Celebrating Women's Day at Asha Slum

This International Women’s Day, here is an acknowledgement to the wonderful efforts of some of the women from Asha communities. Their diligence and a strong desire to achieve something in life makes them stand out amongst others. These women have not just worked hard for their personal benefit, but have also contributed towards their community development in some way or the other.

Munni: A lady who challenged the fake societal norms

She lost her parents at a very tender age and was married off. Her marriage brought her to the Asha’s Chanderpuri slum colony. Living in a poverty-stricken orthodox family with an unemployed abusive husband, Munni thought of working outside several times but her in-laws never gave a nod to it. Therefore, she survived on the meagre amount she could pull from stitching clothes.

This was a time when the Asha team member found her confined amongst the four walls of her house. What she saw was a suppressed Munni fidgeting with a ball of wool on one corner of her bed. She was motivated and counselled to take a three months CHV-training at Asha.

From a docile homemaker to a confident and dedicated Community Health Volunteer at Asha, Munni has walked a long way. She not only started her career but life!

Presently, Munni is a SENSATION in her community. She counsels and motivates pregnant ladies for institutional delivery, accompanies them to the hospitals, does antenatal and postnatal care. She has no qualms in visiting the area-police, magistrate or any other government department; you name it and they know her. This is how she has transformed herself.

It was not a day’s deal; it took years for the Asha family and Munni to mould her family, society and make them believe that a woman can also help ‘run a family’.
“I used to hide under a layer of veils, but now I don’t think twice walking across the slum to help the needy. I was merely surviving earlier and now, I am actually living my life,” waves off Munni.

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