OUR LAST MAHILA MANDAL VISIT

Jogipur's Mahila Mandal Listening Intently

Rusheel Nayak

The Mahila Mandal in the village of Jogipur was not as advanced as yesterday’s.  After waiting for some time, the women began to sing Bajaans (devotional songs).  After listening to the songs, we spoke to the women about America.  Like all the prior Mahila Mandal groups, this group was amazed it took one whole day to get from India to America.  We showed them the world map in comparison to a map of the United States to show them where we lived in comparison to Bharat (India).  They all felt honored we had come all this way just to meet and interact with them.  We also discussed topics of hygiene and sanitation with this group.  We talked about the importance of washing hands, especially under the fingernails after returning from the fields.  Also, we discussed the importance of covering food in the house, so that flies do not settle on the food and spread diseases.  The women listened readily and agreed our suggestions were important.  This Mahila Mandal group was formed much more recently, and as a result, it had not yet reaped the benefits yesterday’s Mahila Mandal has seen.  However, over time, this Mahila Mandal is expected to be just as successful as the one we saw yesterday.

After the Mahila Mandal visit, we went to Amarjyoti Babba’s Ashram.  We met the Babba, spent time with him briefly, received his Prasad and blessings, and then returned to the CORD center.

Meera Parat

Today we went to a village called Jogipur. After sitting for a long time in the Mahila Mandal, we got to introduce ourselves. We talked to them about health and hygiene, and they seemed to be aware of most of the facts we mentioned. They told us about their daily routine, and in a nutshell, the women in these families do all the work except for making and handling the money. They do so much that it's unbelievable! In this specific Mahila Mandal, they don't do sewing, weaving, or embroidery in their Self-Help Groups. Instead they make money from selling foods. That was a major difference between these women and all the previous women we met before. After this meeting, we set off to Amarjyoti Babba’s Ashram. There, we walked around the grounds, and ended up him. We were able to get Prasad and then go back to the CORD center.


Sonali Nayak

The women in Jogipur were very interested in our daily lives and America. We told them that our families tried to preserve Indian culture in America and that the kids were learning about India and Hinduism through Chinmaya Mission. We talked about hygiene, but the women reassured us that they regularly washed their hands, brushed their teeth, and covered their food. The women wanted us to sing and dance. To encourage us, some women began to dance for us, but our group was too shy!