In my quest to show you India from my point of view I found these interesting.
India has some very strange practices and here are a few insights into recent news articles and one report from a staff member.
Raped as ‘Punishment’ for Brother’s eloping.
“Two Indian sisters ‘sentenced to be raped‘ and then paraded naked around the streets with their faces blackened in another example of India’s scandalous ‘village justice’
Two sisters in India – one aged only 15-years – are to be raped as “punishment” for their brother running away with a married woman from a higher caste.
Meena, who is 23, and her younger sister, will then be paraded naked with their faces blackened through the streets, according to a ruling from the all-male village council.
The family is from the Dalit caste, historically known as “untouchables”. However, the brother fell in love with a woman from the higher, Jat, caste.
Meena and her sister ran away to the capital after the ruling was handed out and were able to submit their petition for protection from their family at the Supreme Court. However, they are still facing the punishment when they return home.
“These kangaroo courts routinely order vile sexually violent punishments against women. They are only women.”
This shows one of the many reasons why RGI is so important. Trying to give girls a sense of self-worth when the above behavior is the norm is difficult but our staff does a tremendous job.
Paid to Poo: Combating open defecation in India
“Using a toilet is something most people take for granted-but about 1.1 billion people defecate in the open because they do not have access to proper sanitation.
India has now introduced a scheme to encourage young children to not defecate in locations other than designated toilet facilities…beside the road is no longer acceptable. This also means that the government will have to provide such locations.
The program is called, ‘Paid to Poo.’ The children will be paid to use the designated toilet facilities. The scheme is aiming to instill better toilet habits in children by ‘ paying them to poo.’ The major problem will be getting the adults to follow the same rules of the scheme.
Open defecation is a practice where people relieve themselves in fields, bushes, open-spaces, beside roads and into open bodies of water.
It poses a serious threat to the health of children. Hundreds of thousands of children die every year because of diseases transmitted through human waste.”
OK…good idea, but will it work??? Loren and I laughed out loud. A public restroom, excuse me, toilet, in India is the worst place on the face of the earth. Actually, one of the major parts of orientation at PBI and RGI is how to properly use the bathe and toilet facilities provided and keep them clean.
Another Hoop Staff has had to Jump Through for the Government
Nagesh wrote this unbelievable report:
“This is regarding one more experience that God gave me. We had applied for the approval of Computer trade but we did not get the approval to run this course. We sent e-mails and had given them everything that was needed and even a team had come to our Institute for the investigation of the requirements that is needed for the approval to start this course for one year. We thought that everything is fine. But unfortunately we got approval for only three trades run by State Government. Joy sent them emails and we paid visit to office in Nagpur but nothing worked so finally it was very urgent because we had no time left. So Snehal (Electrician teacher) and myself had to run to Mumbai to do this work.
It was difficult to get the train tickets for the 12-hour trip, but thank God we could manage it. We went on Sunday evening by train visited the office. We were very tired because we could not get proper sleep in the night in the train. We visited Government office and as usual we had to sit hours waiting for our turn. I used to get up from my sit and ask people to let us go inside the cabin to meet this Government officer but it was not that easy. Finally I had to request one lady to write our names and just put on his table so that he would know that we came all the way from Nagpur. Well, after that we still had to wait for another three hours.
When our turn came we went inside explained him everything but he was not that co-operative person. When I told him that we work for the needy, orphans and marginalized both boys and girls. He got very angry and gave us 15 minutes lecture uttering all kinds of words. I was shocked to listen to him. He was blaming and criticizing us. Frankly speaking I was boiling inside. We said to him that we are not like others who earn money by taking Orphans names but we do really work for these groups of people. We I understood that it is better to listen to him and just let God work in his heart. We both had prayed to God and team in Prakash also was praying for us. Finally after lot of explanation and showing all the necessary documents he said now the time is very limited but I will put up your case. He gave sign on the paper and we took that paper to another officer who again started asking many questions but then he said the work will be done. We thank God for this wonderful one more experience to work for his Kingdom.
Same night we came back to Nagpur by train. We reached Nagpur on Tuesday morning and I had to go again in the Charity Commissioners office for the change report at 11 am. It was very tiring but I am enjoying it. Love this ministry very much and also grateful to PAUSA for investing their lives and money for us.
I am so much grateful to God for he helped both Snehal and I to do this work and now our Computer students can sit for the exams.”
We are the thankful ones. To have staff members this dedicated is a blessing. Keep them in your prayers. As I have written before, the Government has been giving Prakash nothing but grief. Funds are so limited and the last things we need are unnecessary expenses. Strange thing is we have all brand new computers and software, so it was so wrong to have had this problem.
