From tribal woman becoming plumber to knowing the realities of climate change: Top SocialStories of this week

The story of Kerala's Shailaja Ayyapan is truly an inspiration to many. A tribal woman and school dropout, Shailaja is now excelling in the plumbing field—which is considered still a male-dominated space. SocialStory caught up with her to know more about her journey.

Meanwhile, Nidhi Bhasin, Chief Executive Officer, NASSCOM Foundation gave insights into the foundation's projects and its plans for the future.

Read these and more such Social Stories this week:

Women empowerment, inclusion fundamental to NASSCOM Foundation’s programmes

Despite being one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, more than a quarter of India’s population lives in poverty. According to NITI Aayog, one in four Indians can be classified as ‘poor’—unable to meet basic needs such as access to housing, food, and drinking water. 

According to the CMIE report, the COVID-19 outbreak further exacerbated this situation, and an additional 150 to 199 million people were expected to fall below the poverty line in 2021, with nearly seven million people losing their jobs in a year.

In this time of need, social entrepreneurs were able to act as first responders because of their close awareness of the communities at the grassroots level.

“The pandemic has been a pivot point for all of us. What has emerged clearer than ever before is that technology will be the differentiator and also the catalyst,” says Nidhi Bhasin, Chief Executive Officer, NASSCOM Foundation.

ALSO READ

Women empowerment, inclusion fundamental to NASSCOM Foundation’s programmes

5 realities of climate change we should be worried about

This year, India recorded the highest temperatures for March in 122 years, while Pakistan recorded its hottest April ever. Normally, such a phenomenon would occur once in 312 years, according to the study by the UK Met Office. However, because of climate change, such extreme weather events can now be expected every 3.1 years. By the next century, the gap will reduce further to every 1.15 years.

However, this is only the tip of the melting iceberg when it comes to the fallout from climate change. From widespread diseases to species going extinct, here are some of the disasters that we may see in the coming times.

From a in viruses and pandemics to mass extinctions, climate change is impacting the planet irreversibly.

How this tribal woman from Kerala is making a name in the male-dominated plumbing field

“Life is like riding a bicycle; to keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

The words of Albert Einstein summarise the story of 37-year-old Shailaja Ayyappan, who raised four daughters alone after her husband left her. She rose above societal stereotypes to support her family during a financial crisis, and plumbing became her means of livelihood.

Having worked as a sweeper and cook, Shailaja tells SocialStory that she always wanted to do something different. When her husband abandoned her with four young daughters, she tried her hand at some odd jobs but could not make ends meet.

A school dropout, Shailaja belongs to the Kadar tribe, a primitive tribal community in Sholayar in Athirappilly, Kerala. The area is forest-like, with the nearest town, Chalakudy, 65 km away. So, finding a job that suited her palette was a task, but she took up odd jobs due to financial constraints. That is when Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, came to her rescue. 

ALSO READ

[Monday Motivation] How this tribal woman from Kerala is making a name in the male-dominated plumbing field

How better eyes with tech can give NRLM more legs

In the 10 years of National Rural Livelihood Mission’s (NRLM) existence, it has mobilised over 8 crore women into 73 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in 30 states and six Union Territories, involving a cumulative central allocation in excess of Rs 100,000 crore.

Predictably, more than Rs 13,000 crore has been allocated to NRLM for the financial year 2022-23. On the face of it, the numbers are staggering. But these figures don’t fully inform us about the real impact of NRLM. The programme has to take a paradigm shift from universal access to quality of the access. This is similar to the National Multidimensional Poverty Index by NITI Aayog, which focuses on utilisation and goes beyond the magnitude and numbers.

The social impact of NRLM has been widely visible, with SHGs (self-help groups) having a strong impact on women’s empowerment, including political participation, awareness about the local administration, financial literacy, mobility, and decision-making. It has also enabled rural families to negotiate for greater access to education and healthcare.