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Madhu, a spirited resident of Jogipur is a social worker with Gramin Punarnirman Sansthan (GPS) and an independent and resilient woman who embodies constitutional values of Fraternity and Freedom. Her passion for social work burns brightly as she impacts countless families across various villages in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Madhu’s mission centres on the empowerment, education, and health of women.
After her participation in the Samvidhan se Samadhan training with We, The People Abhiyan (WTPA), inspired, Madhu has decided to infuse her monthly meeting with the essence of the Constitution. The meetings begin with either a song or reciting the preamble, followed by a discussion of the constitutional rights and values.
During one such meeting, Madhu encountered Noorjahan, who was very hesitant to come to the meetings or bring up her issues. Finally, one day she came to the meeting and disclosed that she had not got her dues for 10 days under the MGNREGA scheme and was missing her employment card. She was afraid to file any kind of complaint, she feared being scrutinised by the authorities. Noorjahan turned to the group for solutions. Some of the women present stood up and assured Noor that they were there for her. Together, a call was made to file the complaint and they were informed of the documents they would require. Post this, all the women went back to Noor’s house and looked for the relevant documents such as her employment card and account details. Within 14 days of filing the complaint Noor received her dues. This experience transformed her into an active participant in the meetings and endowed her with confidence to deal with the authorities.
Madhu firmly believes that people better grasp values when they relate to their daily lives. To illustrate this she often refers to Article 21 -Right to Life. In one of her meetings, the participants shared a troubling issue: those with ration cards were being shortchanged by 2 kg per card. Madhu took the opportunity to educate them. She explained to them that access to food is a part of their Right to Life and not a daan (charity) by the authorities. Madhu was able to encourage individuals to go and demand their 5-kg ration. Through her guidance, she also assisted a woman in obtaining her ration card and adding her name to the list.
Madhu encourages others to practise values such as Fraternity in their lives. She empowers others to address their grievances independently, ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to do the same in her absence. Working with GPS she has worked to get people together, encouraging them to contribute financially to help those unable to bear the cost of the trip to the tehsil (a local administrative division) for registering under government employment schemes.
Madhu’s daily life is a testament to the values of Fraternity and Freedom. She believes in fostering a sense of community, to ensure that those living in the area can rely on one another in times of need. Her work in the field is not just a job to her but a way of practising freedom and continuing learning.
Madhu reflects that she has found more confidence in her work; earlier she would fear that someone could complain against the work that she does. But now she comes from a more informed place and knows her work holds value.
With her unwavering dedication and a better understanding of rights and values, Madhu continues to empower almost 1500 individuals to come forth and fight their battles.
The above story has been written and published with the explicit consent of the individual involved. All facts presented are based on WTPA's direct interaction with the individual, ensuring accuracy and integrity in our reporting.
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