2003 was a landmark year for CHRSW. Towards the end of this year the organization picked up some very important issues and started working on them with new enthusiasm and vigour. Winters that started with in 2003 were drizzling, became very cold and cruel to poor specially those who did not have any roof over their heads Jaipur has over 50 thousand footpath dwellers Night shelters provided by Nager Nigam were not enough for all the homeless people. To top it all, beds and blankets there were dirty with bed bugs and lice. Though night shelters had portions for males and females but had same entrance for both. This fact prevented many women to enter into night shelters. Nagar Nigam authorities were contacted for providing more and better facilities to homeless. Women’s problems were also discussed.
(A) Mahila Sneh Ashray —
That very time idea of a shelter for destitute women was born and efforts started to make it a reality. In a Nagar Nigam building ‘Mahila Sneh Ashray’ started on 31st March 2004 with six destitute women who were forced to leave their homes due to domestic violence, widowhood, natural calamities etc. Shelter ran till the end of that year 49 women were benefited by it, 19 out of them lived there continuously and six were reunited with their families. Many children also lived ther with their mothers. Some women were helped to get health and pre-natal checkups. Three women delivered their babies there. One was brought with a new born.
Manju deaf homeless women got checkup in SMS hospital and was given hearing aids. Kesar an old and nearly blind women was helped to take eye treatment in hospital.
A girl belong to Delhi-Mona Fazli-minor on footpath in Jaipur on receiving the information CHRSW no stone unturned and untried ultimately efforts, to get the culprits brought to book.
(B) Work on other issues of Homeless —
Besides running ‘Mahila Sneh Ashray’, CHRSW also took up other issues of ‘homeless’ people. Footpath Panchayats were formed to organize footpath dwellers. Seeing the forth coming elections Election Commissioner of the Rajasthan was contacted to help foot path dwellers enjoy their voting rights. Over 1437 names were given to be entered into voters’ lists. Out of them over 784 names got into the list. Organization also contacted District Collector Jaipur for getting pensions for old persons, widows and physically challenged. But due to limitation of govt. rules this mission could not get desired success. Some persons could get old age pension. 112 disabled ones were helped to get wheel chairs.
Many poor men women and children have been helped to get medical treatment. One woman Laxmi who come from Andhra Pradesh had a tumor in her stomach was operated in SMS Medical College Hospital Jaipur. Four mentally challenged women have also got treatment with the help of CHRSW Manju deaf homeless women got checkup in SMS hospital and was given hearing aids Kesar an old and nearly blind women was helped to take eye treatment in hospital.
(C)‘Garima Samwad’ —
Around 60-65 Muslim families known as Dholakiyas from Barabanki of U.P lived near Jaipur railway station in Jhuggis. A high profile travel agency wanted to park its buses where these people were living. First it was rumored that these people were from Bangladesh. When this lie could not sustain a evening newspaper was used for blackening the image of these Dholakiyas. The newspaper said that men of this settlement were thieves and women were involved in prostitution. When these Dholakiyas knew what was written about them in the evening daily they all sat together and wept. Then girls were warned not to step out of their Jhuggis.
On knowing their CHRSW organized a Garima Samwad. All the neighboring shop keepers, people who lived in nearly houses and people from the Railway police station Jaipur of that area were present in the meeting. None of the people agreed with what was written in the evening daily. Police station had not received any complaint of this sort. Dholakiyas heaved a Sigh of relief when news of this ‘Garima Samwad’ appeared in other news papers. Now these Dholakiya families have been allotted houses in Palri Meena Village, 17 Kms away from Jaipur.
(D) Study of Nutritional Level of Homeless —
CHRSW also conducted a survey of 150 footpath dwellers to study the nutritional level of these people and prepared a document .Many startling facts were discovered because of this survey.
(E) Rehabilitation of Homeless Families —
With our effort 114 homeless families have got small houses under ‘Mission Basera’ Scheme of Government of Rajasthan .and 506 plots have been allotted to such people. They are making efforts to setups their homes after spending decades on footpaths in Jhuggis under tents or even sky.
(F) Study of Single Homeless Women —
A study of 83 destitute women living on footpaths was conducted by our organization. It was discovered that these women were continuously sexually exploited.
They had to bear children whose fathers refuse to accept them and nobody helps these women to bring up these children. This study was presented to State government and media. We have marked 8 such locations.
We are making efforts to help them. Nine such women have been rehabilitated.
For empowerment of women we conduct meetings to make them aware of their legal rights. We have also conducted consoling sessions for victims of domestic violence with their husband and in-laws.
To make women economically independent we have been trying to involve them in income generation activities. We have organized training programmes of:-
dari making
Needle work
We conducted signature campaign with first signature of honorable Pratibha Patil for rehabilition of destitute homeless women then governor of Rajasthan. (Now President of India)
Governor of Rajasthan honorable Pratibha Patil signing a banner for starting a signature campaign to help rehabilitation of homeless destitute women.