**
*Nari Jagran Manch / Dalit Women Power (DWP)**: an organisation for women,
by women*
**
*DWP is commited to **educate and empower poor rural women around Bodh Gaya
(Bihar, India) in their quest for greater self-reliance, economic
sustainability, freedom of expression, and women's rights.*
** *DWP fosters the spirit of community in the villages by organizing
women's groups that base their values and teachings on gender-justice,
inter-connectedness, freedom and human dignity. *
Women who join DWP pay a one-time membership fee of 25 Rupees (60 US cents).
In return, they become members of a vast *women-support network* and have
access to *educational classes* as well as a *micro credit progam*. Each
member village holds regular support group meetings. The modest membership
fee allows DWP to partly self-sustain their *micro credit progam*. More
importantly, it gives the women a sense of dignity: They do not depend on
alms to better their lives but instead improve their lives by using their
own means and by supporting each other. In their women's groups, the members
gain a new sense of freedom & strength and individually.
DWP employs 6 community workers on a part time basis. Thanks to the programs
* Sister Mary* and her community workers offer, the members of the
organisation can improve the quality of life for themselves and their
families. They also earn the respect in their village communities. Because
of that, DWP is also highly regarded by the village men.
*Sister Mary (left) with some of her community workers*
*Women in Bodh Gaya, Bihar
*The majority of the members of DWP are illiterate and belong to the 'Dalit'
castes. These are the very lowest in the Hindu cast system. 38% of the
population in the Gaya District are Dalits. They are also known as Harijans
or Untouchables and literally live on the margins of society. Traditionally,
they are the unorganized, landless labourers in a semi-feudal, agrarian
set-up. Bodh Gaya's development as an international tourist center has
pushed the Dalits further down the poverty line. Illiteracy, impoverishment
and de-humanising conditions of life are the crippling factors for the Dalit
population in the context of an aggressive tourist market. Dalit women and
girl children are the most vulnerable groups, subject to many different
forms of exploitation.
*Currently, **Nari Jagran Manch - Dalit Women Power with its pro-poor
commitment reaches out to some 1500 Dalit women-members organized in 120
groups. On average, each DWP member represents a family of 10 to 15 persons.
That means that DWP reaches up to 12'000 people, changing their lives for
the better.*
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*Sister Mary (left) and three of her community workers*
*Sister Mary, the founder of DWP
*The Indian Founder of* Nari Jagran Manch - Dalit Women Power*, Sister Mary
Lobo, is a Christian nun. She grew up in Kerala, a Southern Indian state
famous for its exemplary policies in women's equity and education. Sister
Mary's work and life have been greatly influenced by Mahatma Ghandi's
philosophy of non-vilent protest and transformation. As a nun, she has taken
the vow of poverty and lives very simply in Bodh Gaya. When Sr Mary came to
Bodh Gaya some 10 years ago, she found that all the non-governmental groups
were male-dominated and she founded *Nari Jagran Manch - Dalit Women Power*,
a women's organisation - for women, by women.
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*Activities and Programmes
**DWP organises training groups for collective action at the grass-roots
level. These classes include topics such as:*
*Basic Literacy and Numeracy.* Many women are not only illiterate but are
also unable to recognize the value and count money. These classes enable the
women to read Hindi and to recognize numbers & money and to do simple
calculations.
*Health & Nutrition.* Malnutrition is very common in Bihar. These classes
teach women how to feed their families more healthily taking into
consideration their very limited budgets. Thei also learn about basic
hygiene and health measures they can take to protect their families from
illness.
*Micro-banking and micro-enterprises credit* programmes.
*Awareness sessions on women's rights*: demands for just wages and poverty
reduction, government schemes, decentralised local self-rule..Intervenes in
cases of atrocities against *women*;
*Organic farming techniques*. Increasing yields and improving soil
fertility, while decreasing dependence on artificial fertilizers and
pesticides.
*DWP also engages in the following activities:*
*Installation of water-pumps* for clean drinking-water (see picture on the
left). A near-by water pump can greatly relieve women from the time
consuming and exhausting chore of hauling water from far away. The
installation of a water pump costs about $200.
*Education of girl children in 25 non-formal village centres.*
*Collaboration in NGO networks, environmental campaigns and People's
Movements.*
*Installation of smokless chulas (cooking stoves) and subsidized sale of
pressure cookers. *
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*Sister Mary visits a small school class in one of the villages.*
*
Women's group at an educational class*
***
DWP pays for the installation of waterpumps.*
*A typical clay house. Cow dung is drying on the tree stems. The cow dung is
used as fuel for cooking.*
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