Activism

Most of them were all happily married house-wives 15 years ago. With even their last kids having grown up to school-going age, they were not amenable to the idea of a life of supreme inaction. The most senior of them, Ms. Munazzira Modi was a born activist. With so much of misery around, she had never sat quiet for a moment. She began to motivate each of those family women whom she came across. The group snowballed into a clutch of women who had time and resources to spare for the needy and the indigent.

Soon they set up the Imdade Nisa Trust, literally meaning 'Trust to help women'. It took up the marriage of poor girls on a priority basis. The Trust chipped into the marriage with a set of basic articles essential to set up a new home and some jewellery. The scheme proved a hit. Today Imdad is instrumental in helping at least 100 couples tie the knot annually. Thanks to its scheme, several Jabeens, Padmas and Parveens are living happy married lives. Imdad continues to gift articles worth Rs. 20,000 to each couple.

Imdad has also adopted two schools, Jaibharat School in J. C. Road area and Sir Syed School in the Madina Masjid premises in Bamboo Bazar in Bangalore. The Imdad takes care of the salaries of the non-Government aided teachers, supplies uniform and arranges non-veg food for Friday in the schools.

Meaningful intervention in lives made the Imdad stand solidly behind Sadiq Ahmed who crawled on the ground due to invalid legs. Imdad's scholarship helped him attain a graduation degree. Today he is employed with a bank at a salary of Rs. 7,000. Similarly, the Imdad is helping Salman attend Chandrodaya School in a city locality. Salman is paraplegic and has to ride on shoulders of his brother Arbaaz to go to the school everyday. It is also giving pension of Rs. 500 to 30 widows every month. But for its help, there would not have been any caretaker of Sadiqa and Abida Jan who suffer from epileptic attack. They are provided with medicine on a constant basis.

Munazzira Modi, who has guided the organization as its livewire secretary all these years, says it is her lifetime desire to set up a 'Home for the Destitute' in Cantonment area of Bangalore.

Imdad can be contacted at : Imdad-e-Nisa Trust, 39-corner Shop, B. Type quarters, Robertson road cross, Bangalore-560005. Ph: 25485877, imdad_e_nisa@vsnl.net