Saleha Khan was in Std VIII when her family urged her to discontinue her studies owing to financial constraints. Her story isn't uncommon in Govandi, where girls are married off early and discouraged from completing school, let alone pursue higher education. But, even then, Saleha, now 18, had dreams that couldn't confine her to her neighbourhood in Bainganwadi. And she is seeing those through, bit by bit, by convincing her parents to allow her to go to college.

Last month, she was selected as one of the delegates for the Goalkeepers '18, an event organised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in New York on September 25-26.