“Now I’m proud to be a girl.”
When she was 12, Amar lacked confidence and felt like she was “just a girl.” Then she discovered a program that would change her life forever. As told to Diane Hill in the Fall 2014 issue of SHE magazine.
“SOMETHING FOR THE GIRLZ” is a very prodigious program. It has done wonders for me and I am sure it has had the same impact on many—if not all—of the participants.
Before I took this program, I was just another girl. I was very uninvolved in life. I had a very “go home, watch TV, do homework, go back to school” kind of life. It wasn’t fun.
In middle school, I started to realize most people had hobbies, things they were really attached to and tried to excel in. I had friends who’d been playing soccer since they could walk. But it wasn’t like that for me. In gym I was usually really bad. I didn’t get involved in sports or join clubs. I wanted to, but I didn’t feel I was good enough because I wasn’t athletic or artsy. I thought maybe I’d never be good at anything. I always worried about what others thought of me, and I felt like maybe I wasn’t needed. I think I was looking for something that would be mine. I was on a search and didn’t even know it.
I remember hearing about this girls’ program and thinking: “Okay, I’m not joining that one either.” But one day the program director was handing out flyers and I started talking to her and that made me want to go. At first I thought it would be a waste of time.
But “Something For The Girlz” completely changed me and made me into the person I’ve always wanted to be. Now I’m a complete sports lover, I’ve joined clubs and groups, I’ve met people from various backgrounds. I have different circles of friends now—just the way it should be.
I no longer worry about what others think of me, because now I know the only person I need to impress is me. I have thrown away my quiet and nervous mood, because now I am a happy go-lucky person. I knew this person was always inside me—I just never knew how to bring her into the spotlight. But thanks to “Something For The Girlz,” I found my true self and can let my inner nature shine. It has worked miracles for me and it’s helping me to achieve my dreams. I’ve learned so much—from all the science info to how to create healthy relationships with your family and friends.
Best of all, I learned that to be a girl is to be special. I am not only a girl—I am a girl who has the power to change the world. I am proud to be who I am. I am proud to be a girl.
Something For The Girlz is delivered by Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office and has received funding from the Canadian Women’s Foundation. Amar has also volunteered as a mentor in the program.
