Lending a helping hand to women in distress

Dipender Manta

The Himachal Defence Women Welfare Association, an NGO, is doing a great job in providing a helping hand to the needy in Mandi district. It helps mentally-retarded women without shelter, thus setting an example in society.

In the past, two cases of such women were reported in Mandi district. The association took up the issue of the plight of these women with the district administration to rehabilitate them.

Last month, Savita, a mentally-retarded native of Gujarat, along with her child unknowingly reached the Dharampur area in Mandi. Local people mistook her for a child lifter and beat her up mercilessly. The matter came to the notice of the association, which took it up with the district administration. The administration provided medical treatment and shelter to Savita until her actual home address was found.

Asha Thakur, president of Himachal Defence Women Welfare Association, says, “The case of Savita was crucial, as she had no idea about her home address. We worked overtime and finally located her actual home address in Gujarat. She was a native of the Buravao area in Godhra district of Gujarat. We bore all travelling expenses to send her and her child back home”.

Another mentally-retarded woman Nanki was rehabilitated at her house at Baldwara in the Sarkaghat Assembly constituency of Mandi district. She, along with her son, was living in poor conditions in the open at the Seri Pavilion in Mandi town for the last three years with no one to take care of them. Finally, the association came forward to help her and sent her to Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, with the help of the district administration. Her son was sent to the Bal Ashram for care and schooling.

Asha says, “Our efforts have bore fruits and the woman has recuperated from the disease completely. Her name was not registered under the BPL category in the local panchayat but was done after the intervention of the association. Her house was damaged during the rainy season this year and we have urged the district administration to provide financial aid to her for its maintenance”. After recovering from illness, Nanki visited Mandi town to thank the association members, who had helped her in the time of need.

Besides, the association has fought a long battle for getting land in the name of Central School in Mandi town. Due to the lack of land for the construction of building, the authorities concerned were thinking of shutting down Central School. With the efforts of the association, land has been transferred in the name of the school and a building will be constructed there soon.

Asha says that the association is working to empower women and provide them self-employment opportunities to make them self-dependent. It is imparting training in knitting, weaving and preparing different kitchen recipes, which are in demand in the local market. By selling handmade products, these women can earn money to manage their expenses.  

Anjana Sharma, a resident of Sundernagar, Nitu from Chail Chowk and Dimple from Riwalsar say, “With the help of the Defence Women Welfare Association, we are self-dependent today. Now, we are engaged in sewing, knitting, weaving and preparing different kinds of pickles for the use of local people. We are earning a good amount of money to meet our expenses to live a respectful life as self-dependent women”.

Besides, the association members are motivating migrant workers to enroll their children in schools. Till now, 12 such children have been enrolled in nearby schools. Asha says that the motive of the association is to provide a helping hand to the needy women such as war widows, mentally-retarded and helpless women of poor families, besides ensuring their active participation in social activities. The association sends handmade tricolour silk “Rakhis” to soldiers living in border areas every year and the Indian Army has appreciated their gesture.

The association is providing financial aid to Devkla, a girl student hailing from a poor family in the remote Chhohar valley of Mandi district, to help her continue her studies after secondary education. The association members visit border areas of Jammu and Kashmir to tie ‘Rakhis’ to the wrists of soldiers on the occasion of ‘Rakshabandhan’.

Providing self-employment opportunities

Our association is working to empower women and provide them self-employment opportunities to help them become self-dependent. We are also imparting training in knitting, weaving and preparing different kitchen recipes, which are in demand in the local market. By selling handmade products, these women can earn money to manage their expenses. Asha Thakur, president of Himachal Defence Women Welfare Association