Manual Scavengers in Alwar to Fashion Designers in New York
Scavenger women from Rajasthan participating in fashion show in New York
A group of scavenger women from a town in Rajasthan called Alwar sashaying down the ramp with leading supermodels in New York? Thirty seven women who, a few years ago earned their living by cleaning dry latrines and carrying night soil in containers on their head, now attending events and speaking at the United Nations headquarters? Unbelievable??
This has been made possible by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak and his organization Sulabh International Social Service Organization. He decided to liberate these women of their stigma and train them in vocations like food processing, tailoring, embroidery and beauty treatments. Thus was born the programme called Nai Dishayein (New Directions) in 2003. Now these women can walk with their head held high and hold conversations with heads of state without feeling any inferiority due to birth and circumstances. Read more about the remarkable story of Dr. Pathak and the success of his initiative in the Women’s Feature Service article available in an interesting Nepal publication called Gorkhapatra here.
Also, you can find more about Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak and the work his NGO Sulabh International has done to deal with issues like hygiene and sanitation, among others by visiting their website: http://www.sulabhinternational.org/
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September 18th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
This is truly inspiring. Thank you, a million times over, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, and Ms . Parekh.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Dear Courtney, Thank you very much for your comment and appreciation.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
This is nothing but just a gimick to himself popular.
As what I feel that these so called social workers just show their concern in public but in real life they do not follow the same.
Even I feel it would its a shame and disguting situation for these slum females going on ramp.
September 11th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Nice Stuffs. I will keep visiting this very often.I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading your feed for today’s fashion.
March 11th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
to Aditya,
there is no need for the social workers who wish to better the conditions of these women, to have experienced their lives in order to do good. The caste system is an abomination and a stain on the entire Indian nation. I suggest you pray to your god every night that you are not reborn as one of these ‘females’ as you call them and consider that a mere accident of birth means you are not one of them in this life either….I wish it was possible for all the ‘lower caste’ workers to be able to strike for month, then we would see just how valuable their work is and how badly we would manage without them. Remember also, that however well respected you feel there is always someone else who looks down on you with contempt!