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Women's Development
(Anand Bhavan Project) |
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A project of Yoga Research Foundation |
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All pictures and videos taken by Raju Pakalapati |
| Overview |
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Rural women in Bihar are neglected and bear the brunt of male
dominance combined with restrictions on education, access to health care
and health education, lack of employment opportunities, lack of income
generation skills. Interaction with the village folk over the past two
years showed that while men spend their limited income on various
activities including daily consumption of alcohol, women regularly
denied the male generated income even for basic day-to-day needs to
support the family. With pervasive illiteracy, lack of skills and income
generation schemes, women bear the suffering silently. The poverty and
social attitudes (particularly among the men) provide very little or no
support at all for the literacy, education, health, skills development
and employment of women. The girl child is pulled out of school at the
very first opportunity. The project therefore has a focus on integrated
improvement in women and girl children of the village.
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| Village |
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| The Anand Bhavan project is being carried
out in Dumari village (Saran district) and is approximately
40 km northwest of Patna. Dumari is the birthplace of Sri Swami
Jyotirmayananda. |
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| Facility |
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This modern 3 story building was inaugurated on February
3, 2002. Designed by Swami Lalitananda, the facility has classrooms,
library, an office, a kitchen, a satsang room, a large play area, living
accomodation of all the teachers, cooks, a guard. The facility also
includes a small wading pool for the children for recreation during
those hot Indian summer months. |
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| Staff |
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| The staff consists of six qualified women teachers
(including one music teacher). The teachers have both academic and
spiritual background. In addition to the teachers, the staff consists of
two cooks and two helping hands (all women). One resident male
guard provides the security. The children also get a periodic physical
checkup from Dr. Pratibha Mishra from Delhi who frequents and oversees
the project. |
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| Girls School |
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Currently, the school is being run for about 65 girls
(ages 4-7). The girls are provided the with the best education which
also includes music, dance, yoga exercises. Spiritual and cultural
values are given particular emphasis. Every morning the school begins
with a prayer session and free nutricious breakfast and ends with a
hearty and free lunch. |
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| Literacy program |
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| Women, teenage girls make use of the facility
to avail of free literacy program. |
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| Vocational Training |
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Women are provided with free vocational
training. The objective is to provide women with income generating
skills. |
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| Music Classes |
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| Free music classes are provided at the
facility. |
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| Weekly Satsang |
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Every Friday evening, satsang is held for the benefit of
all women in the village. Participants enjoy the spiritual atmosphere
generated during the satsang. A large number of women participate each time.
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| How you can help |
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| Please contact Raju Pakalapati (raju@pakalapati.com)
if you would
like to help in this noble project. |
