Thursday, March 28, 2024
ADVT 
Interviews

Govind Singh Rathore : Leading Women's Empowerment

Garima Goswami, Darpan, 15 Mar, 2014 02:11 PM
  • Govind Singh Rathore : Leading Women's Empowerment
You don’t have to be a doctor, police officer or even a celebrity to touch the lives of hundreds of individuals. Neither do you require being scholarly in order to serve the society in manners that are indubitably noble in every way. But for someone like Govind Singh Rathore, all you need is a selfless motive and a single opportunity to make headway into a cause which has long troubled him due to unfortunate incidents at home.  
 
Rathore recalls witnessing domestic violence at home against his mother by the hands of his father, who he describes as an “alcoholic due to stresses and strains of family pressure.” At the age of 14 after his father’s demise, Rathore says “my mother took me out of school and made me the head of the house.” In a patriarchal society, where women are left at the pity of themselves, this social worker grew up watching the plight of his widowed mother and several other women in his local community. 
 
Adhering to his stimulation to better serve those inflicted by similar plights, Rathore persuaded his maid to bring her three daughters to his house where Rathore would impart reading and writing skills to them. “The next day, Meera, our maid, brought 18 girls with her. Six months later, Sambhali Trust was born with the help of my family and friends; a non-profitable charitable organization that empowers woman, raises self-esteem and educates the most vulnerable women and children of Indian society.” 
 
 
Starting off with merely 15 females, including women and girls that were seated in one small room, Sambhali Trust has grown to positively assist over 800 women and children over the past seven years in Jodhpur, the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Upon inception, the project kicked off as a sole venture, however owing to its popularity and effectiveness, Rathore managed to introduce 13 more projects including “four Empowerment Centres providing voca-tional training and literary tuition; a boarding home for 20 village girls to receive good education in Jodhpur; a Self-Help Group Programme to enable 109 women to start small businesses in their own villages; No Bad Touch Project, which helps to educate the community in Jodhpur regarding child sexual abuse; Panaah Women’s Shelter Services, which deals with individual cases regarding legal disputes such as divorce, domestic violence and medical aid in dire circumstances; and we also have two Sewing Centres for 25 graduates of our Empowerment Centres and the Sambhali Boutique and Student Shop.” 
 
Elaborating further upon Sambhali Boutique, Rathore says this endeavour has provided women with a platform to deliver the best of their skills in crafting and produce a variety of products ranging from soft toys to block-printing scarves. “We are happy to say that our first graduates have been earning a good average income every month over the last  four years.” 
 
 
In the early years of the organization’s establishment, the initiators were perceived as “missionaries or worse,” explains Rathore. However gradually Sambhali Trust assembled its share of acceptance and today this NGO has reached even the neglected areas of Jodhpur. Citing a recent example of the various hindrances the organization encounters Rathore explains, “Because of the very strong caste prejudice in the village areas, we had to move our Empowerment Centre for children because the landlord, who belongs to a higher caste, wouldn’t accept Dalit children [children belonging to families from the lowest caste] coming into his building. Fortunately two years down the line and we have been awarded an honour from the local community in Setrawa [village in Rajasthan] that has helped to give us the seal of approval in the village community and helped to perhaps slowly dissolve the caste prejudice, which still exists.”
 
With the massive outreach of the several projects at hand, Sambhali Trust heavily relies on volunteers in the distribution of its various services. Essentially volunteers teach english and mathematics in the Empowerment Centres situated in Jodhpur and Setrawa, and are also invited to perform workshops on a weekly basis on topics ranging from health, nutrition and women’s rights to drama, photography and computer skills. Overall, volunteers are at luxury to select departments they are most comfortable at. “Our volunteers come from all walks of life, and range from college students to grandmothers. Their varied expertise has enriched the lives of the students, as well as learning from each other. We generally have about 10-15 volunteers with us at any one time; about 12 in Jodhpur and 3-4 in Setrawa village,” adds Rathore. 
 
 
How one man’s brief step in striving for social change culminated into a wave of change striking events is in itself self-explanatory. With 13 fluent projects at hand, Rathore perceives there to be scope for more such programs and thus envisages increasing the number of empowerment centres in the near future. “We would also like to set up our own orphanage in the future for young girls,” says Rathore. He is no less than a hero for the females in Jodhpur and other villages, where Rathore has lent his support in the form of several uplifting programs. We can rightly expect this city to project a changing face of development pertaining to females in a country that has lately witnessed a blow in crimes against females.
 

MORE Interviews ARTICLES

Neeru Bajwa the Darling of Punjabi Cinema

Neeru Bajwa the Darling of Punjabi Cinema
She faced challenges and obstacles along the way, meeting them head on and through determination, talent and charm; she has proved herself and today is the darling of Punjabi cinema.

Neeru Bajwa the Darling of Punjabi Cinema

Irrfan Khan – Keeping it Simple

Irrfan Khan – Keeping it Simple
Irrfan Khan doesn’t look at all as on screen. Films like “Life of Pi” and “The Namesake,” let alone the show “In Treatment” (in which he played a withered retiree), give the impression that Khan is deep into middle age.

Irrfan Khan – Keeping it Simple

Sarbjit Cheema in his upcoming movie Punjab Bolda

Sarbjit Cheema in his upcoming movie Punjab Bolda
Singer-turned-actor Sarbjit Cheema talks about his rise to fame and his upcoming movie Punjab Bolda

Sarbjit Cheema in his upcoming movie Punjab Bolda

In The Spotlight with Tisca Chopra

In The Spotlight with Tisca Chopra
The road has been turbulent at times for Tisca Chopra, but each ebb and flow has resulted in her reaching new personal and professional growth. Recently back the limelight with Taare Zameen Par for which she received a nomination in the best actor in a supporting role (female) category at the 53rd annual Filmfare Awards. The actress is more keen on working with known directors than actors.

In The Spotlight with Tisca Chopra

Rising Star - Kal Penn

Rising Star - Kal Penn
Born first generation Indo-American in Montclair, New Jersey, the 31 year-old, Penn has been called “The Next Tom Hanks” by the Boston Globe and “the world’s most famous Indian-American actor” by New York magazine. 

Rising Star - Kal Penn

Q & A with Tim Uppal, MP Minister of State For Multiculturalism

Q & A with Tim Uppal, MP Minister of State For Multiculturalism
Born in British Columbia and raised in Edmonton, Tim Uppal was elected to the House of Commons in 2008.  In his two terms as Member of Parliament, Tim has worked tirelessly on behalf of his constituents of Edmonton-Sherwood Park.

Q & A with Tim Uppal, MP Minister of State For Multiculturalism