As we march along on our mission to empower women, the faces change—the stories remain. These incidents, anecdotes inspire us to work harder, to aid as many as we can and become forces of change. Here are some that show our service is bringing fruits.
Anju’s story— of having two daughters
It was a scorching afternoon in June 2019 and volunteers of Youth Veerangnayen were marching the streets of Prem Vihar in Delhi.
Watching from afar, Deepak, a resident of Prem Vihar, was in his car pressing the horn non-stop, waiting for the horde of volunteers to pass. He then rolled down his car window and asked the women to step aside for the car to pass. That was when he and his wife in the front seat heard the slogans:
“गर्भ में पल रही बेटी कर रही है चीख पुकार,
हिम्मत है तो माँ मुझे पैदा कर के मार|”
(Translation: The daughter growing in the womb cries, ‘Mother, if you’re courageous, kill me after you have given birth to me.’)
Hearing this, Deepak’s wife, Anju’s face dropped. Crying, she asked her husband to take her back to their home. When YV volunteers talked to them, they found out that Deepak and Anju were pregnant with a daughter. After having a 5-year old daughter already, they were going to abort their second female child. But, Anju had a change of heart after listening to the slogans. After a while, they gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who is now very loved and treasured.
Slowly but surely, our work is bringing change. Although female infanticide continues to be rampant in India, we continue to educate the masses and crusade against this immoral practice.
How Jyoti’s life turned 180 degrees
In December 2019, volunteers of Youth Veerangnayen organized a street play portraying the ill-effects of addiction in Devigarh. Jyoti Rani, a resident of this village in Patiala district of Punjab, was impressed and she came up to the volunteers aftwards.
She then started narrating the ordeal at her home. Jyoti told us her husband, who was a school bus driver, consumed alcohol worth the money he earned during the day. Not only that, but he also consumed other intoxicants and stimulants. As a result, the condition of her house had worsened to a point where she had become a victim of thrashings and beatings.
Hearing this, our volunteers took it upon themselves to talk to Jyoti’s husband and educate him on how his lifestyle could have nasty consequences on his health and family. In addition, our volunteers got him medicines, motivated him to do yoga and counseled him for a short period.
We also taught Jyoti sewing in the nearby free sewing center run by YV volunteers. After about 6 months, when we arrived at the same village, we saw how Jyoti’s life had changed for the better.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse continues to affect millions in the country. We raise our voice to help the addicted and their suffering families change their lives.
Nisha’s story of becoming a breadwinner and inspiring many more!
In Kaithal (Haryana), Nisha Puri was struggling to find ways to help her family’s situation. Even after polio rendered her partially diabled, she had not given up. To support her ailing father and younger siblings, she was convinced by Youth Veerangnayen volunteers to learn sewing.
In a few months, Nisha became a tailor after learning to sew at the local stitching center run by our volunteers. Gradually, she began to earn a living and support her family by stitching clothes for locals. Today she is a proud breadwinner. She continues to serve as an inspiration for other girls learning sewing at our centers. Several women who looked up to her have started making a living on their own.
Yet, our work to empower remains less than accompanied. Millions of women in the country are in need of the support our volunteers provide.