Hurdles give way to HOPE
It was around 6.30 pm on 12th June 2008 when the village federation leaders of Daraga village under Bhuj Taluka were on their way back from Nadapa village after their Cluster federation meeting. They were four (Bachiben Ramesh, Jenaben Hussain, Benaben Rava and Halimaben Budha) and they never expected that the sudden and heavy rain would washout the only bridge connectivity to their village which was very old and weak. The heavy water flow from the broken bridge did not allow the women to pass to the opposite side. Unfortunately they had to go back to Nadapa centre and stay there for the night. The only discussion in the next few village federation meeting was on the same issue of broken bridge. Even the village sarpanch Mrs. Dahiben Ahir was also called for the meeting held in the month of October. The sarpanch and the members of the panchayat said that it is not that easy to get the works done in government and we are trying our level best. The federation leader decided that this is the time to prove that we the women to have the strength and are able to solve the problem of the village. Several applications were made to various government offices but noting fell in the track.
It was before the general election 2009 in Gujarat that the women thought that this was the perfect time to act. The village federation made an application regarding the broken bridge and took the signature of all the women members of the SHG. The srapanch and the members too supported this initiative. The application was submitted to Mr. Vasanbhai Ahir the MLA and the minister for the backward community of Kutch. The women also quoted that there won’t be a single voter from the village if the work is not started before the general election. Immediate steps were taken to construct the new bridge, much higher than the earlier one. The works on the construction in the month of February 2009 and is in its verge to be completed.
An initiative is what required to start any work is what Bachiben Ramesh says, and we took this initiative for repairing the broken bridge the only connectivity to our village. Our initiative backed by Sr. Deepti, Mr. Laxman and members of the village federation found its result too. The federation members said that there were many hurdles from male dominated society from the village, but those hurdles were nothing against our hope for a new way, for a new bridge.