Letzten Oktober haben Frauen einer von Prajna unterstützten Selbsthilfegruppe die Initiative ergriffen, eine Radiosendung selber zu gestalten. Dafür haben sie Rollenspiele erarbeitet und ein Lied über Frauen geschrieben. Hier ist die Englische Übersetzung der Sendung und der „Empowerment Song“.

Women’s empowerment song: Women are strong in their heart and they are empowered. All women must come together to the SHGs and work for the achievement of our success. Time is value and everyone should be aware of this (attend meetings in time). We need to have faith in us as well as in the group. Through savings we can help to fulfil the basic needs of our family so that they will live happily. We (the women) will raise the voice against injustice and fight wherever our rights have been broken. Whatever comes in our life, may it be good or bad, we will take it equally or positively.

Radio Programme 27th October 2015

Topic: Experiences of the beneficiaries of the women’s empowerment programme

Participants: Ms Dhanalakshmi, Ms Reshma, Ms Sheela, Ms Savitha, Ms Shamshad, Ms Aisha, Ms Ramlath, Ms Shoba

Radio programme announcer: This is the 42nd episode of the radio programme “Bharavaseya Belaku” sponsored by Prajna Counselling Centre, Mangalore and their telephone numbers are 2432682 to reach the director Prof Hilda Rayappan, 2432685 to get in contact with the De-addiction Centre, 2432903 for the Santwana Women’s Helpline and 2432133 for the office. Listeners who desire to solve their domestic or marital problems or who require counselling assistance, they may contact the mentioned numbers.

Ms Dhanalakshmi: We welcome you to the “Bharavaseya Belaku” programme of Prajna Counselling Centre. Today’s words of wisdom are: “When the path is easy, we should think of the way of getting to the goal. When the goal is beautiful, we should not worry about the path, but only think of achieving the goal.” Now the beneficiaries of the Women’s Empowerment Project of Prajna Counselling Centre will present a novel type of play depicting an aspect of this project.

Ms Reshma: Hello Sheelakka, where are you coming from? You look so tired.

Ms Sheela: I am just coming from a community centre where I had a meeting of the Self Help Group.

Ms Reshma: We had set up many SHG’s and also child rights clubs, do you see any changes in the attitude of the members?

Ms Sheela: Yes, there is a lot of change, they are very confident now. They are literate now, they sign in on the documents and are not using the thumbprint, they know about financial matters, bank work etc. They have also learned to raise their voice in case of injustice. The children too have learned to fight for their rights.

Ms Savitha: Hello, what are you both doing here?

Ms Reshma: We were discussing about our projects and the SHG’s setup.

Ms Savitha: That is a good issue.

Ms Reshma: Savitha, since you have been working in this field for a long time, what are your experiences?

Ms Savitha: Earlier, the members only used to come for savings, now they come and discuss their problems in a group and are able to solve many of their personal problems. The children too have taken a benefit from the child rights club and have gained knowledge about the new POCSO act. We have installed some suggestion boxes in the schools and now there is a very good response to this. We are glad to work for this Prajna project and we are especially thankful to Hilda Rayappan for giving us this opportunity.

Ms Sheela: We have to go to Ms Shamshad’s house. Would you like to come with us?

Ms Reshma: Yes I would like to come. But what is special about it?

Ms Sheela: There is something special to see there, you will come to know about it once you are there.

Sheela, Reshma and Savitha going to Ms Shamshad’s house, knocking on a door, somebody calling out to Ms Shamshad

Neighbour: Shamshad Madam, Shamshad Madam. I want to tell you something.

Ms Shamshad: Yes, what happened?

Neighbour: In our neighbourhood one man is coming home drunk every day and beating his wife. Now he has thrown her out of the house. We cannot do anything about this as we are afraid of him. Can you do something about it?

Ms Shamshad: Yes, we will come there and see what can be done.

Neighbour: How did you get so much of courage?

Ms Shamshad: I am a member of the Prajna Prerana federation of SHG’s. I have become very enlightened and gained a lot of confidence.

Neighbour: What do you do there?

Ms Shamshad: We have savings and also learn about self-employment and we get information from many resource persons. You too can become a member.

Neighbour: What am I supposed to do to become a member?

Ms Shamshad: First you make a group of ten women from your neighbourhood and then we will inform Madam about it.

Neighbour: That’s a good idea! I know some women and we can meet in the open space near our house. Please come along with your Madam.

Ms Shamshad: Yes, we’ll surely come.

Ms Shamshad sees her friend Ms Aisha approaching and she greets her

Hello Aisha, good to see you. How come you are here?

Aisha: I came to find out from you about the SHG group that you recently started.

Ms Shamshad: It is very interesting to have the meetings. We learn many things, but first let us hear about you, I heard that you won a prize in the recent SHG meeting.

Aisha: Yes, we had a competition regarding homemade remedies. You know the shoe flower which is commonly found everywhere. If we take the petals of this flower and boil it with water and mix it with lime juice and sugar candy, it makes a good cooling drink.

Ms Shamshad: Yes, even in our neighbourhood many of these flowers fall and go waste. Now we can use it as suggested by you. Our friend Ramlath is coming, let us speak to her. Hello Ramlath, how are you? How is your self-employment going on?

Ramlath: I am fine. As a member of the Prerana Self Help Group, I have been able to buy a sewing machine and to establish my own tailoring business. I am doing quite well financially. The SHG has also given me some vegetable seeds which I have planted and used organic fertilizer and have got a good yield.

Ms Shamshad: We are pleased to hear about that. Let us all go to our President’s house.

Ms Shamshad, Ramlath and Aisha go to the President’s house

Ms Shamshad: Hello Shobakka.

Ms Shoba: Hello Shamshad, Aisha and Ramlath. It is nice to see the three of you. What can I do for you all?

Ms Shamshad: We have come to invite you to be the president of our annual day celebration of our SHG.

Ms Shoba: Thank you, I will surely come as I am the president of the Federation of SHG’s. The other day there was a programme regarding home remedies, why were you not present there?

Ms Shamshad: I had some urgent work, hence I could not attend.

Ms Shoba: You really missed a good programme. I hope you will be able to attend the next programme of this kind. See, such programmes not only provide knowledge, but are also useful for the development of our personality and also empower us. Earlier, Muslim women would be within their homes but nowadays they attend just as you have attended. Because by attending such meetings we become bold. The other day there was a case of drunkard husband who always beats his wife. It came to our knowledge and we spoke to him many times and tried to change him. Even our Madam (Prof Hilda Rayappan) tried, but we were not successful. Then we reported this to the police station. He was called to the police station and given a proper beating and warned not to continue with this in the future. After this he stopped beating her. You also know of the drug peddlers and sell of Ganja etc, which was spoiling the youth of our area. You are also involved in reporting this to the police station, where you once went in the night time. Did you have any problems after that?

Ms Shamshad: No, I had no problems due to that and the issue of drug selling is now closed. In the nearby area we too have some cases where the mother in law was harassing the daughter in law. We went there in a group and sorted out the problem.

Ms Shoba: This shows that you have been empowered. Nowadays many of the women members attend the SHG meetings and become more knowledgeable. They attend the Gram Sabha regularly and come to know about the various schemes and facilities by the government. They collect information and avail these government facilities. Many of the women have been enabled to set up their own business ventures and are doing well, Aisha is an example. Isn’t it correct, Aisha?

Ms Aisha: Yes, I have benefitted from these SHG meetings.

Ms Shoba: Many women have become empowered due to attending the SHG meetings. Some of them have been taking loan to establish their own businesses. Some people say that giving loan to those women will spoil them but I don’t agree.

Ms Shamshad: While talking we forgot that our Madams (Reshma, Savitha and Sheela) are coming.

Ms Reshma: Hello, it is nice to see all of you here. The whole Federation seems to be present here. What is the reason for your getting together?

Ms Shamshad: We are making plans for celebrating the annual day of our SHG.

Ms Reshma: This is a very good idea, how are you planning to celebrate it?

Ms Shamshad: We planned to bring flowers grown by us in our own gardens for making bouquets for the guests and also bringing our own vegetables and cook food by ourselves without calling any caterer.

Ms Reshma: Who are going to be the guests?

Ms Shamshad: We will call Wiliam Sir (coordinator of the KKS project), the local co-operator and some other responsible people from the project.

Ms Savitha: Why don’t you call the members of the neighbouring SHG’s? There will be more people and hence more people will become aware.

Ms Shamshad: Yes, that is a good idea.

Ms Shoba: Calling the local co-operator is a very good idea, because they can come to know how empowered the women have become and they will feel that if they don’t work properly, we women will confront them and find out if they don’t do work concerning our area properly. They should also realize that five women are equal to ten men when it comes to confrontation.

Members of the SHG and the three staff members singing a song about women’s empowerment