Thanks to changing times, the cause of gender equality is gathering much momentum and support from men and women alike. However, it is the courageous womenfolk who are breaking barriers and taking the reins to propel the cause to fruition. One of Akshaya Patra’s beneficiaries, Ramita Pratap Mankar, studying Std VIII in Dr Ambedkar Secondary School and Junior College in the Untakhana area of Nagpur, wants to make women in the country feel safe by becoming a policewoman.

A spritely girl, Ramita is quite a gutsy lady. Her ambition to be policewoman stems from wanting to punish eve-teasers who harass women. She explains, “Girls are very scared to go out by themselves, as they face much harassment. I want to protect myself and other girls by becoming a policewoman and teach men a lesson.” She adds, “The boys in my locality are scared of me. I don’t tolerate any nonsense and give it back and fight with them. People must be disciplined and the country should be safe for all the citizens. This is my dream.” She finds the uniform of policemen, their bravery and dedication to uphold law and order most attractive about the profession.

Ramita’s family originally hails from Maharashtra but migrated to Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar city generations ago. Her parents, who are both construction workers/masons, live in Delhi. She has three other siblings – an elder sister, who never went to school, an elder brother in Std X and a younger brother in Std IV. She moved to Nagpur for education and stays in the city with her uncle’s family. Does she visit Delhi often? “I go to Delhi in the holidays. I love it there as my friends and family are all there,” she says.

Ramita’s favourite subject at school is Marathi – her mother tongue. “Marathi poems are very beautiful. My favourite is Gavat Phulala Re Gavat Phulala (The Grass Bloomed),” she says, reciting a few lines of the same. Outside of school, Ramita’s passion lies in dancing. “I love, love, love dancing. I often give auditions for dance programmes and was also selected for one show. I danced as part of a group on the song Lallati Bhandaar from the Marathi movie Jogwa,” she states, adding that she also likes listening to Bollywood songs, particularly those of Kishore Kumar. Her interests include sports too – kabaddi and langdi.

Talking about Akshaya Patra’s meals served at school, Ramita says that she loves them. “I like the masale bhaat the most – I like all the vegetables in it. I also like the jeera rice and veg pulao,” she says, before proceeding to class.