Maujilal Nausheen is a perfect example of the proverb ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’. Nausheen lives in Haridwar with her family who has been always supportive of her dreams and aspirations.

Growing up, she was fascinated with people speaking on television and dreamed of doing the same one day. Although she knew that it would not be easy to accomplish this, she was committed to honing her skills to realise her goal. But when her father was paralysed and quit working in his auto-engineering shop, she found it difficult to pay for the necessary training needed.

The Skills Training for Employment Preparedness (STEP) programme came to the rescue and helped her develop the skills needed to land the ideal opportunity. She received guidance on developing her personality and employability skills such as time management, team building, resume writing, critical thinking and problem-solving.

The STEP programme is designed to help adolescent girls from Classes XI to XII of the Government Girls Inter-College in Haridwar develop employability skills. Once students feel more confident, the programme offers them opportunities for vocational training and helps them connect with employers, giving them a foothold in their careers.

Describing her STEP training experience, Nausheen says, ‘My STEP trainers were always available to provide support if I had to seek any guidance regarding my career goals or wherever I was unsure of my own abilities. They were always approachable and easily accessible.’

After evaluating her skills, STEP trainers gave her advice on how to pursue additional education, build a resume, and find suitable employment opportunities. ‘Ullekh News’ was one such wonderful opportunity that was shared with her. She impressed the interviewees with her confidence and communication abilities, and they immediately hired her as a trainee.

‘I have no words to describe how happy I was to learn of my selection. It was like a dream come true’, she says.

Nausheen developed skills including anchoring, editing and script writing during her early days as a trainee at Ullekh News. She points out that ‘At this point, I am no more hesitant to speak in front of a camera or a sizable crowd. I even learned how to calculate GST and know how to use my income as efficiently as possible’.

Nausheen is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, and with her monthly salary of INR 10,000, she is able to cover a part of the cost of the programme on her own. In response to the question about her future plans, she says, ‘I want to work in Delhi so I'm saving some of my income for moving there’.

Her father, Mr Sajad Ahmed, shared how proud he is of his daughter and thanked the WPP-DA team for giving Nausheen the chance to learn through the STEP programme. He added that as a result of this support, he can now envision sending Nausheen to Delhi, which was previously a remote possibility due to their financial difficulties.

Nausheen's mother Mrs Reshma Ahmed says ‘Nausheen is the family's only earner at the moment. Her father previously owned a shop, however the same was shut when he was unable to work due to his poor heart condition. We struggled to meet his medical expenses because nobody was working at that time. As time went on, Nausheen's older sister began working, but she stopped after getting married. For us, this was a very stressful period. Since last year, when Nausheen began working, things have improved. She has made it her mission to help with her father's care. She even received a job offer from a news agency in Delhi, but turned it down because of her father's poor health. She helped me to understand the value of education and pursuing one's passion. Even if it means sending one of my daughters away from home, I will never stop her from pursuing her ambitions.’

With the help of the STEP programme, one hopes many other girls like Nausheen can forge their path and move closer to their career goals.