Kamla is a changed woman and earns enough to support her six children. She is one of those women from Janta Colony,a slum near Punjab Engineering College,University of Technology. The slum has been adopted by the college and students have worked to empower the women. Smilingly,she says,I never thought my life would change like this. It was really difficult for me and my family to look after our children. However,after becoming a part of the project with PEC,I got a new life and I earn enough to support my family. Malti,Gaytari and Marina are some of the other women,who have been trained by the PEC,and are now earning a decent living. While educational institutes in the city do not show much initiative in fulfilling their social responsibilities,PEC has made a real difference. The students motivated women from the slum and engaged them in stitching and making pickles. After creating self-help groups,the students marketed the producted made by the women. The profits are distributed among the women. The women in the self-help group were trained to make pickles and stitch clothes. After training,they now stitch workshop coats for first-year students of PEC and others make pickles,which are sold at Rs 100 per kg. The group involved in stitching clothes might start making coats for PGI staff and doctors as well. The project started by Prof M L Gupta,a faculty member at PEC and Dean Students Welfare,has been a big hit not only in the slum but also among students. Talking to Newsline, Prof Gupta said,All of us have social responsibilities but hardly any of us performs them. Educational institutes are the best places where teachers initiative can motivate students to be a part of any such project and make them realise their social responsibilities.
