In the quiet village of Sheikhpur Khalsa, nestled in India’s Karnal district, 12-year-old Muskan is quietly rewriting the rules — with a fierce roundhouse kick and an even fiercer determination to dream beyond limitations.

Soft-spoken but self-assured, Muskan lights up when she talks about her passion: Taekwondo. “The boys in my class are scared of me,” she says with a smirk — not out of intimidation, but awe. Because while most girls in her community are expected to stay within the lines of tradition, Muskan is boldly stepping outside them.

Raised by her aunt and uncle after her maternal family in Jhajjar, overwhelmed with too many daughters to support, Muskan became the youngest — and most protected — of her new siblings, Anjali and Azad. But love wasn’t the only thing they offered her. When Azad noticed Muskan’s growing interest in sports during a session hosted by Breakthrough India, a community-based organization supported by VOW, at her government school in 2022, he didn’t hesitate. He took her to the nearest Taekwondo training center in Gharonda.

There was just one problem — Gharonda is three kilometers away. With no bus routes connecting the two villages, simply getting to practice was a challenge. In the beginning, Muskan would try to hitch a ride from someone nearby. But the trip home was often uncertain.

Recognizing her growing passion, she was gifted her a bicycle. It was a simple act — but in a community where girls’ mobility is tightly controlled, it was revolutionary.

“Our relatives and neighbors mocked us,” recalls Anjali. “They said she’d run away.” Some boys in the village would jeer as she rode by: “Ye aaj zaroor maregi!” (“She’s going to die today!”). But Muskan kept pedaling. And with every turn of the wheels, she pushed the boundaries of what girls in her village were told they could do.

Her courage has sparked a ripple effect.

“Several parents have now come forward wanting to send their daughters to train too — all because of Muskan,” says Deepak Kumar, a community developer with Breakthrough India. “She’s changing minds and shifting norms in a place where tradition often dictates what’s possible.”

Her story is more than just about sports — it’s about power, possibility, and prevention.

In India, where nearly 1 in 3 girls is married before the age of 18, early marriage is still a harsh reality, especially in communities where girls’ rights and freedoms are restricted. When girls like Muskan are given the opportunity to find their voice — whether through education, sports, or mentorship — they are far more likely to stay in school, delay marriage, and build the future they choose.

Programs like the one Muskan joined don’t just open doors — they help girls kick them down.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of her family. “We were determined to not let what people say affect us,” says Anjali, now 23. A force in her own right, Anjali has taken stands in her marriage, pursued work far from home, and become a role model to Muskan. “Not many girls her age get to live their dreams,” she adds. “I want Muskan to commit to everything she sets her heart on — and we’ll take care of the rest.”

Muskan dreams of becoming a police officer — but whether she wears a uniform or takes on Taekwondo professionally, her family is behind her. “We will teach her as much as she wants to learn!” her uncle says proudly. “It’s a matter of our honor.”

Muskan’s journey hasn’t been easy — but with every kick, every ride to Gharonda, every dream she dares to dream — she’s clearing the way for countless other girls to follow.

Because when girls are supported and given the freedom to choose their futures, child marriage becomes less common, and communities begin to transform.

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