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Yali Books is an independent publisher of books with a focus on South Asian cultures.

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Prints ship for free, friends. Offer ends today. Check them out at studioyali.etsy.com. . . #artprints #etsyprints #studioyali #postcardsfromindia #holidaygifts

#storiesforchange: In rural Jharkhand in eastern India, a group of girls approached an American teaching English to coach their soccer team. What began as an after-school game has now evolved into a full-fledged school called Yuwa, where girls are taught about female health and given skills to be financially independent, in addition to reading and writing. These girls are some of the most hardworking fighters around. Their day starts at 4 AM and they attend classes, play soccer, work for their families and finish their homework. Yuwa's goal to get the girls to resist the pressure to get married very young and allow them to make decisions for themselves when they are older. In the words of one of the girls in the program, "I want to show parents here, who only think that girls are a curse, my big dream. If I learn and earn, others will be inspired, and the community will change. But it is not easy." ⚽️ ⚽️ Find out more about these awe-inspiring young women at https://www.yuwa-india.org/ ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ We are showcasing some inspiring real-life Minas to celebrate the launch of MINA VS. THE MONSOON this weekend. Go Mina! ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ Photo credit: Rohit Jain, 2016 (cropped), CC BY 2.0 ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ #soccergirl #footballgirl #girlsinsoccer #soccerforchange #soccerlove #yuwa #storiesforchange #girlpower #rebelgirls #muslimgirlpower #muslimgirls #ownvoices #diversebooks #diversekidlit #diversepicturebooks #readyourworld #multiculturalchildrensbooks #multiculturalbooks

We are celebrating MINA VS. THE MONSOON all weekend with inspirational stories about real-life Minas - marginalized girls whose lives have been positively impacted by sport. Here is a wonderful example of a village of soccer players... ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ A village in Haryana in northern India is instrumental in raising a new generation of women football players. The all-girl Alakhpura FC team, funded by a village of 2,000 residents, has nine players on Haryana's state women's team, many of whom have gone on to represent India at international games. In a society where women are not encouraged to leave home, let alone play a sport, Alakhpura's achievement is incredible. In the words of the coach Sonika Bijaria, "If you go to any house in the village right now, you won't find a single girl at home. Their parents now push them to play." ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ Photo credit: Rohit Jain, 2016 (cropped), CC BY 2.0 ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ #rebelgirls #mightygirl #soccergirl #footballgirl #diversebooks #diversereads #ownvoices #browngirlmagic #socialjusticeeducation #readyourworld #booksforchange #kidlit #diversekidlit #multiculturalbooksforkids #multiculturalchildrensbooks #multiculturalbooks

Happy book birthday to MINA VS. THE MONSOON! Mina gets to meet the world today and we are so excited to hear back from readers around the world! ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ To celebrate this weekend, we are shining a light on some amazing real-life Minas and cheering on organizations working to bring lasting change in the lives of girls and women from marginalized communities. Read on... . . ⚽️Football to Eyeball⚽️ . . . In rural Bihar in India, in villages just like Mina's, a local eye hospital has been using soccer games to get girls to finish their schooling and train to become world-class optometrists. Founded in 2006, the Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital runs a pioneering program called 'Football to Eyeball' for young girls just like Mina. Founder Mritunjay Tiwary needed trained staff in far-flung villages and he discovered the best resources were the women and girls of these villages. He persuaded families to send their girls to play soccer for an hour or so everyday, gradually coaxing them to finish school and sign up for vocational training, and finally offered the girls jobs at the hospital. Some of them have gone on to create successful careers in optometry, such as Ankita Raj, whose parents defied her grandfather's demand that she marry young, and enrolled her in the Football to Eyeball program. She now heads up the hospital’s pediatric ophthalmology department and is a teacher at the optometry school. Others have gone on to play soccer for Bihar and for the national team. ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ Stories like these are the incredible inspiration behind MINA VS. THE MONSOON and we are honored to be able to showcase these powerful and positive examples of change from South Asia. To learn more about the Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital and their program, visit - https://www.akhandjyoti.org/football-to-eyeball ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ Photo Credit: Rohit Jain, 2016 (cropped) CC BY 2.0 ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ #diversekidlit #diversebooks #indiebooks #kirkusstar #kirkusbestbooks2018 #diversereads #readyourworld #multiculturalbooks #booksforchange #girlpower #girlsoccer #soccergirl #rebelgirl #mightygirl #footballgirl

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