Indian villages present a simplistic way of life much beyond the corrupted minds of the modern civilized words which for an outsider is quite unbelievable. As goes the saying, truth is often stronger than fiction. It can be argued that this has been a side-effect of the delayed progress of these villages, that the material benefits of the modern world have still not registered their presence in these villages. The vicious circle of poverty-illiteracy-ill health continues to plague these villages. In the present context, many Non-Government Organisations have taken the onus of breaking this cycle in their own little ways. One such well-meaning organisation - IBTADA has attempted to break these shackles by empowering rural women to be the change-makers.
With nothing to lose, illiterate women gather in tens and organize themselves into self-sustaining systems and inculcate a culture of savings, record keeping and co-operative banking. What led to this and how easy the journey was is anybody’s guess and the results are for everyone to see. A Self Help Group running in flesh and blood is the truest sign of progress and a delight to observe. While some sceptics might still question the intent and the efficiencies, the changes in the lives of these women are for everyone to see. The ardent sceptic inside us still questions if the masses are merely being led into following a herd mentality not realizing the actual trade-offs. But when a guiding hand has the right intentions then questioning the motives is not vital. It is about these times when faith delivers. One way or the other, one sees the masses opening their wings for the first time. Needless to say, when they flap their wings, the first flight is not far away. Behold your breath for it is going to be a majestic one for sure.
- Vaibhav Arora
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