These are the stories of three women who work on the grassroots level in a community building capacity, as a part of the Sehgal Foundation. Communities that are located far away from the privileged spaces that are urban areas. Upon working their way through various obstacles related to family expectations, health, education, employment, etc., these three women have had a significant part to play in the advent and promotion of rural development in their respective communities.
Shaheen Khatoon
Shaheen Khatoon, Community Capacity Builder and Coordinator, Firozpur/Jhirka, is the youngest of five sisters – in a family that had desperately longed for a son. Hence, it came as no surprise that her birth was received with dismay, and her childhood ‘bore the stamp’ of ‘The Unwanted One’. Though her destiny led her to Delhi for studies, she was sent-off in marriage soon after she completed the tenth standard. However, having a supportive husband came as a boon to Shaheen: not only was she able to continue her studies right up to graduation, but she was also encouraged to use her skills in a job.
Starting her journey as an instructor, imparting tailoring skills at the foundation, she moved on to another domain – health. This was a huge leap, as this assignment encouraged her to shoulder more responsibilities by ‘managing’ the health projects at the district level. Shaheen’s current assignment sees her overseeing the work in diverse domains: namely Panchayat, Health and Education.
Explaining her multi-faceted roles, she emphasizes on her role in ‘governance’: “Mahila Gram Sabhas are held four times a year. This concept is vital for providing women a platform to voice their concerns, something that they may be hesitant to do in the ‘general’ Gram Sabhas. These Mahila Gram Sabhas are held for two days, immediately before the Gram Sabhas, so that issues which are raised during these, can be presented during the latter, in order to highlight challenges faced by women like for example in the fields of health, water, sanitation etc.
This platform also prepares the stage for micro-planning, where the demographics of the concerned village are reviewed. Issues of concern are discussed here and then presented in front of the Gram Sabha, from where the matter is further referred to the concerned higher authorities, if so deemed required.”
The success stories which Shaheen lists are many: construction of an ‘Anganwadi’ centre, clean drinking water facilities, improved sanitation and many more; but the journey has not been easy. “In 2004, when I started my assignment, there was hardly any accessible mode of transport, because of which walking was the only choice, and that too walking for long distances. Besides this, there were other social challenges too, which I had to face. However, in 2009 I was awarded the Achiever’s Award by the Sehgal Foundation and in 2015/16, the Best Social Worker – Mewat (in the health domain)”.
Sushil Bala
Armed with a degree in arts and crafts (ITI), this versatile lady took up the challenge of educating, guiding and ‘grooming’ young girls. She has been on numerous journeys, time and again, with each young girl, from the imparting of alphabets till the time a career path was carved out for them.
She says with a sense of both pride and gratitude “Salary is one thing, but the joy and satisfaction one receives in the form of blessings is irreplaceable and unforgettable”. From basic education to subjects like env name="form_fields[last_name]" placeholder="Last name"/>
