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A road to self-realisation

Rendering service to the underprivileged, exploited and deprived sections of society with first-hand experience of their woes, compulsions and limitations changes the perception and makes a person more sensitive and humane.

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Bhanu P Lohumi

Rendering service to the underprivileged, exploited and deprived sections of society with first-hand experience of their woes, compulsions and limitations changes the perception and makes a person more sensitive and humane.

This is what two groups of 10 and 16 students from Loreto Convent Tara Hall, Shimla, learnt when they visited Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre (KMWSC) – the Loreto Resource and Development Centre for Social Change and Loreto Education Development Centre, Dharan, Nepal, to render social service.

Students were moved by the practical experience and interaction with people in distress and their outlook to see other individuals underwent a sea change. Students of the first group led by teachers Anjali and Rohini, included Gauti Sood, Jahanvi Thakur, Harshita Sharma, Nitisha, Tanveen Kaur Sachdeva, Aastha Sharma, Vanshika Mehta, Nainika Ekka, Asmit Giriiraj Chauhan and Alish Butail. They went to Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre (KMWSC) and interacted with sex workers and labourers from Bihar and Jharkhand, who broke the stereotype notions and prejudices and enabled them to see life closely.

“We often look down upon sex workers as women of low virtues, but one-on-one personal interaction with them changed our perception. It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive, but those who can best manage change, which sometimes comes with a horrific price, also learn to survive,” the team members shared.

The filthy and unhygienic living conditions of labourers, their struggle to earn two-square meals a day and small children suffering with various disabilities with little hope to see better days made students realise that “how fortunate they were and how they always took life for granted”.

The girls said: “We feel blessed to have got this opportunity to become a part of the One Billion Rising Campaign, where we presented a dance on women empowerment and visited places like Brick Fields, Sonagachi and other slum areas.” It was a different world, full of poverty and lack of education, where many innocent women were pushed into flesh trade to earn a meagre sum of Rs 100-200 after serving four or five men, the girls learnt that there was no such thing as a fair fight.

Threat to their lives and exposure to diseases was a constant challenge and the worst part was that they did not get protection even from the government. As per an incident narrated to the team a sex worker was murdered and hung on the ceiling by a policeman for denying him services, but no one ever questioned it and life moved on normally for all.

Principal Sister A Nirmala, who is working on the theme of Human Relations for her Ph.D, said: “I want students to learn and help others and merely sitting in classrooms will never give them what a true first-hand experience can give. I don’t want them to just sympathise for a moment and walk away, but want them to feel the pain deeply and help others in whatever way they can.”

Such experiences help young students to think and analyse practical questions and not only motivate children to become responsible citizens, but also tell them not to be critical about government schemes, but to ask themselves what they can do for society, she said.

The second team of 16 students, led by their teachers Monika Sharma, Sister Pushpa and Arvind Kaur, comprised Yasharui Gupta, Sanidhya Sharma, Vaishnavi Thakur, Parul Chauhan, Vriti Tangri, Manasvi Chauhan, Japneet Kaur, Inaya Azmi, Smayra Mittam, Anagha Chauhan, Vedika Negi, Rhythm Mehta, Tanisha Chauhan, Prizul Kashyup, Mayanka Sharma and Digisha Sharma. The teachers visited the Loreto Education Development Centre, Dharan, Nepal, not only to represent Loreto Shimla, but also to change the lives of others and serve students.

It was their lifetime journey that not only changed their attitude towards life, but brought them a step closer to self-realisation. The students were divided into three groups of five each, with different groups visiting morning and evening tuitions, self-help groups or field locations and regions like the Sagarmatha Basti, where little children were being weighed to check whether they were underweight.

Loreto Dharan also encourages health and hygiene by providing free ration to pregnant women, underweight children and tuberculosis patients. Students observed that Nepal was far better than India as far as crime is concerned and there were no traffic problems, as people use bicycles and public transport. Students learnt to value life and parents, which they now believe, was heaven after seeing the poor little orphans and disabled children. They realised how hard and dark life can be without parents and imbibed the spirit that each one of them wishes to go back and lend a helping hand, if given an opportunity, as they feel more responsible and concerned about society as a whole and not just about their own family. 

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