Jamuna Patra is quite happy today. Her daughter Sushree Sangita completed her diploma in computer engineering this year and recently got admitted into a premier educational institute in Bhubaneswar to pursue her degree engineering course. She hopes to see Sushree emerge as a high skilled professional.
Ms Jamuna’s neighbour Sulochana Patra is also equally ecstatic as her daughter Nandini is doing exceedingly well in her engineering course. There are dozens of such women in Kalinga Nagar who, until yesterday, would lead wretched life in their villages that were acquired by the state government for setting up a steel hub. Ms Jamuna and her neighbours whose land were acquired by Tata Steel were rehabilitated at Tirjanga. They were given plots to construct buildings with 24-hour supply of water and electricity houses. But what actually changed their life is knowledge. They were made to learn a a few trade tricks on how to earn money on their own strength and add to the family income.
They were organised in self-help-group models and were christened as Tejaswinis.
With each group having around 15 members, the Tejaswinis have emerged as agents of socio-economic changes in their locality.
“Now we are taking decision on our own about future of our children. I decided to give engineering education to by daughter while her father was not interested for it. He wanted to see Sushree, like other girls in the area, studied up to matriculation and then got married,” says Ms Jamuna.
The Tejaswinis come to the group centre at around 11 am after finishing their household chores and work till late afternoon. They prepare various food items like badhi (rice-balls) and handicrafts which are sold in local markets and very often procured by state government agencies like Orissa Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS).
“These women, who would not think they could do anything beyond their household chores, now appear quite enterprising. Each of them has now a bank account and they have safe good sums,” say Bijoylaxmi Patra, programme manager.
The road was not so easy. In the beginning, the women were reluctant to step out of their houses and get engaged in the works they are doing today. “We had to interact with them frequently and convince them about forming groups and do some productive works to add to the family’s income. They finally agreed and today they realise the value and dignity of their labour,” adds Jayanta Kumar Padhi, senior manager, corporate affairs, Tata Steel.
Eighteen-year-old Seema Patra, who was trained in the garment making unit at Tirjanga rehabilitation colony, has recently set up her own stitching centre and earns around `10,000 a month.