Maniben - symbol of selfless giving and love

4th April 2011
Gramshree Office

It is 6.05 pmish and i realize i have to collect the bedspread order for westside from Smitaben. I check out the office and realize she has just left. I get paniced and ask Punitbhai for help. He immediately calls up Smitaben. Without thinking twice she is back in office.

The most beautiful and amazing thing about gramshree is each and everyone at Gramshree will go out of their way to help you.

Smitaben enters the room with her cheerful smile and says'Kya Riddhi, its ur first meeting with Didi. It has to be wonderful.so what if i had to return. Big deal.Lets get the bed spread done.'

I inform her that all our women have left and there is no one who can help us stitch the bed spread.

We go and sit on the stairs at the rear of 10/Vidhyavihar and we see Maniben who works at gramshree and is a neighbour.

Smitaben shouts out loud'oiye Maniben - aie jau tame, apde stitch karvani che bed spread'
Maninben replies 'why not?, I have time. I will surely help you.' I could not digest the fact that inspite of the job hours being over they were ready to help me.

Maniben started stitching on tailoring machine with a smile. Smitaben asks maniben about her kids. Maniben says 'All is well.' But then there is silence for a while .I never communicated with Maniben before and was not much aware about her family. Tears rolled down her cheek. smitaben asked her the reason. she resisted for a while .on inquiring more - she said she was fed up with domestic violence, financial crisis and lack of emotional support she deserves from her husband and the love her kids deserve from their father.

I was moved . I dint know how to react.

Somehow it reminded me about a story nipunbhai once shared and how nipunbhai had once helped homeless by giving all the money he had in his wallet. I opened my bag and checked out my wallet.It had 4 hundred rupees. I offered all to maniben as token of love for timely help. I was amazed .she was not ready to accept the money.She was like ' I dint share my story to gain sympathy, just that i feel women at gramshree are my sisters and can vent out my heart'

This incident made me believe firmly:
'Women at gramshree design their own destiny! They live a life of dignity'