The youngest member of our West Bengal team, Annapurna is from the KurmiMahatocommunity of Purulia . Originally denotified as a tribe in the 50’s, this agrarian community is spread over large areas of Bengal and Jharkhand. They have recently revived their struggle for recognition as a Scheduled Tribe in the early 2000’s. She has been associated with CINI for a few years, and regularly travels across different villages conducting meetings raising awareness about health and gender. Undaunted by her community’s lack of faith in a ‘little girl’, Annapurna knows that tackling issues like lack of access to education, clean drinking water, health services and medical aid will soon mobilize her peoples’ support.