Safecity Emerging Leader – Punita

Safecity is celebrating the journey of people who have emerged as leaders as our campaigns progressed in their communities through our blog series “Safecity Emerging Leaders“. Read the inspiring stories of these individuals who are passionate about making their neighborhoods safer with Safecity and have taken action in their own special ways. 

Punita

Punita calls herself an artist, she loves how it sounds. She is a brilliant painter and enjoys her spare time painting. When Punita started attending Safecity’s campaign meetings, she was one of the most vocal participants. She was full of ideas and had many stories to tell us.

She took us around the lanes of her neighborhood- Sanjay Camp one afternoon and as we went around, she knocked on the doors of her friends, she spoke to the women she knew, and that was the beginning of all of them getting involved with the campaign. She made sure her friends came for the weekly sessions, she was at the front of organizing and participating in activities, and we started seeing a budding leader in her.

As Sanjay Camp’s youth organized themselves to address sexual violence being faced by them in the community toilet complex, Punita was the very first one to contribute an idea which went on to have a lasting impression on the community, one of painting the mural in the toilet complex which is still spoken about, which is still respected and its strength and purpose reflects in the impact.

Punita takes lead in the mural painting intervention at Sanjay Camp

This wall was majorly designed by Punita who then went on to train our campaign team members on the aesthetics of painting a wall. She was particular about the colors, the depictions and she encouraged all the girls and boys who came in or went by to participate.

When we asked Punita what changed for her with the campaign, this is what she had to say –

“I thought bringing change was always someone else’s job and I kept waiting for that someone, my biggest learning came with the progress of the campaign when I realized I can bring that change too, sometimes in little and sometimes in big ways and all of it will matter.”

Hear Punita talk about art based intervention in the community toilet complex is countering sexual violence in and around the complex in Sanjay Camp, Delhi here.

You can read more about our Safecity campaign for safer spaces in Sanjay Camp here where we are working in collaboration with Action India.