Smt. Bimla Devi
Smt Bimla is the ‘Pradhan’ of the Mahila Mandal in her village. She spearheaded the group’s formation in 1992 out of her interest in doing better for society. The group developed as the village needed a ‘Balbari’ to educate the small children. From a single balbari to four self-help groups, the Mahila Mandal has led many initiatives and helped a majority of the village.
Personal Development: Smt Bimla always had an interest in doing better for her community. She believes her biggest support was her husband, who supported her in every endeavor and gave her the courage to fight the system and people who stood in the way of her goals. She founded the Mahila Mandal so that she could gather larger support and help voice the concerns of the women of the village. Her lack of education did not stop her from pursuing her passion to help others. With the help of CORD, she quickly learned of the various responsibilities and initiatives the group could undertake. Earlier, she used to be a little intimidated by approaching the banks and government offices. However, with her husband’s and the community’s support, she gradually felt confident enough to approach them on her own. Her work was recognized in the community, and she had created a reputation for herself – a woman whose doors were always open to help others. Although independent, she did not shy away from taking her sister-in-law’s help to write applications to be submitted at the various government offices. She learned excellent stakeholder management as the Pradhan, as she had to meet everyone’s expectations and even bear her village people’s anger in infrastructure development. Her work for the community became so widespread that the local MLA and the agricultural committee recognized her.
Development Initiatives: Since Bimla did not know how to read or write, she always wanted the village’s children and women to be literate. She gave space in her house to start the Balbari and hired a teacher from her village to teach the kids. In 1998, she led the awareness drive for sanitation in the village. Her initiative succeeded, seeing nearly 70 more toilets constructed after the drive. The same year, she helped four single widows get the required pensions and worked with disabled children for benefits (for example, bus passes). One of the challenges the group faced initially was assisting a widow in reclaiming her rightful ownership of a shop from her brother-in-law. Following this, the group went on to organize drug rehabilitation programs and raided liquor shops. With the support of nearly 70 women, Smt Bimla fought against a corrupt system riddled with political influence, even when it got them in trouble with powerful forces. Their strong will did not deter them from their goals. They also addressed other village issues – settling legal disputes after marriage, getting handpumps for drinking water, setting up yuva manuals, and organizing sanitation and cleanliness drives.
