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Serving those in need
- By Yannick Rivet
- Published 4th April, 2008
- Society
- Unrated
“If there are no women volunteers to help, nothing much can be done.” Don't worry, this quote does not come from one of those neo-feminist activists who believe in the superiority of women in all the spheres of life; it is a realistic point of view of a person hailing from the world of voluntary social work, Medha Ramburn, secretary of Giants Group of Mauritius, for whom volunteering has become a way of life.
“Being a woman makes no difference in our dedication. In fact, I believe that it somehow helps us. Our caring and motherly approach encourages people to open up more easily and to accept help from us. We develop trust thanks to this approach. We are the core of the group and we contribute as much as men do, but this does not mean that we can do everything by ourselves. Social work is about involving everyone, friends, family colleagues in what we do,” she says.
“Unfortunately the trend is somehow worrying. Fewer women and young people are presently interested to get involved in social work because of lack of time. They are busy with their own family, work, leisure and other activities and many tend to forget, especially the younger generations,” says Shakuntala Gungah, member of Giants Group of Mauritius.
Proper planning
To this point of view, Medha Ramburn remarks that “It is all a matter of organisation. Social work is about forgetting oneself and giving time to others. This can be done with proper planning. I have a daughter to whom I have taught the value of social work and she too is involved in Giants despite being a very busy professional. I have done my best to inculcate these values in my kids and I always bring them with me for them to get a glimpse of our task at a very tender age.”
The perpetuation and passing on of voluntary work as a value to the children seems to be a recurrent theme in all our conversations. In this endeavour, parents and role models play a crucial role. “I have always had a member of the family involved in voluntary work. When I was but a kid we strove hard to offer our little contribution respecting all religions, people from all classes of society. I have been helping as a volunteer since I was 14 years old. Living in the neighbourhood of the Gayasingh Ashram and my family being involved in social work has been the motivating agent of my life as a volunteer. Some 60 years later I am still involved in the work and I still believe that it is my responsibility towards the less fortunate to be a volunteer,” says Chandranee Bhuckory, supervisor at the Gayasingh Ashram.
Buckhory who is lovingly called 'Phouphou'--aunty--by the residents adds “I have been here for so long that I am a sister, a mother, an aunt and a friend to all.” It is nevertheless sometimes hard to deal with all the personalities that have to live together. “Very often we have to deal with conflicts between inmates. We have girls of all ages, young and old, and they
sometimes get into arguments with each other but what is important is family life,” she says.
For Deoranee Boodhoo, President of the Gayasingh Ashram “It is an indescribable feeling to see the joy on the faces of all those under-privileged people that we help. It is a fulfilling job but one needs to make sacrifices. Everything can be done with determination and goodwill. What motivates me is when I think about all those people who need my help,” she says.
Dedicated mothers
“Since I was a kid, I got involved in social work. Through the years I helped in many organisations and later I became the president of the Gayasingh Ashram. This nomination represented a new stage in my social work. I got involved in policy making, decision taking and my life as a social worker has brought many joys. What is important is to have a caring approach with the people. We have elaborated a series of activities and programmes to foster the holistic development of the residents and we do our best so that everyone of them can develop her personality and potential.”
“Social work is first of all a service to man and to God. It is providing a helping hand to the less fortunate and downtrodden of society. It is not only about providing a place to live and food to eat but it also means providing a social, family, and personal approach for the development of the personalities and inner potential of the individuals. Very often those who come to the convent feel disoriented and we try to guide them to find a meaning to their lives, find a way to go about the ups and downs of life, and facing hardships,” she adds.
For Shyam Motah, International Ambassador of Giants International, women are very important in social work. “They are dedicated mothers, aunts and sisters who help us in our task of making life a little better for the less fortunate. However we now need to ensure the continuity of the work that is presently being carried out. Fewer people engage in voluntary work and we try to inculcate the volunteering spirit in our children by encouraging them to come with us and they do seem interested,” Motah says with a smile.
Giants Group of Mauritius
Founded by Sir Kher Jagatsingh in 1976, Giants Group of Mauritius is part of a voluntary network of 450 action groups spread all over the Indian territory. In fact the Mauritian branch has been the first formed outside India. It was directed by Bissoon Chummun until some five years ago. “We have now come to the point where we are overwhelmed by the situation.
There is so much to do and so many people find themselves in difficult situations that we try to help in different regions of the island,” Shyam Motah says.
Giants Group of Mauritius is made up of professionals and volunteers who collaborate to bring their small contribution in organising medical check-ups and other activities for the society. The last activity held by the Giants Group of Mauritius was a lunch to the residents of the Gayasingh Ashram during which a wheel chair was offered to the convent.
“Being a woman makes no difference in our dedication. In fact, I believe that it somehow helps us. Our caring and motherly approach encourages people to open up more easily and to accept help from us. We develop trust thanks to this approach. We are the core of the group and we contribute as much as men do, but this does not mean that we can do everything by ourselves. Social work is about involving everyone, friends, family colleagues in what we do,” she says.
“Unfortunately the trend is somehow worrying. Fewer women and young people are presently interested to get involved in social work because of lack of time. They are busy with their own family, work, leisure and other activities and many tend to forget, especially the younger generations,” says Shakuntala Gungah, member of Giants Group of Mauritius.
Proper planning
To this point of view, Medha Ramburn remarks that “It is all a matter of organisation. Social work is about forgetting oneself and giving time to others. This can be done with proper planning. I have a daughter to whom I have taught the value of social work and she too is involved in Giants despite being a very busy professional. I have done my best to inculcate these values in my kids and I always bring them with me for them to get a glimpse of our task at a very tender age.”
The perpetuation and passing on of voluntary work as a value to the children seems to be a recurrent theme in all our conversations. In this endeavour, parents and role models play a crucial role. “I have always had a member of the family involved in voluntary work. When I was but a kid we strove hard to offer our little contribution respecting all religions, people from all classes of society. I have been helping as a volunteer since I was 14 years old. Living in the neighbourhood of the Gayasingh Ashram and my family being involved in social work has been the motivating agent of my life as a volunteer. Some 60 years later I am still involved in the work and I still believe that it is my responsibility towards the less fortunate to be a volunteer,” says Chandranee Bhuckory, supervisor at the Gayasingh Ashram.
Buckhory who is lovingly called 'Phouphou'--aunty--by the residents adds “I have been here for so long that I am a sister, a mother, an aunt and a friend to all.” It is nevertheless sometimes hard to deal with all the personalities that have to live together. “Very often we have to deal with conflicts between inmates. We have girls of all ages, young and old, and they
For Deoranee Boodhoo, President of the Gayasingh Ashram “It is an indescribable feeling to see the joy on the faces of all those under-privileged people that we help. It is a fulfilling job but one needs to make sacrifices. Everything can be done with determination and goodwill. What motivates me is when I think about all those people who need my help,” she says.
Dedicated mothers
“Since I was a kid, I got involved in social work. Through the years I helped in many organisations and later I became the president of the Gayasingh Ashram. This nomination represented a new stage in my social work. I got involved in policy making, decision taking and my life as a social worker has brought many joys. What is important is to have a caring approach with the people. We have elaborated a series of activities and programmes to foster the holistic development of the residents and we do our best so that everyone of them can develop her personality and potential.”
“Social work is first of all a service to man and to God. It is providing a helping hand to the less fortunate and downtrodden of society. It is not only about providing a place to live and food to eat but it also means providing a social, family, and personal approach for the development of the personalities and inner potential of the individuals. Very often those who come to the convent feel disoriented and we try to guide them to find a meaning to their lives, find a way to go about the ups and downs of life, and facing hardships,” she adds.
For Shyam Motah, International Ambassador of Giants International, women are very important in social work. “They are dedicated mothers, aunts and sisters who help us in our task of making life a little better for the less fortunate. However we now need to ensure the continuity of the work that is presently being carried out. Fewer people engage in voluntary work and we try to inculcate the volunteering spirit in our children by encouraging them to come with us and they do seem interested,” Motah says with a smile.
Giants Group of Mauritius
Founded by Sir Kher Jagatsingh in 1976, Giants Group of Mauritius is part of a voluntary network of 450 action groups spread all over the Indian territory. In fact the Mauritian branch has been the first formed outside India. It was directed by Bissoon Chummun until some five years ago. “We have now come to the point where we are overwhelmed by the situation.
There is so much to do and so many people find themselves in difficult situations that we try to help in different regions of the island,” Shyam Motah says.
Giants Group of Mauritius is made up of professionals and volunteers who collaborate to bring their small contribution in organising medical check-ups and other activities for the society. The last activity held by the Giants Group of Mauritius was a lunch to the residents of the Gayasingh Ashram during which a wheel chair was offered to the convent.
