DRAYCOTT WI
FOLLOWING the summer break Draycott WI held their monthly meeting on September 17. The business of the evening began with feedback by members who had attended the Leigh lunch in August and who all agreed it had been a great success.
Our president Alice reported that some members, family and friends had taken part in the WI Sports Week Initiative and enjoyed a five-mile walk starting and ending at Dilhorne village hall, taking in some spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.
Further details were given about theatre and coach trips planned for November and next year respectively. Also early plans for our proposed Christmas celebrations were discussed and agreed. Finally Alice informed the meeting that the proposed spring planting of the oak tree saplings grown by WI members would take place in Leicestershire in March 2019.
Our speaker for the evening was Janet Carleton who presented a talk entitled
‘Broken Lives: Bringing dignity and freedom to South Asia’s poor’.
Janet works for the Stafford-based charity DFN UK. Working with Indian partners, DFN’S remit is to bring dignity, freedom and hope for the poor, the marginalised and the outcasts of South Asia.
The charity’s main work in India changes lives – particularly women’s and children’s – and transforms communities through education, healthcare, economic empowerment and trafficking prevention programmes. We learned that through good quality education in English in 100 plus schools, 26,000 children and their families are given knowledge and skills that can lead ultimately to greater opportunity and freedom of choice.
Using several case studies Janet explained that the establishment of rural primary health clinics and community healthcare workers help facilitate basic healthcare and nutritional education, both vital in poor and often uneducated communities. To date most of DFN’S schools also have an assigned healthcare worker for the benefit of pupils and their families.
Vocational training courses in a variety of subjects are offered to vulnerable women and small grants kick-start microbusinesses, helping bring dignity, economic empowerment and greater protection from unscrupulous employers and traffickers. Further empowerment is offered for these communities in the form of government ‘reserved’ university places.
Finally Janet related that trafficking prevention and awareness programmes are increasingly effective across hundreds of villages to protect those most at risk. Former trafficking victims partner with
DFN to help raise awareness. Safe shelters for the most vulnerable complete the compassionate provision.
DFN UK’S holistic approach that the combination of education, health, economic empowerment and trafficking prevention programmes provide, means that more people are being reached and lives are being changed for the better.
Reliant on appeals and sponsorship, our meeting appreciated the passion and ongoing achievement of such a worthwhile initiative. Janet’s talk prompted a wide-ranging discussion among our members with Alice giving the final vote of appreciation.
Next month’s speaker will be Diane Bostock with a talk: ‘Greyhound Golden Oldies and Friends’