Shadhika Newsletter Archive
January 19, 1994
Dear Friends,
It is still not too late to wish you all a very happy New Year. This past year not much has changed in the world -- violence at home and abroad, broken promises and dreams for the most part. It is all the more satisfying that we, together, have succeeded in making a difference in at least a few lives. We brought about some modest changes on the other side of the globe, where most of you might never travel, in the lives of women you will never meet. For this I want to thank you.
Last year the staff, Board members, and volunteers from the community succeeded in focusing public and government awareness on the plight of non-criminal women prisoners. As a result Calcutta's Chief Justice appointed a committee to study the condition of the prisons and assigned our social worker from Paripurnata to prepare a report to support legislation to block the incarceration of non-criminal women. (As you remember, the traditional practice has been to use prisons as holding facilities, for the lack of appropriate institutions for mentally ill and homeless women.) New legislation to this effect has just passed and is now law. We surely cannot say that Paripurnata alone can take credit for this, but we can be proud, indeed, that through Paripurnata we can all take partial credit for this accomplishment.
Once the legislation passed, 51 women were released from prison in Calcutta, one of them after 29 years. She was arrested 29 years ago, roaming in the City, lost, where she had come to find work from her little village. Illiterate and ignorant, she couldn't say where exactly she had come from, and her family was not looking for her either. They might not have known what to do, or perhaps they simply could not commit to continue feeding another mouth. She was placed in prison while the authorities were to locate her family, and then appears to have been forgotten...
When the new law appeared on the books there was enormous publicity in the press and there was quite a media-hype when the women were actually released in December. Paripurnata workers, as well as Mother Teresa and some of her staff were there to receive the women. There were many reporters and TV people and a long series of articles and TV spots resulted detailing the plight of these women. Paripurnata was not only partially responsible for all this, but also got some publicity as a result.
Of course, as we already had several residents, Paripurnata could take only four women. Three were placed into a mental health center, the only one of its kind in Calcutta, and thanks to all the publicity, they were admitted free of charge. Mother Teresa was able to admit 40 of the 51 released, and the rest returned to their families.
It is obvious from all this that we badly need to expand Paripurnata's capacity. Negotiations for another building, as well as for the rest of the present one, are still going on. It is a little disheartening to have to report that while our work is now apparently recognized and appreciated by the authorities, nothing concrete has materialized yet on the space front. On the other hand, all the positive publicity did produce some concrete results: last fall the Prison Ministry agreed to subsidize Paripurnata About $8 per month for each of the women living there. So perhaps there is hope.
Last year, at our fund raising gathering, Attorney Kotowski had shown special interest in establishing a fund for the education of women who could potentially complete professional training in the interest of becoming independent. He backed up his interest with a generous donation, and a special fund for the purpose has now been set up.
Prior to this we were able to send only two women for limited special training, one as a teacher's aid, the other for art training. Increasing the current fund Mr. Kotowski started, we should be able to start a steady educational program for women with potential. This should make a significant difference in their ability to stand on their own once they are out of Paripurnata. At present we are still subsidizing two of the women who were discharged, because they are not quite self-sufficient.
There are, as you would expect, more mundane news as well. We have had some personnel problems in the house. Mrs. Siromoni, the Director, organized a set of management seminars with the help of one of the volunteers (my brother, actually) to help train staff in supervisory techniques. She also organized seminars for the neighborhood community on the nature of mental illness and available therapies in order to decrease general apprehension about the half-way house. There is now a psychiatrist on a retainer who regularly visits and prescribes medication for the residents as indicated. There is also a half-time psychologist who provides professional counseling to residents and also works with families who are expecting to receive one of the women to come home.
Financially this year ended a little better than the last -- thanks to you, we raised a little more money. Of course, there are always more programs we dream about than there are funds to support, but what you helped realize is a major success. I want to express my personal thanks and gratitude to you for putting your faith in the project and trusting me with your donation.
Finally, I would like to publicly thank Monireh Kazemzadeh for her help in drawing up the endless reams of paper necessary to complete filing for our tax-free 501-C-3 charitable foundation status. The letter-head above does not yet reflect it, but we are now officially Shadhika, Inc., and no longer depend on the generosity of Everywoman, Inc. to shelter our funds in its bank account. (Thanks also to Judy Adams of Everywoman.)
Once again, happy new year to you all. I will write again when there are news to report, and of course, you will hear from me before our next get-together in the summer or fall.
Juthica Stangl