The organization, which has been running without any government assistance since 1940, has made 11 thousand self-reliant.
March 14, 2024
-Bapu, we do what you cannot do… A satire of Manbhai gave a place to Shishu Vihar Sansthan.
-Sisters started sewing training under social reform for Swaraj, sewing training started in kerosene cans paper shed, today 45 sisters are getting sewing training.
Bhavnagar: A country becomes self-reliant only when the people of the country are self-reliant. In the freedom struggle, many movements took place to adopt Swadeshi and make the people of the country self-reliant. Gandhiji emphasized on involving women in the education of self-reliance and since then the activities started in 1940 with the aim of making women self-reliant are still going on in Bhavnagar. A year after the establishment of Shishu Vihar Sansthan in 1939, in 1940, the Sansthan started training the sisters in tailoring. Initially, due to lack of space, sewing training was started in a shed made of kerosene canisters. A government aided organization has so far made 11 thousand sisters self-reliant.
Following Gandhiji’s insistence on involving the sisters in the education of self-reliance through the Shishuvihar institution of Bhavnagar, the sisters of the Anand Mangal Mandal family started tailoring training as part of social reforms to train for self-reliance. The sisters of Anand Mangal Mandal were solving the social problems of poor and needy sisters on the initiative of Jyoti Mandal. A year after the establishment of Shishu Vihar Sansthan in 1939, in 1940, the Sansthan started training the sisters in tailoring. The institute did not initially have building facilities, so tailoring training began in a shed built on kerosene and oil scraps and bent wood. Initially, some wealthy families of Bhavnagar allowed their houses to be used. Lilysister, who supported her family by sewing, also trained other needy sisters to become self-reliant. Gradually, many service beggars joined this activity and after the sisters, the brothers were also trained in tailoring. Sondbhai Barad, who worked as a mechanic in a rubber factory in Bhavnagar, started training his brothers in tailoring after the factory was closed. After that, Dhananjaybhai Trivedi trained his brothers in tailoring for 30 years and made them good artisans, even though they were handicapped. This service yagya, which at first glance is considered very simple, has left many families in trouble. Even today 45 sisters take sewing training here. An effort has been made to make the sisters self-reliant by providing assistance of Rs 28.15 lakh to 390 economically weak trainees. This organization has so far made 11 thousand sisters self-reliant without any government help.
This activity got a boost due to the inspiration of Maharaja Krishnakumarsinji.
D.T. On 11-11-1939, a conference of Praja Parishad was held in Bhavnagar and the arrangements of this conference were handled by the brothers of Anand Mangal Mandal of Shishu Vihar Sanstha. After the conference ended, the Maharaja praised the youth and asked, “Boys, what are you doing here?” Manbhai said, “Bapu, what you cannot do, we are doing.” Manbhai. Responding to the sarcasm of the Maharaja, he said, You tell us what we cannot do and then Manbhai said, We want to build a place where poor needy sisters and children can be fed and taken care of. After that, Bhavnagar State gave the place to Anand Mangal Mandal where Shishu Vihar Sansthan is now functioning.