Filming "Light and Air": A Village Celebrates Educations of Girls

Filming "Light and Air": A Village celebrates Education of Girls

In March 2024, Mona CEO Mahnaz Javid and supporter Jana Carlson travelled to Kalibel with Tahera Jadhav of the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women and the film crew for Mona's 25th Anniversary documentary "Light and Air", including award-winning director Marco Bollinger.

Kalibel is a remote village in Madhya Pradesh, India. A five-hour drive from Indore, it can only be reached by traveling along dirt roads and through a wooded area. It is completely cut off from the rest of the world during the winter months. Because it is so remote, the village naturally functions as one large family. Most villagers are subsistence farmers and live in huts with their animals.

Some years ago, Sumitra (photo left) left Kalibel to attend the Barli Institute in Indore, where she completed its six-month residential program in literacy, vocational training, and community development. After graduating, she started her own tailoring shop and earned her own income. She later married, had a child, and then returned to Kalibel with her husband so her mother could help with the baby.

Once settled, Sumitra spoke to other young women and parents in the village about the importance of educating girls and shared her own story of transformation. As a result, over the years, 29 more young women -- including Leela (featured in "Light and Air") -- attended Barli Institute, returning to Kalibel afterwards to uplift the lives of their families and community.

On the day of Mona's visit, with Sumitra leading the way, the villagers, visitors, and film crew marched thru town to the home of another Barli alumni. After an official welcome, everyone moved outside to where a beautiful canopy was set up. A hired DJ truck nearby began playing music and soon the whole village was dancing. At one point, all the Barli graduates danced together in a line to a song with the lyrics “I am powerful and I am strong.”

Then the miracle happened. A row of boys joined the group of dancing women.  When asked who they were, Tahera said, “They are the girls' brothers.”  

Then, a group of older men in traditional garb and carrying a large traditional drum came forward, drumming as they walked towards the dance circle. “They are the girls' fathers.”

All the men in the families of the Barli graduates joined in the dance to celebrate the education of their daughters and the progress they had brought to the village.

And Sumitra was leading the way. Nothing else needed to be said about Sumitra. She had transformed her entire community!