Raj Ministries
Just another WordPress.com weblogA Gift that Gives- A Handmade Purse from SEEMA
Mother’s day is coming up and you are probably thinking of a wonderful gift that will make your mother feel special. Why not give her a woven purse handmade by poor mothers from India? Not only will you bless your mother, but you will also bless mothers from abused backgrounds in India! The purchase of one of these purses will provide employment to a mother in India for one month! Give a gift that gives back to the lives of impoverished women in the third world.
Originally started by RAJ Ministries to help two needy women with weaving skills, SEEMA (Social Endeavor to Elevate Mahila Awareness) was created when the need to help battered women became a pressing need in a remote village on the border of India and Nepal. The word ‘Mahila’ is the Hindi word for woman. Many women from India and Nepal suffer from domestic violence, abuse, poverty and illiteracy. At SEEMA, women are empowered with job training skills in weaving, sewing, embroidery, jewelry making and literacy classes. Their children receive a quality, free, bilingual education at the Assembly of God Church School, which is also a part of RAJ ministries.
Since its creation, more than 80 women have gone through SEEMA and each of them have been given an opportunity for a better future. Now SEEMA is a registered non-profit organization and proudly creates a variety of woven and beaded products. Every purchase provides economic sustainability to impoverished women and their families. Making handmade products not only gives them a steady income, but also provides self-esteem and motivation.
SEEMA Ladies
SEEMA’S PURSES IN STOCK:
(hover over the image to view purse description)
Item #: PGPD Cost: $30 USD + shipping
Item #:PPPD Cost: $30 USD + shipping
Item #: DBPD Cost: $35 USD + shipping
Item #: SMPD Cost: $30 USD + shipping
Item #: DRPD Cost: $35USD + shipping
Item #: DGPD Cost: $35USD + shipping
Item #: PRPD Cost: $30 USD + shipping
Item #: DBPD Cost: $35 USD + shipping
If you are interested in purchasing a purse, please email Maria Wood at: mariaamaliasierra@gmail.com
Giving Childhood Back to Border Smugglers- CNN ireport
Posted on CNN ireport by Cadbury on
February 2, 2010
Vision and determination are the key ingredients to be successful pioneers. Two such pioneers, working in a tiny village on the border of India and Nepal, are working to make a difference in the lives of people in this Maoist disturbed area.
Roy and Jenny Ramble have lived and worked in Rupaidiha for the past 24 years. They started an English medium high school 22 years ago with 7 students which has now grown to 800 students. In the past few years, they have opened a shelter for battered women, which is now a registered NGO called Seema, and have provided them with weaving skills to help them become independent with a steady income. They have also opened a shelter for tribal girls from India and Nepal and provided them with lots of love, care, and free education.
Their most recent venture is opening a drop-in center for the village children, who are otherwise employed by their family members to smuggle rice, sugar, matches, cell phone parts, etc from Nepal to India. Jenny has felt a real need to educate these children, especially in English, to break the shackles of ignorance and illiteracy rampant in this remote part of the country. This district has the highest rate of illiteracy, trafficking and violence against women. Right now, the drop-in center is a no-wall, thatched roof, where kids can drop-in at any time, for any length of time, to learn basic English. She hopes that with patience and determination, she and her team would be able to provide additional education in the areas of hygiene and information technology. Their dream is that one day these children can break the cycle of illiteracy and be able to provide for their families in a respectable and legal manner.
Anyone with experience in rural development in developing countries knows the challenges that go with such a vision. The no-wall, thatched roof area needs to be built in to a room to protect them from the summer soon approaching. They need basic classroom supplies, textbooks and other resources, along with volunteers.
Some hard facts:
· Nepal and India share an open border of 1000 miles.
· 5 – 7% of the trafficking that happens in India is cross border.
· In India, over 200, 000 women and children are inducted into the flesh trade every year. 25% are children.
· Over 3 million children are living on the streets.
· 1 out of every 6 girl child will not live to see her 15th birthday.
You can also view this ireport on CNN: http://rss.ireport.com/docs/DOC-402021
