Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11
Women Aid
In MouIdinq
: lew India

w w - b
Mrs. Bh1dra ". Desai of
Bombay, India, iDlo ,DGs here
last iDeek Nth a group OF
social Dorkers from many
countries, is also a Journalist
and visited The Star to learn
something about the Dork OF
American newspaper tDonlen.
Before leGDing. she sat doton
and t0rote the following to
describe the lDelfGre work In
dian toon1en are doing through
organizations for volunteers.
Today, the modern woman in
India is certainly getting out Of
the traditional confines Of her
home. More than ever before
there is a growing realization
that she has a definite part to
play in molding a new India.
After all, due to increasing edu-
cational facilities and the well
come encouragement given her
by our constitution to enter al
most any field of public respon-
sibility. she has opportunity to
prove her. mettle.
India, as is well known, is a
very large country, with her
frontiers spreading out north
wards to the eternally snow
capped Himalayas and south
wards to Cape Comorin very
near the equatorial belt. An
underdeVeloped region full of
contrasts. it has resources full
Of deep wisdom of the ages and
presents also scenes Of low hv-
ing standards.
Our cities are we'll developed
and it is the city woman who
has been active in organizing
her kind for welfare work. Most
social workers belong to the
voluntary group and their duties
are connected more with the
human aspect rather than the
technical and administrative
side. Preventive health measures
and general education for citi-
zenship are amongst the common
problems that the social worker
is called upon to tackle.
In India social work is assum-
ing important proportions be-
cause we have discovered that
the best way of living up to
the ideals of democracy is by
enabling our people to lead
fuller lives and improve their
standards in every way.
The trained professional social
worker is almost indispensable,
but right now whilst we are in
stage of building up our serv-
ices the volunteer considerably
supplements and also co-ordi-
mates various needs of the COM
. munity.
We have in Bombay several
well knit women's organizations
whose members do valuable case
work through their various COM
mittees. Since rates Of literacy
have been low, adult education
with an emphasis on civics has
engaged the attention of many
volunteers.
Our labor welfare squads have
literacy classes where the volun-
~teer undertakes to make the
industrial worker not only liter
ate, but chats with him about
many new happenings in the city
and the world outside. She tells
him how necessary it is to keep
his surroundings clean, informs
him about the free municipal
schools for his children and the
free preventive vaccinations
supplied to keep him from falling
Ill.
Then there is the story Of a
worker in a home for delinquent
children. We find that most OF
our boys committed to certified
schools by juvenile courts are
not creating trouble, but are in
some acute trouble themselves.
Besides the actual psychiatric,
recreational and vocational serv-
ices provided by the institution,
the volunteer helps much in
making these neglected children
part Of the community outside.
She collects baskets of fruits
and candies, parcels of maya
zines and old books and distrib-
utes them to these boys. Taking
them out on picnics and visits
to fun fairs and exhibitions
makes the children realize that
people outside are willing to un-
derstand them. But a most prof.
table role that a volunteer can
play is in finding suitable en-
ployment for boys trained for
special crafts once they are re-
leased from the certified schools.
The voluntary social worker
also aids the poor and middle
class women to earn little in
come by part-time work. Indus
trial classes for handicrafts are
organized and the sale of work
certainly helps to supplement
low incomes.
Institutions for the blind, the
physically handicapped and the
mentally defective are increas-
ing and the volunteer helps in
many ways by regular attend
ance and the fulfilling of special
responsibilities entrusted to her
Youth organizations and child
ren's clubs like the Balkan il
Bari-a movement which means
q children's garden - provide
many avenues for community
participation. The Balkan ji-Bari
is an all-India organization
bringing various groups of child
rem between the ages Of 4 and