Auxilium Akhila Vikas women Development centre motivated the Self Help group women, of the centre and celebrated the International women’s day on 07.03.2015 with the theme “Make it Happen”. There were 150 women present and they actively participated. The chief guest of the day was Mrs. Vijayasri the wife of Prakasam District Collector, Mr. Vijayakumar. The presence our provincial Sr. Crescentia added more colour to the celebration.
The celebration started at 3.00 pm by welcoming and felicitating the chief guest and the guest of honour .There was a small prayer inviting Christ the Light to come amidst us, by lighting the Kuthuvilakku by Mrs. Vijayasri followed by Mother Provincial Sr. Crescentia, Sr. Superior Sr.Josephine Savarimuthu and other 2 Self Help Group women. A short word of God from the book of Sirach was read, about the importance of the presence of women in a family and her role in a family & then a short prayer was said invoking God’s blessings on all the women gathered for the celebration.
This was followed by a short cultural programme performed by the animators and women. Mother Provincial in her message spoke to the women ‘Empowerment of women empowers the Humanity’. She also brought to notice the importance of women’s role in the family, society and the different capacities they have, to influence the humanity positively. Though they are in a world with the values, which are not promoting the empowerment of women, like the Lotus flower, which is in the slushy pond shines up beautifully, they too should make use of all the possibilities and come up in life, unite themselves and fight together to get their rights. She also invited them to respect themselves first and demand respect from others.
Mrs. Vijayasri started her talk saying, ‘Mary is the Mother of all mothers, Mother Theresa is the compassionate Mother for the unfortunate and Auxilium is the mother of all the women of Ongole which has empowered all those are present here. So women hood is gift and a blessing from God to humanity. We cannot imagine the world without the presence of the women. But the society which is male dominated tarnishes women’s image and role. The Social customs and traditions continue perpetuating the discrimination of women.
She said in 1910 itself Germany, Sweeden and Russia started to celebrate women’s day. In 1975 U.N.O declared March 8th to be celebrated as the Inter National Women’s day. She brought to their notice, how the U.N.O. started the “HE for SHE”, “SHE for HE” company to emphasize that both men and women are important in building up a more human society. It is sad to know that the women themselves are the cause for not promoting women empowerment and their equality.
She elicited from them, as 90% of the women present were illiterate, the reasons for being so. Women spontaneously shared saying, the causes are poverty, priority given to male child‘s education, child marriage which leads to ill health, unemployment, and all the other problems. Thus she made them understand that the vicious cycle goes on that is hidden in this above process. She made them to recognize their inner potentialities and the capacity to achieve anything and to make it happen. She made them to take firm resolution first of all that, they should become aware and accept the truth that, unless they respect themselves and the other women, appreciate their women hood and take effort to work hard, to achieve them, they will not receive their dignity. With the awareness songs sung with unction and with her sweet voice she captured their attention and the message given once again, touched their hearts and minds. She exhorted them to start first, by not showing any discrimination between boy and girl child, teaching them to respect each other, with the good values, checking their where about, of course feeding them well and following them up closely to help them to acquire good character.
As she concluded her speech, she thanked the sisters for the opportunity given to be with the women. To linger the message in their mind & heart, she sang an awareness song “Sadhincha Galam”( we make it happen), on the day’s theme. The programme came to an end as Sr. Jyothi proposed vote of thanks, which was followed by the National Anthem. All the women thanked the sisters and the Snack packets were distributed to the participants and they went home enriched & happy.
