On March 20, 2014 an interactive workshop with the local NGOs was hosted by the New Delhi Christian Young men’s Association in its auditorium. The topic was income generation programmes for women and youth. Some forty delegates drawn from 30 local NGOs took part in the day-long deliberations. I feel privileged for the invitation to attend as a representative of Sulabh. All the delegates threw light on their different products prepared by the self-help groups. Some of them had a success story to share with the participants. However, most of them complained the lack of market. As a result unsold commodities, instead of bringing any earning, prove to be a liability. This often dampens the morale of the poor producing lot.
On the other hand, Sh Bageshwar Jha narrated a new Sulabh experiment before the delegates. He said that the Sulabh is running an English medium public school where the wards of liberated scavengers are getting free education. They are also given vocational training so that they could be economically self-reliant. So far there have been 8,000 beneficiaries who are either employed or running their own shops and showrooms.
Similarly, when we introduced two-pit-pour-flush compost Sulabh toilet technololy to eradicate scavenging, we found that the involved ladies became jobless. So a self-help group named Nai Disha was launched in Alwar (Rajasthan) for the local Valmiki ladies. They were made literate and given vocational training. To sustain them while under probation we gave them Rs 2,000 each per month as a stipend. Similar campaign was launched in a neighbouring district of Tonk. The products made by them like papar, bari, achar, dalmot etc and embroidered cloths are easily marketed locally, fetching added earning. 250 scavengers of Alwar and 280 of Tonk with this honourable living have become a proud constituent of the mainstream without any agitation. Today even the uppercaste people mix with them and invite in social functions. So far with the Sulabh’s campaign 1,20,000 scavengers have been liberated from the mean profession.
Another Sulabh initiative is aimed at wiping the slur on our culture through the utter neglect of widows thrown out by their own kith and kin and leading a wretched life in pilgrimages like Vrindavan and Varanasi. We also gave the stipend of Rs 2,000 per month and provided medical facilities, TV, fridge, gas ovens, ambulance, specs etc so that they could live happily. Sulabh also arranged for the honourable last rites for their dead bodies which earlier were ill treated. Thus 550 widows of Vrindavan and 150 0f Varanasi are enjoying these facilities. Now they are also being trained to produce and market household goods so that they become a creative part of the society. In last 5,000 years of our civilisation nobody ever cared for these pitiable human beings.
Sulabh never goes back from such commitments. Recently we started giving the same amount of monthly stipend to 400 ladies of six villages around the Kedarnath shrine who lost their husbands in last years devastating floods. They are also undergoing training in handicrafts to earn additional income.
It is just a beaconlight, said Shri Jha and wished others including governments to get inspired.
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