Month: July 2020
Savita Ma gets food with the help of VSSM…
VSSM provides ration kits to elderly woman |
VSSM provides ration kits to elderly woman |
VSSM provides ration kits to elderly individuals |
VSSM provides ration kits to elderly individuals |
Bawri women from ramdevnagar could store grains for the first time with the help of VSSM…
Nomadic woman learning to store grain |
“The Corona induced lockdown has taught us how to lead our lives. You always suggested we adopt a habit of saving, store grains for a year, plan our expenses better, however, for people like us who have never practised leading lives in such organised manner, your advice was difficult to comprehend. We always kept buying food at the end of the day from the wages that we had earned that day spending Rs 50 – 10 -10 on flour – oil – chilli and likes. We lived in bits and pieces, and we were so used to this way of life that we resisted the change!! The lockdown shut out businesses, finding the next meal was a challenge. Your precious advice started playing in my mind. It would have been such a relief even if I had stocked some wheat and rice. Like beggars, we waited for food during this period. The need to stock food made sense and felt so important. Better late than never!! We decided to consider your advice to stock grains for a year and approached VSSM for a loan to help us do it. After I received the loan, I stepped into a mall for the first time, as some items were cheaper there. Never knew we would end up stepping into a mall in our lifetime. In fact, it is for the first time I have shopped for Rs. 10000 in one go, not only did I buy grains but also containers to store it all. This pandemic has taught us a lot. Now we understand the gravity of word – saving!! I have pledged to become regular at saving. I have started regular saving and that amount helps me pay the loan instalments.”
Nomadic woman with the stored grain |
Madhuben, VSSM’s team member in Ramdevnagar settlement has consistently strived to bring about progressive change in the lives of women of Ramdevnagar many times risking her safety it is her persistent efforts that have brought such encouraging results in Ramdevnagar. It is our good fortune to have such committed individuals as part of our team.
Nomadic woman learining to store grain |
જાગ્યા ત્યારથી સવાર. તમારી વાત હવે કાને ધરી. અમે અનાજ ભરવા vssm માંથી લોન માંગી અને સંસ્થાએ આપી. તમને ખબર છે અમે અમુક વસ્તુઓ તો મોલમાં જઈને ખરીદી. ત્યાં સસ્તી પડતી હતી એટલા માટે. જિંદગીમાં મોલનું પગથિયું નહોતા ચડ્યા પણ હવે દુનિયાદારી સમજ્યા.
Vadia, a village tucked in a remote corner of Banaskantha has always been in limelight for numerous wrong reasons. Since more than a decade VSSM has been striving to make Vadia known for the right reasons. The efforts are focused to positively transform the ground realities of Vadia.
Vadia has been practising the traditional occupation of prostitution for more than 6 decades. The occupation is forced upon the girls once they achieve puberty. However, if the girl decides to get married or is engaged the family does not initiate her into prostitution. VSSM encourages parents of the daughters of Vadia to find a suitable match for the girls and get them married. This year the village hosted weddings of 5 girls. VSSM decided that each of the trousseaus will also include a buffalo so that the girls enjoy some financial independence in their marital home. However, we were unable to gift the buffaloes at the wedding because of its high cost during the period. “The buffaloes are cheapest during Bhadarvo, 11th month of Gujarati calendar!!” Nagjibhai, a community leader from Tharad had advised.
Once Bhadarvo arrived, VSSM’s Shardaben and Nagjibhai persevered to find 5 good buffaloes.
On 23rd September, in the presence of our dear Shri Lal Uncle, we organized a program to gift the buffaloes to these daughters.
We will forever remain grateful to respected Shri Chandrakantbhai Gogari, respected Shri Morari Bapu and respected Sarojben for the support they have provided. It is their encouraging support that has enabled us to achieve some unimaginable goals in Vadia. They have remained instrumental to ensure that hope and happiness reaches the thresholds of Vadia.
In the pictures shared here are our girls with their dhamenu/gifted buffaloes and us.
બનાસકાંઠાનું વાડિયા બહુ જુદી રીતે પંકાયેલું ગામ.
અમે ગામની સીકલ બદલાય એ માટે પ્રયત્નરત..
ગામમાં રહેતા #સરાણિયા પરિવારોમાં એક નોખો રિવાજ.
જે દીકરીની સગાઈ કે લગ્ન થાય તે દેહવ્યાપારરૃપી નર્કાગારમાં ધકેલાય નહીં. અમે ગામની દીકરીઓ પરણે એને પ્રોત્સાહન આપીએ.આ વર્ષે કરેલા પાંચ લગ્નોમાં દીકરીઓને કરિયારની સાથે સાથે તે રોજી રોટી રળી શકે તે માટે ધામેણું આપવાનું પણ કહેલું.
થરાદ વિસ્તારના આગેવાન નાગજીભાઈ કહે,
‘ભેંસો તો ભાદરવા મહિનામાં સસ્તી મળે’
એટલે અમે લગ્ન વેળા અન્ય કરિયાવર સાથે ભેંસો નહોતી આપી. પણ મંડપમાં ભાદરવામાં ભેંસો આપવાની જાહેરાત કરેલી.
નાગજીભાઈ અને કાર્યકર શારદાબહેને લગ્ન કરેલી પાંચે દીકરીઓ માટે સરસ ભેંસો શોધી કાઢી.
ગઈ કાલે અમે આ ભેંસ અર્ણપ અમારા પ્રિય લાલ અંકલની હાજરીમાં કાર્યક્રમ કર્યો.
#વાડિયા ગામની દીકરીઓના લગ્ન ખર્ચમાં મદદ કરનાર આદણીય ચંદ્રકાન્તભાઈ ગોગરી, પૂ. મોરારીબાપુ તથા આદરણીય સરોજબહેનને પ્રણામ એમની મદદથી જ આ બધુ શક્ય બન્યું.
ફોટોમાં લગ્ન કરેલી પાંચે દીકરીઓ સાથે અમે બધા તથા પોતાના ધામેણા સાથે દીકરીઓ
#MittalPatel #VSSM #NomadsOfIndia #Vadia #Empathy #Sarania #Vadia #