Parvaneh: Nurturing Dreams Amidst Challenges

Parvaneh is a shy 15-year-old girl who was forced into an engagement last year. Her quietness doesn’t stem from just the fear of making mistakes, it’s a fear she has carried for a long time, fueled by constantly hearing, "You can’t, you don’t have what it takes, you’ll never be anything more than a wife."

At our workshops, she’s always the last to speak, her voice hesitant and uncertain. I thought she wouldn’t want to attend the sessions, but surprisingly, she has been present at every one of them. Despite her complaints and occasional boredom, she still shows up.

In one of the recent workshops, which I facilitated, we were working on creativity through drawing. When she realized it involved drawing, she was excited, a spark of enthusiasm that reminded me of her amazing artistic talent from a previous session. However, the task was more about creativity than drawing skills, and she quickly became confused and uncertain.

At first, she said she couldn’t do it, but then hesitantly asked for a sheet of paper. Despite saying she couldn’t, again and again, with some encouragement from the instructor, she finally managed to bring her work to me, proudly saying, "Look, I did it!"

The entire workshop was focused on the process, not the final product, and it was this mindset that helped Parvaneh realize that effort and creativity matter more than perfection. When she heard that it didn’t matter what she drew, that there was no grade or judgment, she let go of her fears and was able to express herself.

Because all girls, like Parvaneh, are capable. All they need is for us to believe in them.