Sunday, 15 November 2015

Silent revolution among fisher folk

CHINNA Aravadi is a village under the Karsari taluka of Ramanathpuram district. Our service activities began here in 1992. It has today become an effective centre of social transformation. A woman worker through daily coaching, Samskar Kendra, monthly deeppooja, matri mandali, youth centre, etc., started the project. In the beginning main concentration was laid on education, as nobody in the village was educated more than eighth standard and not only the gents but women also were in the grip of alcoholism. There was no unity among villagers. The village temple was closed for years. But the villagers did not forget to visit the local dargah on every Thursday. 

The Hindu fishermen ruined their own boats
due to liquor and started working on the boats of Muslims and Christians. But now the picture has changed. About 60 girls and 40 boys of the village are studying in various schools of adjoining districts. It is with the efforts of Sewa Bharati that 28 youth of the village are pursuing their graduate courses. Seeing this positive change in the village, the people of surrounding villages have contacted the Sewa Bharati to start similar projects in their villages. This process of social transformation has been repeated in various adjoining villages where also the positive results have been registered. The government schools’ inspector when visited the Aravadi village was so much impressed with the positive change among school children that he instructed all the school principals of the region to seek help from Sewa Bharati to improve the results of their schools and also to bring positive change among children. After the beginning of the Samskar Kendra, regular deeppooja has begun in Aravadi village.

People have abandoned alcohol. Putting tilak on the forehead, putting rangoli in the courtyard, visiting temple, celebrating Hindu festivals, proper welcome of the guests and visitors, respect of parents by children and cleanliness in the village have become a regular features in the village. Not only the children but the elders also have attracted to small savings. It has improved the financial condition of the villagers. Now five people of the village have their own boats. People of the village have stopped visiting dargah. Ten Sevavratis from this village are now working on various projects started by the Sewa Bharati. The women Sevavratis after marriage have started Sewa Bharati work in their in-laws’ villages. Various male Sevavratis have also come out for sewa. The people of the villages, situated at the coastal belt of Rameshwaram to Syalkudi, have also requested the Sewa Bharati to start several projects in their villages.

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