March 8th is International Women’s Day. And the sections that are most in need of self-empowerment are the ones who are ignorant of the very idea of self- empowerment. To celebrate Women’s Day this year, the Social Responsibility Cell of XIMB, visited Daya - A home for girls on Sunday, March 11th.
Daya was founded in 2002, and is a home for girls from all age groups, right from pre- schoolers to class eight students. A two building structure, with minimal infrastructure and facilities, what they lack in resources, they make up for in the sheer spirit of its inhabitants. The students spend their weekdays in a local school, and weekends doing odd jobs around the home-mending clothes, cooking, and working on school assignments.
A drawing competition was organized, which saw their creativity unfold on paper. This was followed by a talent show, where we discovered some very good singers and dancers. The girls were eager to learn about us, and what we studied, and to share their own tales from schools.
Sometimes the most basic lessons in humanity come from the most unexpected sources. What struck us most was the feeling of comradeship among the girls. The older ones help the younger girls in their chores and school work. Even in the drawing competition that we organized, ones who finished in time, eagerly pitched in to help others finish their pieces.
The young women we met are a confident, bright and intelligent lot, and they all have one thing in common - A goal. Some want to become engineers, some others doctors and teachers. One spunky little girl even wants to be a ‘policeman’. Volunteers encouraged them to build their aspirations, and the Social Responsibility Cell hopes to be able to make a sustained effort in making these dreams come true.
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