:: USM National Awards ::

A VOICE OF THE VOICELESS
Sr. Dorothy Beck CSJ
                                               

At present Sr. Dorothy Beck is the directress of Nav Ankur Manav Kalayan Sanstha, Ashta. She has about 23 years of experience in the development sector and working in grass- root level with the marginalized especially the rural women. She has the capacity to organizing programmes with the people enable them to take decisions. She has the daring spirit  to get in to the messiness of the society, ready to take risks and initiatives in the adverse and unjust situations. She is responsible for planning , implementation, monitoring and evaluation of  various projects for the people.

She gives empowerment and information dissemination to the women;  especially to the women representative in the Panchayati Raj institutions. She creates intrest in the poor and discriminated people of the society for change and development.  She organized the displaced people Siddhique Ganj  to fight for their livelihood and  obtain their basic needs from the government. She helped fishermen to create a  registered cooperative sociecty for  fishing in the same pond from which they were displaced. She achieved this great success through her perseverance and determination. Allegations of many kind did not spare her but all the same,  more  were  her admires.   She struggled with the Nihal tribes for their right for land which enabled them to obtain patta or license for ownership.  Keeping in mind eradication of poverty many people were helped to come out of it before they were mortgaged  their land to meet their needs and survival.

“I cannot leave my people in between, I have brought them to the fore front and now I cannot withdraw” was the reply of Dorothy in the midst of allegations and discouragements from officials and people with vested intrested. She influnced the government officials for better implementation of developmental activities in the villagers. Her involvement made them more  responsible and accountable.  

On the occasion of international women’s day we are happy that we are blessed by a dynamic woman , Dorethy Beck. She has played an important role to transform the world by her femine qualities of sensitivity and concern for others. On this day it is fitting to salute an excellent role model who is the voice of the voiceless.
 
Universal Solidarity Movement envisions a society based on justice, freedom, fraternity and human dignity. It promote people who stand for values and work to build a civilization of love. Every year  an award is given to a best woman social worker for her outstanding contribution to the society.  The award function was organized in the USM hall Indore. The ceremony was started with an inter religious prayer including readings from many religious scriptures. The uniqeness of this gathering was that many distingushed guests from the city  and women from the villages where Sr. Dorothy is working were present.  This year this award was presented by another empowered women Dr. Manjushree BhadariDirector Arubindo Medical College,  Indore. Appreciating the work that is done by sister she said that “From  stones, dimonds are polished and taken. The women representatives who spoke of their achievement proved that they are not less than anybody and are real dimonds for the society. Sr. Dorothy Beck was given the award  in the presence of many distinguished guests and well wishers on 8th March 2011 . It included a memento,  a certificate of merit and cash award of Rs. 5001/-

USM NATIONAL AWARD FOR THE OUTSTANDING WOMAN SOCIAL WORKER

Dr.Jaya Peter from Bhopal was chosen to receive the USM national award for the  outstanding woman social worker  for the year 2009. She was honoured in a specially arranged public meeting to the mark the International Woman’s Day on 4th March 2009. Governor Rotary International Rtn. Alok Billore presented the award to Dr.Jaya. Dr. Janak Palta Macligian, Daya Bai and Sr.Ann Felicie were some of the receipients of USM award in the past.  A profile of Dr.Jaya Peter is given below:

Jaya Peter has two avatars, she is a scientist and a social worker and her uniqueness lies in that when she is in each of her avatars, she is fully there, working with her head and heart, fully professional and fully woman. As a bioscientist she has 34 learned papers to her credit, we understand; which have been published in various national and international journals. Research is time consuming and needs all of one’s intellectual faculties to think, understand, apply and draw fresh conclusion. No doubt Dr. Jaya enjoys her intellectual excursions into unchartered territories, but. How do such exotic creatures, like Dr. Jaya, recreate themselves, one wonders? Games, liking, music perhaps. Not Jaya her’s is totally different. She is a social worker. She runs an NGO called Sneh Parivar. Here she becomes her second avatar and is all woman and mother.

Sneh Parivar is an-evening school for slum and street children from 3 to 25-years of ago. They get free education from 5pm to 8.30pm. The classes are conducted with the help of former students who themselves have became teachers. All the teachers are from the slums. All can attend, though girls re given preference and drop-outs are an integral part of the program. Many girls benefit from this program, who, otherwise would never have bad the chance to become literate. The classes have interesting side benefits too; education makes them more eligible for marriage, for one thing, and the incidence of child marriage decreases. Besides, the awareness program which is part of the education, results in better personal and environmental cleanliness. The children become less susceptible to sickness and as a whole the slum premises are better maintained.

The project has grown, she now runs classes for more than 200 children and 50 rag- pickers. The relationship and the intimacy with the children, took this young, dynamic young woman into the lives of more than a thousand families in different slums. To-day she is a member of their families and is generally called ‘deedi’.

Jaya runs the show all by herself, with some part-time volunteers. She does not have any funding agency supporting her efforts. She runs the classes in her own house and shares part of her scholarship to pay the expenses of the work.

When informed of various government programs which can provide her financial aid, she replied, “Often many officers from agencies visit the slums and treat the people like guinea pigs….. Even if they are given help, they are not given the dignity. Hence I am very slow to approach any agency.”

The children in the slums have made tremendous progress. Regular visits to the homes of the children help the workers to interact with the family and know their problems. “We get a real-life picture of their home situation and understand their difficulties, so we can help them according to their need.” They are now healthy and clean. Regular medical check-ups are done and children are made aware of the importance of good hygiene and nutrition. Their cultural programs, on the annual day, are of high quality.

In addition to the slum project, Jaya cares for old and abandoned people seen at times on the roadside. They are takes care of, given medical treatment, and admitted to a hospice when cured. Some are fully bed-ridden and have reached the last stage of their life. Jaya and her band of helpers are their guardian angels.

The Universal Solidarity Movement which envisions a society which is person-oriented and value-based, looks for persons who can be role models for the members of the Movement, to enthuse them to emulate persons who stand for values and work for building a society based on Love, Justice and Peace.

To-day, Women’s Day is the occasion when a valiant woman like Dr. Jaya Peter who has quietly transformed our would by her feminine concern and sensitive interventions can be saluted as an excellent role model for not just the members of the USM, but for all Indian women.

SM National Award for the Best Woman Social Worker for the year 2010

On the occasion of International Women's Day, an award ceremony was organized by the Universal Solidarity Movement of Value Education for Peace, to honour the best Woman Social Worker for the year 2010 on 7th March at the National office of USM, Indore.  Mrs. Rekha Rajput from Sagar was chosen to receive the USM National Award.   Dr Janak Palta McGilligan, Daya Bai, Sr Ann Felicie and Dr Jaya Peter were  the past recipients of this USM award.

Mrs. Rekha Rajput started fighting for justice for the poor the marginalized from within her own family and resolved to contribute her mite to nation building. She is now the directress of "Shram Shakti Mahila Seva Sansthan" an NGO that organizes women and rural development works. Today she has a staff of 150 people and has many projects funded by the government or non-governmental organizations. She net-works with over 10 lakh labourers in seven districts of M.P.

Mrs. Rekha Rajput believes in a proactive life. Instead of waiting for opportunities, she creates   them by taking initiatives and goes ahead courageously. She is a social worker with a difference, who believes in deeds rather than words. She dreams of a just society in which every citizen will enjoy equality, freedom and equal opportunities.

The chief guest, Rotarian Nalini Langer handed over the prestigious USM award memento, Dr. K.S Parmar IAS (Rtd) the presiding officer presented the award citation and the Guest of Honour Dr Janak Palta McGilligan handed over the cheque of Rs.5001 to Mrs. Rekha Rajput.  She  expressed her heart felt gratitude to USM for the event organized to honour her with great care, love and acceptance.  She also thanked the media for their presence which would carry news to every corner of  the society.

Kunnath Purohit, the Director of USM, welcomed the guests and explained the purpose of the award function. While Ms. Neetu Joshi was the M.C., Mr. Gyanendra Purohit proposed the vote of thanks.

The Universal Solidarity Movement is a proactive response to corruption, violence, fundamentalism and  Deterioration of values in society.  It is person oriented and value based and looks for persons who can be role models for the members of the Movement, to encourage them to stand for values and work to build a society based on Love, Justice and Peace.

Women’s Day is the occasion when valiant women like Mrs. Rekha Rajput, who has transformed society and empowered the oppressed by her hard work and sensitive interventions, can be an excellent role model for all to imitate.