Visit to Seva Mandir
Ms. Padmaja Kumari Mewar of Udaipur was recently nominated as a member of the Advisory Committee of Seva Mandir, Udaipur. Seva Mandir is a non-government voluntary organization working on developmental issues in Rajasthan.
On the 29th June, Ms. Mewar was warmly welcomed when she visited Dr. Mohan Singh Mehta at Rural Training Centre located at Kaya, 15 kms outside Udaipur. Ms. Mewar inaugurated the Vita-Goat Machine (Tofu Making) with Ms. Rita Soni, Country Head - Responsible Marketing, Yes Bank, Mumbai and Ms. Neelima Khetan, CEO, Seva Mandir. The center is now developing milk based food products including Cottage Cheese and Soyabean products at low cost and without electric resources. During discussions the need to produce products to an international standard was raised. By-products were displayed and then made available to guests to sample.
Ms. Mewar also visited a project that was started during her visit on the 12th June 2008, to develop fishing ponds in villages in association with Seva Mandir and the Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur. This is now running very successfully and being managed by local women.
The members from Seva Mandir presented during the visit include Ms. Priyanka Singh, Ms. Swati Patel, Ms. Deepti Ameta, Ms. Laxmi Thakur, Mr. Narayan and others.
Ms. Mewar applauded the activities of Seva Mandir and particularly the Women Resource Center that is focusing on the involvement of women in local projects and the Youth Resource Centre where young people get together to discuss and implement issues relating to the development of their villages. She distributed a Certificate of Appreciation to women for their participation in a 45 day computer literacy camp at Kaya. Talking in local dialect Ms. Mewar said she recognised the challenges that people face and hoped more would get involved in educational programmes. She interacted with both the male and female In-Charge of the Youth Resource Center encouraging them to motivate their team-mates in their activities.
As part of Seva Mandir's educational programme for children from remote parts of Rajasthan, a residential camp was set up at the Dr. Mohan Singh Mehta Rural Training Centre, Kaya in Udaipur. Over 45 days children participated in various educational programmes and extra-curricular activities. The camp was attended by over 150 children who were taught the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. They also experienced poetry reading, theatre and other curricular activities run by teachers from nearby villages. At the closing ceremony the children sang, performed group act plays and danced to an enthusiastic audience. Ms. Mewar said how much she hoped parents would continue to send their children to the education camps organized by Seva Mandir where children can interact in a safe environment and are provided with opportunities to learn and develop skills.