SWAVLAMBAN MAKING WOMEN SELF RELIANT

“It is a landmark in the history of St Thomas School, Mandir Marg, New Delhi, as through Swavlamban an outreach programme, we are not only making the women self reliant, we are building a community. We have been in the education ministry for decades and on further deliberations and discussions amongst ourselves how to reach out to the wider society, we decided that the school infrastructure can be used after the school timings for furthering and building the women in and around the school slums. Hence this is a just a small initiative on part of the school. It is a step further in reaching out to the neighborhood. On survey beauty culture, English conversation, Computer and adult literacy were the areas identified, said Mrs. Anuradha Amos, Principal, St. Thomas School. She was speaking at the inauguration of the Community Outreach Programme “Swavlamban”, on May 1, 2009 at the Helen Jerwood Auditorium.

St. Thomas’ School was established by Miss Helen Jerwood in 1930 for educating girl child. She started under a peepal tree with just one student. Today it is a pioneer institution educating the girl child. Following her footsteps, the school today has blossomed as a premier institution of great repute, committed to the cause of education and empowerment of the young girls. The school strongly believes in the ethics of nurturing the neighborhood and caring for the community around thus an initiative to start the Community Outreach Programmed “Swavlamban” a vocational training center. The centre would function in the school premises, imparting skills which will go a long way in enabling them to take on the world with greater self-esteem and confidence.

At the outset, the programme was inaugurated by The Rt. Rev. Sunil Kumar Singh, Bishop, Diocese of Delhi. While congratulating the school authorities for this initiative he said, that the human beings are made in the image of god yet there is so much discrimination of all kinds in the world. The school with a motto, Light to Lighten and with an ambition Ignited to Empower has started to programme which will not only build the women, through them a home and society at large. St. Thomas’ School has always been a role model school.

Mrs. C Manoharan, Manager, St. Thomas’ School, while sharing the vision, briefed the gathering about the history of the school and the programme.

The students of St. Thomas’ School presented a song, skit and dance giving a glimpse of women empowerment.

Rev. Mrs. Shirley Lall and Mrs Madhu Kapoor are the Project Incharge, under whose dynamic leadership “Swavlamban” (self reliant) has heralded to build the lives of many.