PUSSORE, CG: They can dream, determine,and make their destiny. This attitude among girls at an age of 10-12 years ignited by NTPC Lara by its Girl Empowerment Mission (GEM) 2024 programme, underway till 13thJune 2024. Under this programme 40 girls of surrounding villages reading in government schools are selected for this programme. This is a fully residential free of cost personality development programme. For better utilisation of summer vacation NTPC has designed this programme for betterment of girl child studying in government schools.

NTPC Lara has once again come together to lend a helping hand for the girl children of surrounding villages by helping them to understand and realise their inherent qualities and motivate them to develop those qualities for achieve new height in their life.At NTPC Lara the third edition of Girl Empowerment Mission (GEM) 2024, a month-long flagship NTPC initiative, commenced on May 17, 2024. 

Like previous years this year, 40 girl children from surrounding villages Chhapora, Kandagarh, Bodajhariya, Lara, Dewalsura, Riyapalli, Lohakhan, and Jhilgitar aged 10 to 12, were identified for this mission. Apart from regular course curriculum, these girls will be equipped with soft skills and knowledge in areas like yoga, self-defence, basic English, Hindi, mathematics, science, general knowledge, and life skills, along with training in art, dance, drama, and music.

Shweta and Sakshi are two girls from village Bodajhariya and Jhilgitar are dreaming to be an IAS officer and serve our country. The number is not stop here, like Reena, wants to be a doctor, Rakhi wants to be a police officer, Pooja wants to be a teacher. As Savitri is good in sports, so she wants to be a Kabaddi player in future. Ms. Chanchal is fond of dancing and singing, so she wants to be a dancer and will teach other students. Each girl has set her own aim to achieve something in future. As they said, "Many elder sisters from my village, who were part of this programme in previous editions of GEM workshops, appreciated the camp. They learned different dance forms, yoga, art, and drama. I was excited about this! I am grateful to NTPC Lara as they let me join the programme this year. Being a girl oriented programme, NTPC Lara’s women welfare body Prerita Mahila Samiti is lending its support to organise in a homely atmosphere.  

NTPC Limited, India’s largest integrated power company, is organising this flagship CSR initiative, the Girl Empowerment Mission (GEM).

This year NTPC planned to train approximate 3000 meritorious children from underprivileged sections of the society at 42 identified locations of the power major, thereby taking the total number of beneficiaries above 10,000 mark.

This program aligns with the Government of India's "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ initiative and is designed to tackle gender inequality by nurturing girls' imaginations and fostering their ability to explore boundless opportunities. The goal is to empower them to become catalysts of change, influencing not only themselves but also their families, communities, and the nation as a whole.

Till date, the GEM has benefited a total of 7,424 girls, with the number of participants steadily increasing each year. In 2023 alone, 2,707 girls participated in the workshop across 40 locations of NTPC, spanning 16 states of India.

The GEM Mission, initiated as a pilot project in 2018 with just three locations and 392 participants, has since flourished into a nationwide movement. 

The GEM Workshop has garnered widespread acclaim for its holistic approach to skill development, confidence-building, and mentorship. By equipping girls with essential tools and unwavering support, NTPC aims to pave the way for a brighter future for upcoming generations.