Silencing the suffering by seeking the golden fruit of self-sufficiency :SHAFA HOME’s visit to Chetanalaya.

On Tuesday 19^th August 2014, SHAFA HOME proudly sent two of its ambassadors; senior social worker, Ms. Sangeeta and media team executive Neelabh to Seemapuri in New Delhi. They attended the Chetanalaya centre to give a succinct and flavoursome discourse regarding SHAFA HOME’s unique modalities and key principles within the treatment of substance abuse. Chetanalaya is a multi-faceted organisation which endeavours to aid and uplift deprived members of society i.e. the “slum-dwellers”.

Slum dwellers endure the brunt of daily life with neither basic necessities nor optimum living conditions to support healthy living. This is coupled with a gaping absence of counseling and emotional support.  With whom can they share their woes?  These people were later met with the outstretched hand of Chetanalaya!

Chetanalaya breaks cleanly away from the typical social ignorance of the destitute by altruistically giving physical, financial and emotional help to let the individual build a hopeful, productive and sustainable future for themselves.

Ms. Sangeeta’s presentation discussed how SHAFA’s treatment programme successfully overcomes perceived helplessness, inadequacy and low self-esteem. The women quickly noticed how there was a striking common principle between SHAFA HOME with their Chetanalaya – the concept of “hands-on” learning.

Members of a suffering community are taught strategies that intend to boost the self-esteem of that ailing individual in order to generate self-empowerment and self-sufficiency. Once an individual has been trained at Chetanalaya, they venture out into their wider community as outreach workers who strive to help those in need like they were once before – thus keeping a continuous chain of guidance and help in motion.

Ms. Sangeeta chipped in with her own two cents to add that SHAFA HOME firmly practices this notion too! Our younger residents learn their behavioural and life skill “training” from their older siblings. Once they feel adept enough, they teach their younger siblings what they have learnt.  

The 20 female community workers who attended Ms. Sangeeta’s presentation had entered the doors of Chetanalaya as hapless, broken individuals and over time, had become resilient towards life’s hardest knocks. In doing so, they gradually achieved a self-sustainable, productive and positive life through providing service to others. The key thing is...it is never an overnight process. What these women had to endure to emerge as the shining, strong sisters they are today required patience, effort and dedication to “fly-right”.

Just take a step back and imagine...if these amazing women have managed to progress exponentially within their own lives by overcoming their strife and misery in the darkest times, there is nothing to stop our residents from overcoming their personal hurdles and achieving groundbreaking personal growth within their own lives.

Ultimately, self-empowerment is the key that unlocks us into a dynamic and successful mode of living. By helping others, we are practicing the most honourable form of self-love and for ourselves but also the world around us. After all, if you want to keep it...you have to give it away.    

To view pics please click on the link below: 

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