Extending a helping hand to those hit by flooding in Uttarakhand, NGO Sulabh International on Sunday decided to give Rs 1,000 per month to 300 more families of Deoli-Bramhagram area, from where at least 57 men went missing giving it a tag of "village of widows".
Deoli-Bramhagram panchayat, which is about seven kilometres from Guptkashi, has six villages.
On August 1, the NGO had adopted the area to help rebuild lives of its 191 devastated residents.
Women and elderly members of a family had got Rs 2,000 per month from the organisation, which also gave Rs 1,000 to each child of a family.
Today, the NGO decided to give Rs 1,000 per month to 300 more families of six villages in the area.
Uttarakhand's Deoli-Bhanigram attained the infamous tag after massive devastation in Kedarnath valley in June this year.
Deoli-Bhanigram gram sabha lost its menfolk on June 17 when a glacial lake burst and flooded the Valley, rendering 34 women widows. Most of the men used to work around Kedarnath shrine to earn their livelihood.
Sulabh Sanitation Movement founder Bindeshwar Pathak launched a vocational training programme today for them in the village in Guptkashi under Rurdaprayag district.
The NGO opened training centre for the women, most of whom are widows, and few married girls in village. 12 computers and 25 sewing equipments have been arranged for local villagers.
The Sulabh founder visited the village to launch various programmes for employment of local people.
Vocational training in candle making, sewing, making diya-batti is being given to them beside giving them basic education and making them computer literate.
Pathak urged business houses to adopt at least one village of this devastated state.
For their livelihood, the people of Ukhimath Tehsil depend on the religious tourism in Kedarnath. A total of 440 lodges and shops in the Tehsil were destroyed on June 16 and 17.
Six months of peak religious tourism used to provide men from the area enough to sustain their families for a year and save some money.
With the prospects of religious tourism at Kedarnath dimming, the residents of the Tehsil have been left in the lurch.
Pathak while launching vocational training programme for this village says employment has become a challenge to the residents. The entire population was dependent on Kedarnath for livelihood, and the tragedy has affected every individual in some way or the other, he says.
"We do not want the village to get a tag of Village of Widows. We want it to become Model Village. Now, we will take care of their needs. We will impart vocational training to widows and ensure proper education to the kids," Pathak said.
"Whatever is possible to mitigate the sufferings of these hapless women, Sulabh will try its best. We have always helped people in distress, and in this instance of Himalayan Tsunami, our efforts will match the magnitude of the devastation," the Sulabh founder said.
"The monthly relief given by us will not bring cheer to them but at least give them a source to run their families, the initial amount of Rs 2,000 per month will be paid for next five years. We have decided to aid the rehabilitation of the women, so they can get the threads of life back together."
Sulabh has recently set up 'Sulabh Hope Foundation' to serve the widows in India under which all the widows of Vrindavan and Varanasi have been adopted.
The NGO has also decided to impart training to these women on the lines of its efforts for widows of Vrindavan and Varanasi.
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