07 Mar Will I be able to deal these thirty girls?
When I first saw them in our office, I was excited as well as nervous. I was excited because I was about to start something. Something very new for those girls and above all for myself which I had never done anything like this before. Every single face was new to me. The very first question that struck my mind that moment was, ‘will I be able to deal these 30 girls?’ and at the same moment somewhere in my mind I also answered myself, ‘yes I can and I have to’. Joining SAATH as a project coordinator was an exultant moment for me as I knew I will get to learn new things.
Danfe being a project to provide livelihood for girls affected by earthquake gives many life changing opportunities to the beneficiaries. We have been providing tailoring facilities and informal education as well as conducting workshops and interactive sessions for our beneficiaries. Working with them for past 1 year has given me an entirely new experience. Each and every one of them was from different background and each of them has a different story to tell. Few of them did not even know how to use a tailoring machine. It was their learning attitude and their spirit that made happen what they are doing today.
I feel tremendously happy to see how Danfe girls have evolved as a better person. Learning at Danfe was not just confined to tailoring rather it provided them opportunities to involve in creative and innovative activities. After getting them indulged in various extra activities and workshops, there was development in their personality and behavior. Many of them have become outspoken and involve actively in group activities.
Our pledge to help them get through their emotional and psychological trauma with the help of psycho-social counseling has also proved to be effective in minimizing their tensions. They say they can fearlessly share their personal problems with their counselor without a fear of being judged. Through another component of theatre and drama training, beneficiaries have become more involved and extrovert. They can talk freely in front of a group now. Moreover, they have become more ambitious and serious about achieving their goals. I could see that they have become smarter and they have a strong will to support their family after completion of tailoring training. As the project coordinator for Danfe, seeing those girls complete their training and become independent is a true moment of pride for me.
Besides the work that I do at SAATH, this one year has given me very good mentors and friend at office. For me SAATH is more than just a work place and works I do here is something I really enjoy doing. I have always worked in a team with people who have positive attitude towards their work and this spirit has helped me a lot in moving ahead. Working at SAATH since 1 year has been a good learning experience for me.
Experience sharing by Ramila Maharjan (Project Coordinator – Danfe) after one year with SAATH