If Kusum Could, So Can I: A Student’s Journey with the RISE Curriculum

When Kusum Kaushik first read “Kusum’s Adventurous Innings,” Girl Rising’s comic book created in partnership with Yuvaa as a part of the RISE curriculum, she saw more than just a character on the page. She saw a mirror. The story of a girl fighting for her education with the support of her brother - and sharing her very name – felt achingly familiar. “If that Kusum could speak up, so can I,” she thought.

Naturally quiet and observant, Kusum often hesitated to raise her voice in her class 12 classroom. But through the RISE curriculum, co-led by Girl Rising and our partner Samarpit, she has started building the tools and confidence to express herself.

Her favorite sessions have been the energizers, especially the quiet breathing exercises that help her feel calm and centered. The “Emotions Vocabulary” activity also struck her deeply: “I didn’t know how few words I had to describe what I feel,” she admitted. With her teacher’s support, Kusum is learning self-awareness, empathy, and resilience – skills that are shaping both her classroom experience and her outlook on life.

Through conversations with her teachers and the exercises, she identified her dream of becoming a nurse. Inspired by her brother and driven by her passion for biology and a desire to help others, she sees nursing as her calling and her future. 

What stands in the way of Kusum and her dreams? Cultural norms that tell her that a good girl’s place is in the home. “Only girls have to inform people before going anywhere and come home by a certain time,” She sighed. “Boys don’t have such restrictions.” Household work, too, is treated as a girl’s responsibility, while boys are not pressed to learn it. Still, Kusum remains firm in her pursuit of education and her dreams for the future.

Despite norms that limit girls’ dreams, her parents, both tailors, and her grandmother have stood firmly by her side, supporting her education and cheering her on every step of the way.

The RISE program, especially the comic book, equipped her with new tools and inspiration. She recognized that her quiet strength is not a weakness, but a gift. When asked how the world can better support girls, she emphasized the need for equality, noting that true change comes when girls have the same opportunities as boys and the freedom to pursue their dreams.

For Kusum, the fictional Kusum lit a spark. The RISE curriculum keeps that spark alive as she learns new things about herself and her potential every day. And now she is learning to dream bigger, not only for herself but also for the future she will help create for her community.