valli Annamalai, joint secretary, ICCW, Tamil Nadu, says there was a need to change this notion. “Girls were viewed as an encumbrance. People must realise that they too can contribute to the family’s income, and be a solid support to a family just like the menfolk,” she says.
The team regularly met the women and helped them form self-help groups. After the women themselves realised that they could handle money on their own, they became confident. Handling loans and repayment was the key.
Mr. Pramil Kumar says, “Members of self-help groups should not commit female infanticide. They must also prevent their family members from doing it. Otherwise they will not get loans,” he says. These conditions are effective in curbing infanticide to a large extent.”
The ICCW also integrated education by teaching the young survivors rhymes and alphabets. Education and employment proved to be the keys to curb infanticide. With an integrated curriculum and extensive monitoring, young girls began completing school. Many of them were offered scholarships. Those who scored well went to colleges. However, many of them continued to drop out.
Ms. Valli says most girls were not allowed to go to school. They had to make education mainstream to promote economic independence. In 2010, Vasantham Community College was started on a one-and-a-half-acre land. Students who did not do well in academics were persuaded to join vocational courses so that they would land a job on completion of the course. In the past seven years, over 90% of the students have been placed in various organisations.
Mr. Pramil Kumar says hospitals seek their students as “the training here is better than that offered in other nursing colleges.”
Apart from their regular course, they are taught basic computer skills, communicative English and personality development course. The 20-member staff canvas extensively in villages in Usilampatti region to ensure a reasonable strength for the college. “Unless counselled, parents continue to believe that marriage of their daughters is the solution. We visit villages and explain the people about the usefulness of the courses for their girls. Nowadays many girls convince their parents and get themselves enrolled,” says P. Seeli, Head, Department of Nursing.
