A sky full of stars
For starters, this is going to be my first time at writing something…
The reason I’m attempting to write this — well, I just feel that each one of us gets a chance to meet a lot of people, we learn something about their culture, something about their mindsets, something about their struggles and challenges and something about their victories. But, how often are we able to share these stories with the people who might truly relate to it? My answer to that question would be — not even half! With these following articles, I wouldn’t say I’ll be able to change this number but probably this might just be one of the ways which would allow me to share the people I’ve met — people like you and me, and their stories with you all.
The reason you should give this a glimpse — you never know who you might relate to or perhaps one of these stories might give some kind of learning to your loved ones. Doesn’t sound like a bad idea, does it?
So here it is…
Panchayat — Ambari, Himachal Pradesh, India
Off the Pathankot-Dharamsala highway lies this lush green village and what makes it even more beautiful is the group of highly motivated females that inhabit this village. I got the chance to interact with the members of the Mahila Mandal (female group) of this panchayat — as a part of my internship with CORD (a rural development organization based in Himachal). Referred to as the ‘backbone’ of the village these self-help groups and women farmer groups, were brought into action by the ladies of the village to make sure that they’re up-to-date with the skills and techniques required for farming- which is the main source of income.
So how do they get the money to sustain all this? Turns out that these ladies run their very own banking system where everything is recorded manually, loans are given, installments are paid, and the numbers work their wonders.
The beauty doesn’t end just yet — yes, there’s more!
While this village is home to these super-efficient female farmers, it is also home to specially-abled people like Gayatri — who taught me that there is nothing whatsoever that would stop her from living her life with dignity. While she suffered from a disability in her hands, that did not stop her from pursuing her passion for embroidery — where what was once viewed as a weakness, turned out to be her topmost strength. The bedsheets embroidered by her are a work of art, which can be purchased from the shops run by this rural development organization. This skill has not only allowed her to pursue her passion but also made her a role model to all those specially-abled people in her village.
Ali’s family, on the other hand, helped me understand the importance of sticking around. He is a differently-abled kid, but his mother, aunt, cousins — all stuck through to help him grow by providing him the education he deserved, ensuring he was given proper nutrition and exercised. When he felt like giving it all up, it was his family that filled him with optimism and showed him that he could sail through this.
Oftentimes we take basic things for granted. Even when we have everything, we feel that we could get some more, but meeting these ladies here made me realize that even if the resources are limited, there is nothing one cannot achieve. True strength lies when all the forces work together with the right intentions. More power to these women who wear this invisible cape. May their tribe grow and show the world that it can be a beautiful place in spite of all the odds.
