THE LADY WITH THE WILLPOWER TO HELP- Amandeep Kaur

Our first interview was with Amandeep Kaur of chandigarh.
Amandeep Kaur did her schooling from Carmel Convent School, sector 9, Chandigarh.
She then passed out from Chitkara University with a bachelors degree in Engineering, Computer Science in 2012.
She presently got placed at Patni Computers, and she will join her work from this month.She's been working with an NGO Tamanna, for the past two years.
So here's a conversation with Amandeep Kaur about the society, her contribution, her social work and about the incidents of rape, murder, eve teasing and other increasing crimes against women.

• WHAT EXACTLY DOES SHE DO AT GURU ASRA.?

Amandeep teaches girls at the GURU ASRA TRUST, Sector 55, Chandigarh.

She voluntarily and at her own will teaches the inmates, there English, she also helps the inmates, the girls, out with their day to day problems and helps them to come out with feasible solutions.
She also spends a lot of time with the girls and keeps a check to make sure that they have cleaned their rooms.She also sometimes joins them in cooking.
Though she is not professionally qualified to be a teacher she shares everything with the girls what she learnt during her school days.
In short in some way or the other , she is helping the GURU ASRA trust girls  to develop themselves physically, emotionally and mentally.

• WHAT STEPS HAS SHE TAKEN TO TEACH THE INMATES.?

She wants her students to converse or try to converse in English with each other and with her, as much as possible. For instance, she has worked on students' grammar and especially tenses (past, present etc), and on Saturdays , they have general open honest discussions about how much they love her class and do they really enjoy being their teacher.
Amandeep also very eagerly told us about one of her classes. One day, she had asked her students to write atleast one sentence each in Punjabi and then she would write it in English and then they would read it together. so like this they ended up learning and doing "87" sentences that day. Indeed a great thing.
Just imagine how much, those kids would have learned that day.

• HOW DID SHE GOT TO WORK AT GURU ASRA TRUST.?

Amandeep has been working with  NGO Tammana for the past two years. Tammana the NGO had adopted the GURU ASRA trust place. Amandeep used to visit GURU ASRA to spend time with the girls and also to take part in the different programmes and occasions organised by the NGO, for example Holi celebrations, Christmas functions etc.

Amandeep understood that these kids were shy, introvert and lacked a sense of confidence to a great extent. So thats when she decided to help the girls with their speaking skills and improve their English. Thats why she told her NGO president about her decision to take up this task of teching the children.

And that was the beginning of her wonderful journey, a journey filled with love for children, doing social work and being connected with whatever good you are doing.

                                  Amandeep (center) with the inmates at GURU ASRA.

• HOW DOES SHE WANTS TO MAKE A CHANGE IN HER STUDENTS' LIFE.?

Amandeep from the beginning wanted her students to open up and talk a little. She wanted them to speak up for the things the children needed. And her main aim was to make the children understand what life is and how to be self confident and be brave.

This is the reason, she shared her students' problems with her and accepted them as her own and provided very interesting solutions to those manacles.

• WAS SHE INTERESTED IN SOCIAL WORK FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE.?

Yes, indeed she was interested in helping others from a young age. Her Convent education and Moral Science classes even further helped her to make a taste in social work.

She wanted to do this in a proper systematic way, thats why she wanted to join some NGO or some social and charitable organisation.

She says, "That i needed a medium to work and help the people because I was interested in social work, and that medium I got through NGO Tammana.

• BEING AN ENGINEER, WHY DID AMANDEEP CHOSE SOCIAL WORK.?

Amandeep found this question a bit tough though, but as they say, "PASSION KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES. PASSION KNOWS NO LIMITS..!! "

So there was no stopping her. Amandeep is a religious person, she believes in the God and the Almighty. She feels blessed by God in many ways because she has everything as compared with the lives of the inmates at GURU ASRA.

According to her, she dosen't believe in giving money or donation to the Gurudwara, however she rather does social work and helps those children because that is how she is thanking and serving the Lord and making him happy.

Such is her passion and dedication to do social work and help underprivileged kids that she wants to continue it even after she has been placed in her job.

Indeed a great lady.!

• ACCORDING TO HER WHO IS THE CULPRIT IN THE INCREASING CASES OF CRIMES, RAPES AND EVE TEASING THE WOMEN ARE FACING TODAY.?

She gives a straight forward answer to this question. According to her, the guy or any other such person who is doing such an immoral act or who is conducting the crime against women is solely responsible. She says if the person can have such a cheap mindset, then how will it be a girl's fault if she is wearing short clothes.

its because of lack of moral values and education and respect for women that the man commits such a crime.

Amandeep also says that if the persons's family background is such, that is they have instilled in the man all moral values and taught him to respect the women, then why would he commit such a crime.?

Agreeing strongly with Amandeep, two or three people cannot stop this single handedly and change the mentality of people. We all need to stand up and work towards bringing a solid change in the society together.

"TOGETHER WE CAN AND WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.!!"

• BEING A GIRL DOES SHE FEEL SAFE IN HER OWN COUNTRY, INDIA.?

She just practically and blatantly says "NO". To this answer, we were shocked and sad at the same time. She just gives a simple reason, that reading and seeing about the various crimes, and increasing crime rates against women on TV, newspaper  etc, she has lost faith in her fellow beings. what a pity.!

A girl is scared of her own fellow Indians. This is a thing not to be proud of, this is a thing to feel ashamed for.!

• IS THERE ANY EQUALITY BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMEN AS OUR SO CALLED CONSTITUTION STATES.?

She states that though she hasn't experienced  anything like eve teasing or other crimes against women personally, but she still feels that equality levels have been on a decrease as compared to what we very proudly preach about equality.

According to her, men still get a upper hand and will continue to get the upper hand if no measures are taken to help the plight of women in our country.

• WHAT MEASURES CAN SHE AS A PERSON SINGLE HANDEDLY SUGGEST TO BRING A CHANGE.?

The first reason she gives or the first measure she suggests is that upliftment of the poor people and the underpriviledged could definitely bring a strong change in the society, because the majority of the population in our country is poor and they are the backbone of our nation.

We have to make them understand what is wrong and right for them and then we can definitely contribute our bit to the society.