Jeevika Development Society women at work

Daughter of a daily-wager, 22-year-old Madhumita Mondal had been through the grind of poverty.

Mafia Khatun, 24, comes from a family of a marginal farmer that could not provide her two square meals a day.

Both are now not only self-reliant, but also contribute significantly to support their families.

Thanks to the untiring efforts of the NGO Jeevika Development Society, the success tale of Madhumita and Mafia is being retold in several underprivileged households in Bishnupur and Mahestala, on the southern fringes of the city.

The Joka-based NGO was founded in 1990, with an aim to help empower the most marginalised and vulnerable women of our society.

With active support from Terres Des Hommes, a Swiss philanthropic organisation, Jeevika is promoting the ?self-help philosophy? among underprivileged women, in the process ensuring for them a sustained livelihood, and also encouraging them to combat discrimination both in the family and outside.

?Our women work in groups and at present, we have around 500 groups comprising 10 members each,? said Dolon Ganguly, associate director of the organisation. ?Our motto is economic empowerment and improved social status for underprivileged women.?

The women are from varied social and cultural backgrounds. ?Here, they take part in self-help vocational training programmes, currently centred on embroidery, toy-making and tailoring. Our mission goes beyond income generation; it is about working together to develop practical skills and improve the social status,? she added.

Arundhuti Roy, supervisor of the NGO, said: ?In a bid to empower women, Jeevika launched micro-saving and credit programmes way back in 1990. Today, more than 5,000 women benefit from them. Moreover, new groups are being formed almost daily and more and more women are coming under our wings.?

Ganguly added: ?In all our activities, we get support from Terres Des Hommes. Without their help, we could not have come this far.?

The women of Jeevika have also formed an organisation called Alordisha, a ?community initiative? to combat violence against women.

?Whenever we receive a complaint of violence against women, we immediately visit the place. At times, we even have to approach the district administration, including police, or move court to get redress for the oppressed women,? said Mita Naskar, an active participant of Alordisha.

The women of Jeevika and Alordisha have also great interests in cultural activities.

They are now rehearsing for a play under the guidance of Kausik Sen. ?The play will convey the message of our organisation,? said Ganguly.

?We hope to launch our drama at the end of this year. Regular rehearsals are now under way. We hope the play will go a long way in making the women more conscious about their rights,? she added.