WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES

Development is the empowerment of people to create their destiny and to build a new society of justice, equality, brotherhood and love through unity, cooperation organization and collective action. This is an essential part of the empowerment of man / woman because it enables him / her to fight with determination for justice and equality.

Women as wife, mother and teacher play a vital role in the family. They strive hard for the well being of family. But they are not given right status at any level in the society due to male chauvinism and ego. However this phenomenon has been changed to considerable extent in urban areas due to education and greater awareness in women. But the situation in regard to women living in rural areas is not encouraging and becoming worse day by day.

NJMM rightly understood the plight of the women in rural areas and the organization initiated various measures for their improvement. One of the major programme is conducting vocational trainings in various courses / trades to upgrade their skills which will enable them to earn substantial monthly income. The group activity will also develop leadership qualities and cooperative spirit in them.

Training programmes are being conducted every year by the organisation in the following trades/courses.

• Tailoring and embroidery
• Maggam work
• Banjara work
• hand Embroidery
• Soft toys making
• Woolen lace making
• Ablic work
• Jute bag manufacturing
• Printing and Deying

SELF-HELP GROUPS AND MICRO FINANCING

In the rural areas, the poor people have to depend on money lenders, pawn brokers or private financiers for securing loans. These money lenders charge exorbitant rate of interest. The banks are also not helpful to provide loans to the poor people and it is also difficult to fulfill the formalities of the banks such as introducer, documentation and providing surety etc. Taking into account these factors and to facilitate to get easy financial assistance, the organization has formed 10 SHGs under the Navajyothi Mahila Mandali. We are giving loans about 125-130 SHG members for the purpose of income generating activities every year. This year we have given loans to the extent of Rs. 2,68,000/- to the SHG members.

Further we have obtained a loan of Rs3, 00,000/- from Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, New Delhi and disbursed the same to 47 SHG members and recoveries are made promptly. We have also sanctioned loans to the extent of Rs40,000/- to four SHG members from RMK savings. With these efforts the members of SHGs are earning substantial monthly income by establishing their own business / units and they are repaying the installments with interest regularly.

JOB WORKS TO THE TRAINED WOMEN

We are providing job works to the trained women by taking bulk orders from the garment shops, schools and from individuals. These trained women are working at their houses with these orders and getting monthly income for their sustenance.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Youth Development was started in the year 2003 with the financial assistance from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India. We are conducting skill development training programs for the educated unemployed youth in the centre. There is a Library attached to the centre with number of books on public administration, Literature, General Knowledge, Children Story Books, Novels, Legal and Constitutional Books, Brochers, Booklets relating to schemes and central Governments. The Library is used by the youth for reference books. There is T.V. which will be used to Screen C.D's on various developmental projects and Schemes to equip the youth with the developmental activities of central and state governments. We desire to develop the Youth Development Center as Information Technology centre.

AWARENESS PROGRAMMES

Awareness creation is the next major programme of the organisation. With the help of local leaders and resource persons different awareness creation activities are being conducted in target areas and also in urban slums. Following are the major awareness programmes.

• HIV / AIDS
• Reproductive and Child Health
• Rain Water Harvesting
• Solid waste management
• Legal awareness
• Environmental pollution and its control measures
• Consumer awareness and rights
• Personal health and hygine

FAMILY COUNSELLING CENTER

To avoid the disputes in family life and make marriage life more fruitful and strengthen the marriage system, we extend our support to women to fight against family problems and atrocities. We have therefore established Family CounsellingCenter at Ghatkesar Village, Ghatkesar mandal, R.R. District with the grant of the Central Social Welfare Board, New Delhi. It is functioning under qualified, professional Counselors to assist women in distress.

SISUVIHAR CENTERS

Sisu vihar centers are being run in Ranga Reddy District with the financial assistance from the Central Social Welfare Board, New Delhi. In each centre two well trained Teachers are engaged. Nutritious mid-day meal and medical assistance are provided freely to 80 poor children in 0-6 age group.

CULTURAL ACTIVITES

Cultural Programmes are being conducted to encourage the hidden talents in children. The children trained in our dance school have given performances in Kuchipudi Dance on various occasions. One such programme was organized at Tyaga Raya Gana Sabha, Chikkadapally, Hyderabad which was attended by Sri Naga Phani Sharma, Sri Chitharanjan (Radio Artist) and Sri Vedanta Rama Linga Shastry. The performance of the children has been appreciated by the distinguished guests.

NATIONAL YOUTH CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

Ministry of Youth Affaris is conducting National Cultural Youth Exchange Programme with the cooperation of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghatan. Under this programme youth from Kargil District of Jammu & Kashmir State visited Hyderabad on 25th August, 2006. 30 young people visited NJMM office and spent with our Dance School children and also with the beneficiaries of vocational training center. They spent their time happily and invited us to Kashmir. Another team from Baramulla District of jammu & Kashmir State arrived on 8th November, 2006 and visited our dance school. Mr. Venkata Rao, District Coordinator, NYK, R.R. District guided both the teams and expressed his satisfaction in arranging the cultural exchange programme. Both teams expressed their satisfaction and invited us to visit their State.

HEALTH PROGRAMMES

Navajyothi Mahila Mandali is conducting medical camps in rural areas with the help of local doctors. We are distributing free medicines to the poor people. We are also conducting eye camps with the co-operation of Local Lions Clubs and LV Prasad Eye Institute. We are proving spectacles free of cost to the poor and deserving persons. We are planning to start a Mobile Health Care Unit for the benefit of tribal people living in tribal areas.

TRAINING PROGRAMMES IN FOOD AND NUTRITION

NJMM is organizing training programmes in preservation of fruits and vegetables and preparation of nutritious food with the local items to the poor women. We are providing training to make it as income generating programme to the beneficiaries. Some batches are preparing FRUIT JAM AND MIXED VEGETABLE PICKLE as income generating activity. They are preparing and selling in their areas. If we get support we can made it in a big way, so that we can provide income generating activity to more women. We are very grateful to COMMUNITY FOOD AND NUTRITION EXTENSION UNIT, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India for imparting training in Food and Nutrition.