The Stimulators...this is what we came up with when we were asked to give a name to our team. So far so good, the real task was yet to come.
Next day we were on our bicycles (borrowed of course) to Jherli. Never heard before ? Empathy...it's a small village near our college campus - this is exactly the place which gives birth to all those old women who come outside our mess everyday to collect old newspapers which they later sell for a mere rupee per kilo.
So Jherli was just like the impoverished village we see when we go to our multiplexes. Nevertheless, no matter in what condition the place was (rather is), we had to do what we had come for...
After discussing and sharing their problems, we taught them the techniques of newspaper bag making. It's easy to guess now. We were thinking of a start up...
As of now, we have the support and cooperation of all the women who believe in our vision of women empowerment. But, it's not as easy as it sounds.
This was an initiative which we basically had taken as a requirement of a project in our curriculum wanting to see us as change makers for a day. However, we have developed our own passion for its completion anyway.
I have uploaded these pics for you to better visualize this campaign. Do post your comments and if you're interested in our cause, don't hesitate. It'll be our pleasure...There's a video of our mini campaign uploaded on http://vimeo.com/4311658 . Check that out as well.
After reading all that you have posted it seems that there really are other things,apart from CGPA and averages and tests(which ultimately go on to show our self-centered and selfish attitude)in and around campus that are wanting attention badly.Being a girl i really believe strongly in women empowerment program but all I have been able to do uptil now in my school is community collection of clothes and other articles for organisations looking after old and other hepless women.
ReplyDeleteBut this has a major drawback to it -this way we are not helping them in becoming even 0.01 % of the modern day-independent-confident woman our society boasts of but making them all the more dependent.So the need is to start such programs of self employment.But the biggest issue in front of us is COOPERATION.Cooperation by their family,cooperation of the society and most importantly their own.We need to make them have faith in us first only then they will have faith in themselves and once that is done i think half the battle will be won.
So i wish you and your team members ALL THE BEST!!
I read it and admired the work done.i am from kolkata.
ReplyDeleteits awesome..proud of u..
ReplyDelete"women empowerment" as your goal says is not that much easy a journey as it can be said with an ease.this is true that i(not only me but many more) haven't heard of this place called jherli.the only reason for this is literally a nill development in three vital aspects of life - education, industry and economy. the last two following each other being the two sides of a single coin.by seeing the photoes uploaded in this blog if not the full picture of their lifestyle but some part of it can be imagined.it is really very difficult to actually understand their living pattern and the cercumstances in which they are bound to live from the drawing room of any metropolitan city.
ReplyDeletecollecting newspapers and selling them for a rupee per kilo is nothing absurd from their situation.this is the only thing that they can do or rather are forced to do to quench their daily hunger.during the times of election the so called politicians ( have u ever heard a politician commiting suicide? i really wonder for not having a single example! anyways irrelevant in this context) make it a point to visit the muddy huts of these distressed ones and gets snaps taken which comes out in the newspaper the next day.its worthless to say that as soon as the election is over these women are again seen collecting newspapers from outside the college campus which contains their photographs with the party leaders that has once been taken as the publicity stunt of the political parties.
we all move on, Indian politics, economy move on, the finance minister comes out with a new budget every year but there's literally no mention of these poor ones!
in a scenario like this it feels really great and relieved to see that at least a few people are thinking of this darkened part of the society.inspite of having tremendous study pressure it is really appreciable that students like you have formed a team like "the stimulator" and are working hard to try and provide a little better life to these people.this journey is definitely not going to be a very smooth one.still someone has to take the first step and i'm quite sure that "the stimulator" is going to get utmost support from today's youth from all over the country.
name - jui dasgupta.
occupation - student.
city - kolkata
i nevr knew ur so AMAZING.....keep it up ! ! !
ReplyDeletei nevr knew ur so AMAZING.....keep it up ! ! !
ReplyDelete