“I will never underestimate the strength of a girl again.”

Arfath said this softly after the Pegasus outbound workshop, almost as if he was speaking to himself. He is 18. And until that moment, he had never questioned a belief he had carried for years — that some tasks were “meant for boys.”

During a team challenge, he watched the girls in his group take on activities he assumed they would struggle with. Not only did they participate fully, they completed the tasks with confidence and grit. A few even outperformed the boys.

For Arfath, something shifted.
Not abruptly. Not dramatically.
But in the quiet, honest way in which real learning often settles in.

“That day, I realised how wrong I was,” he told us later.
“And from then on, I decided — I will never underestimate anyone again.”

That single moment became a doorway.

When One Insight Opens Up a New Way of Seeing

Many young people grow up with unspoken assumptions — about strength, gender roles, leadership, and even their own abilities. These beliefs shape how they move through the world, sometimes without ever noticing their weight.

For Arfath, the Pegasus experience held up a mirror. It wasn’t just about understanding that girls are capable. It was about realising that:

• strength doesn’t look the same in everyone,
• leadership isn’t about who speaks the loudest, and
• potential has no gender.

This was more than a corrected assumption — it was the beginning of a broader awareness. Arfath started recognising that the world is richer and more complex than the narrow ideas he had been handed. And with that recognition came something powerful: curiosity.

Why Perspective-Building Matters for Youth

A shift in perspective does more than change an opinion. 

It:

• opens the mind,
• deepens empathy,
• encourages reflection, and
• builds the foundation for thoughtful leadership.

Perspective-building helps youth move from assumption to awareness. It prepares them to work with people different from themselves, to handle unfamiliar situations, and to question the limits they once believed were fixed — both around them and within them.

Experiences like these are an intentional part of Makkala Jagriti’s youth program — where life skills, emotional resilience, and reflective learning help young people grow into confident, compassionate leaders in their communities.

Arfath’s moment is just one example of why this matters.
Sometimes the most meaningful change begins with a quiet question —
“What if my assumptions are wrong?”

The Ripple Effect of One Moment

After the workshop, Arfath carried this new lens into his everyday interactions.

He became more observant.
More respectful.
More willing to listen.

He approached teamwork differently — paying attention to who felt included, who stepped back, and how everyone’s strengths could come together. He began making space for others to lead. And slowly, he started seeing himself as someone who could grow, adapt, and support those around him.

Confidence, after all, is built on awareness.
And awareness begins with perspective.

A Path That Continues to Grow

Arfath’s shift in perspective did not remain confined to that one workshop. It slowly began shaping the choices he made next.

With steady encouragement from those around him — including a facilitator from Makkala Jagriti who consistently checked in, challenged his self-doubt, and reminded him of his strengths — Arfath found the confidence to return to his education. He completed his SSLC and enrolled in the NIOS program to pursue his second PUC, choosing a path that allowed him to learn at his own pace while staying connected to the world beyond classrooms.

Alongside his studies, he began working at a popular quick-service café chain. What started as a job soon became another learning space. Managing billing, supporting daily operations, and interacting with customers helped him build confidence in communication, teamwork, and responsibility — skills he once never imagined himself capable of.

His family noticed the change before he did.

From someone who once questioned whether education was worth attempting, Arfath became someone who spoke about discipline, goals, and the future he wanted to build. And gradually, he began to articulate a dream — to become an entrepreneur and open a café of his own, drawing from everything he is learning today: in structured programs, in everyday work, and through life itself.

When asked what he would tell another young person who feels unsure of themselves, he said:

“Work hard. Be positive. Believe that you are capable. When you look at life with a wider lens, you will see opportunities you didn’t see before.”

It’s advice that comes not from theory, but from experience — from a young man learning, step by step, to trust his own journey.

Where Possibility Begins

Arfath’s journey is a reminder that youth development is more than career guidance or skills training. It is about shaping the way young people see themselves, their peers, and the world.

Perspective-building gives youth these moments of clarity.
Moments that help them question long-held beliefs.
Moments that nurture empathy and emotional intelligence.
Moments that shape them into leaders who can influence their peers, families, and communities — simply because they have learned to see differently.

Because when a young person begins to see differently, they begin to live differently.
And from there, they begin to lead differently.

Arfath’s story tells us something powerful:
Real change begins with perspective — and perspective is where possibility starts.


Written by Viba K S – Deputy Manager, Communications