SHANTIHASTKALA NEWSUPDATE

Jai Gurudev

The growth of SHK has recently gathered momentum and is growing in leaps and bounds around India and into other countries around the world such as Australia.

Here are some recent news updates of what has been happening plus some stories about the SHK team in Magod.

OUR PEOPLE PROFILE-SHK TEAM IN MAGOD- here are some of the Magod team that play a huge role in the development and success of SHK- report from Chideshwari-Magod

NITA has been with us for the last three years. Nita is 40yrs of age, a B.COM graduate and also has a degree in stitching. She is married to Dharmesh who is a devotee of Shanti Mandir. She lives in Amalsad which is a small town a one hour train journey from the ashram. She travels everyday to the ashram to serve and teach in SHK.

Nita has helped SHK reach the position it has reached today. She runs the stitching class in the ashram teaching the villagers to stitch and embroider. Another role Nita has is to travel to the villages teaching, supervising and coordinating the SHK team in accomplishing their final products.

Nita feels since coming to the ashram and being involved in SHK she is a lot more relaxed and positive. Through working in SHK she has felt the biggest change within herself. She feels this is from the ashram atmosphere which has become a very big part of her life.

Nita’s dream is that one day there will be 200 women working for SHK at the ashram. It is her dream to devote more time to teaching and supervising inside the ashram and spend less time in travel.

REKHA- is 32yrs of age and is married to Madhukar Patil, he is Shanti Mandir’s driver. They have two children and live in the ashram. Rekha has completed her schooling up to 10^th standard. Upon joining SHK she was already an accomplished stitcher.

Rekha has proved to have many talents. These include stitching, drafting, teaching and selling. She is one of SHK’s top saleswomen at Magod. Even though Rekha speaks very little English, she can somehow communicate with many different nationalities and is very effective in selling them the products. She is very hard working and also assists Nita in teaching in the stitching classes.

Rekha is very happy working for SHK. Initially it was difficult for her to settle into ashram life but now feels she has learnt a lot and a great inner change has taken place. The ashram has become her home. She loves living at the ashram and being in the presence of Gurudev whom has been a major influence in her life change.

FOUNDATION DAY TALKS: On the first of January 2009 the ashram celebrated the annual day or foundation day function.  Two villagers working with SHK were invited to share their experiences. Both women were comfortable and confident speaking in front of an audience of approximately three hundred people. The villagers present felt happy and proud that people from their village spoke from their side. Below Chideshwari relates their stories.

SEEMA has been with us from the day we started SHK four years ago. She had just delivered a baby boy and we were unsure if she would be able to work. Seema said to us “please give me work and I will not fail in my commitment”. She has worked extremely hard to fulfil her commitment to SHK.

 In the process Seema has learnt many different skills to make a variety of items including envelopes, photo frames, paper mache plates, paper lamps and much more. Learning to stitch is her latest new skill.

Seema is very happy working for SHK as she can work a few hours per day in between caring for her two sons and completing housework. The rupees she has consistently earned the last four years have helped support her family.

SARLA has been working with SHK for the last year. Initially she knew little about stitching and was also very timid. Gradually overtime Sarla has gained confidence by perseverance, patience and taking her time in stitching slowly and precisely under our guidance. Today she is one of our valued and very competent workers.

Sarla also fits in SHK work around her family and housework. The income earned through SHK work has been a boon for her family.