ONE Family

Often swept under the carpet and discussed only in hushed whispers, mental health has for far too long been a taboo topic of discussion. While in recent times, individuals and institutions have been working towards breaking this taboo and addressing mental health concerns and educating the public, it was probably the unfortunate pandemic that brought more attention to this much needed discussion. News reports were many about an increase in mental health issues during the pandemic this year as we stepped into lockdowns the world over. The reasons may have been diverse, but rather importantly, it forced one to address the elephant in the room.  Mental health continues to be understood in very superficial ways. To be able to address it, one must be able to understand what causes it- in a comprehensive manner. A counselling psychologist by profession, Ashvini.N.V. began to notice a trend amongst those who presented to her with anxiety disorders. A large percentage of them had been subj...

  A few months ago, a group of women in the Koppal area of Northern Karnataka managed to shut down an illegal alcohol shop in their neighbourhood. A decade ago, these women may not have had the voice or the means to do such a thing. Living in one of the poorer districts of Karnataka, women in Koppal have been in poverty for long. Land is arid and agriculture is heavily dependent on rain. In the name of the Devadasi system, many young girls continue to be pushed into a lifetime of servitude and disempowerment. With no legal sanction for their children or themselves, most of these women were also cut off from government welfare schemes. However, disadvantaged populations like these have the potential to become self-reliant; provided they are given the opportunities and the know-how. It was with this thought and goal in mind, that in the year 1991, Dr. Smita Premchander, founder of Sampark, a Bangalore-based NGO, decided to reach out to these women. At a time when many social outrea...

Migration of people from villages to urban and suburban areas with dreams of making a living and dreams of a better life has created more disorganised growth and chaos than the cities and towns could ever handle. Studies, scholarly articles and everyday press reports abound to indicate this. The distress of migrant workers in urban areas during the pandemic has forced even those cocooned in luxury to acknowledge the doom of urban cluttering and the lack of infrastructure that continues to plague rural India. To find a remedy to this would mean we could initiate a process of homogenous growth, but this still seems to be a long shot. And so in a world where pucca roads are non-existent and land almost non-cultivable, a group of 9 enterprising women are setting a new precedent in growth in the most unexpected circumstances. Pallaguttapalle is a village that does not find mention in many maps but is today a popular brand name on the lips of many.  For the people of Pallaguttapalle in...

 Nisha (name changed) is almost a parent to her infant brother. At the tender age of 6, she is expected to bathe, feed and care for her younger siblings and do household chores while her parents are at work. Raja (name changed) was paralysed waist down due to an industrial accident. Roles reversed in his family when his young daughter had to become the primary caregiver to her father.  In the slums of Peenya in North Bengaluru, family units do not function the way most of us understand them to be. For most urban children their age, the only responsibility is to get ready for school in the morning, not for these children who are integral to running households.  12 year old Payal (name changed) is the daughter of a single mother- her father died a few years back. Single women with daughter(s) are often easy targets in ecosystems such as these. While her mother was at work, Payal faced physical and sexual abuse. Complaints to her mother were brushed off for long until the gi...

  A daughter is born. A father holds the baby's hand in his, promising to give her the best education, to nurture her impulse to achieve and to stand by her dreams. The baby, eyes drowsy, is placed in a cradle and rocked to sleep with these words... "Beautiful anklets adorning your feet, Eyes lined with Kohl. Graceful and Coy; The Lord shall come to take your hand."   A son is born. A father holds the baby's hand in his, promising the best of the world to him, promising to make him a brave man, to nurture his desires and strengthen his resolve to achieve. The baby, eyes drowsy, is placed in a cradle and rocked to sleep with these words... "Brave and righteous you are. Bow and arrow in Hand, destroyer of evil. Look at those majestic feet; Stepping into the world, head held high."   Every night as they fall asleep, little boys are sung 'traditional' songs of bravery, of being leaders and being the king; while girls are cuddled into thoughts of the cele...