Social capital : Developing true wealth....

Social capital : Developing true wealth

The last few days I have been tweeting a lot on variety of subjects thanks to the work updates from the field. I've always been astounded by the incredible entrepreneurship skills of women self help groups. Once believed to be only making papad and pickles they have now steered into a variety of businesses including solar bulbs manufactured in one of the remotest village in Gondiya district. While I can never fall short of words to appreciate the phenomenal work being done by the self help groups, leading to their steady growth, I have been witness to their rise from the substratum. Their work as silent warriors during Covid 19 has made me respect them all the more. They have made and sold face masks worth Rs. 11 crores, vegetables and fruits worth Rs.25 crores, acted as channels for agriculture and done collective procurement of seeds and fertilizers worth Rs. 60 crores, have channelised Rs 65 crores as Banking correspondents, made over 92000 nutri gardens. Over and above all this they have attended digital trainings on Covid 19 to create awareness across villages for protection against Covid 19.

Despite doing all this and more, I feel amazed at the different kinds of responses I receive from different people. Some wonder at the entrepreneurial skills of the women, some wonder at their oratory skills and to some their growth is mere numerics. Most fail to see their slow and steady growth as social capital.
One has to look deeply into the journey of their lives to feel the pulse of the movement which is now gaining momentum and bearing the fruits of a strong foundation.
While administration is replete with introduction of several schemes for the development of the poor ever since we became independent, the National Rural Livelihoods Mission - NRLM stands apart.
Standing tall on the history of the Integrated Rural Development Program - IRDP and the Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana- SGSY building a network of strong community institutions is the very basis of NRLM. It essentially dwells on the belief that the poor have innate capabilities and a strong desire to come out of poverty. They are entrepreneurial and all that they need is strengthening their capabilities to generate meaningful livelihoods and enable them to come out of poverty.
NRLM is the world's largest program for poverty alleviation and has been created to reduce poverty by enabling the poor with gainful self- employment or skilled wage employment opportunities leading to sustainable livelihoods through a strong network of institutions of the poor.
The dedicated teams at block, district and state level and the community cadre have played a catalytic role in social mobilization, institution building and the general empowerment of the women and their households. Together they gave the necessary support through training and capacity building which has led to knowledge dissemination and has built their skills.

One can easily compare NRLM to a strong ladder with several steps one leading to the other. Social inclsion is the first rung and the pyramidical structure of SHGs, village organizations and cluster level federations lay the foundation of self-reliant and self- dependent community. Financial Inclusion enables access to credit and continuous capacity building facilitates access to sustainable livelihoods which is topped by providing marketing support. The program ensures inclusion of the poorest through participatory inclusion of the poor while maintaining transparency and accountability of all processes and institutions.
The programme also ensures ownership of the institutions by making the poor play a key role in planning, implementation, and, monitoring. The programme ensures that access to
entitlements and public services are enabled through convergence.
The continued capacity building enables them to chart their growth through a basket of agricultural practices which enhance their productivity. Allied activities in animal husbandry like poultry and goat farming or handlooms and handicrafts supplement their agricultural income. Additionally, they and the young children between the age of 18 and 35 are provided skills for self-employment through RSETIs or wage employment through DDUGY skilling programme. Most importantly, financial support of Rs. 7900 Crore through bank linkages has also been facilitated to implement and sustain the initiatives under Maharashtra SRLM.

NRLM is thus a comprehensive program for self growth leading to creation of resonant social capital by way of well-developed communities it is not surprising to see their success as harbingers in e-governace projects like Asmita where SHGs function as retailers through a mobile app and have sold Asmita and Asmita Plus sanitary napkins worth over Rs.4 crores solely through digital platform. Added to it they are retiailers for multinational companies like Himalaya Drug company, Unilever, Godrej etc through the Asmita Bazaar. Now their products are also availale online through Amazon.
The mission continues to strengthen the community institutions formed not for the sake of any number game but to transform lives through livelihoods. The foundation of the mission is to facilitate opportunities for the vulnerable and capacitate them or make them “saksham” in its true sense. I may have witnessed a growth in my tenure from one lakh SHGs to now nearly 5 lakhs, but what is encouraging is the empowerment of the cadre and through them all the SHGs who are contributing to the transformation of rural economy of the state and the country. Their businesses have garnered capital gains of Rs.1500 Crore and developing the state as well as country to become resilient in every form. Kofi Annan has said that, " There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women." MSRLM symbolises just that!   

सत्य की राह....

सत्य की राह....

सत्य के मार्ग पर चल पड़े तुम
ना सोचा कभी क्या हाल होगा
सत्य के मार्ग पर चल पड़े तुम
सिर्फ अनुशासन ही साथ होगा
सत्य के मार्ग पर चल पड़े तुम
अकेला ही तुम्हारा सफर होगा
सत्य के मार्ग पर चल पड़े तुम
टक्कर क्लेश से सौ बार होगा
सत्य के मार्ग पर चल पड़े तुम
हो सकता तुम्हारा अपमान होगा
सत्य के मार्ग पर चल पड़े तुम
परिहास तुम्हारा कई बार होगा
सत्य के मार्ग पर चल पड़े तुम
काटों भरा तुम्हारा राह होगा
पर संभले रहना ना डगमगाना तुम
सत्य ही मार्गदर्शक होगा
शायद ईश्वर की यह परीक्षा हो
हरिश्चन्द्र की तरह
क्षण भर भी ना उदास होना
निष्ठा कर्त्तव्य धरे रहना
मैदान में भले जंग छिड़ी आज
कल आएगा सूरज लेकर साज
रख मन में बस ये विश्वास
ऊपरवाला रखेगा तुम्हारी लाज
उतावले मन को समझाओ
और इतना रखो तुम याद

भले पूरी नाही हो कोई चाह 
फिर भी चलते रहना तुम सत्य की राह...

मन विमल 

SHGs Nutri Champions - NUTRI-GARDEN campaign 25th June 2020 – 15th July 2020 (माझी पोषण परसबाग विकसन मोहीम)

SHGs Nutri Champions - NUTRI-GARDEN campaign 25th June 2020 – 15th July 2020
(माझी पोषण परसबाग विकसन मोहीम)

Francois, a french writer has said , "To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art." A square meal is one which balances all aspects of nutrition including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins.
Health and nutrition is a very important component of the Dashasutri followed by the self help groups of MSRLM. However much to our dismay during the visit of the World Bank team in 2016 we discovered that the meals of most of the women and their families were devoid of all the five components which made a meal complete.
The National Sample Survey 2011-12
indicates that household per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables is 160 g/person/day for rural India and 184 g/person/day for urban India which is much lesser than the WHO benchmark of 400g/person/day.
According to the National Family Health Survey 2015-16, approximately 38% of children under five years are stunted, 21% are wasted, 35.8% are underweight, 19% of adults (15-49 years) are obese and 53% of women in the age group of 15-49 years are anaemic. Therfore the problem of malnutrition or excess nutrition encompasses all age groups.
High cost is the biggest hindrance to getting a regular supply of fruits and vegetables as also other issues like availability of land, water, labour and other resources like seeds and manure. There is also a general lack of awareness among the women about the methodology for creating and managing nutri gardens. To ensure regular supply of fruits and vegetables, MSRLM Umed developed the half acre circular or square models including smaller versions with the support of the Rajmata Jijau Mother-Child Health & Nutrition Mission.
The main purpose is to provide the family with fresh vegetables and fruits on a daily basis. The circular garden with seven rings and pathways is designed in such a way as to include a variety of green and leafy and other vegetables and fruits. It also includes medicinal plants like tulsi, aloe vera and also manure pit.
Consistent efforts made by the team since 2016 has ensured that the idea of making a nutri garden near their house or field has grown and is embedded into the minds of all SHGs.
MSRLM has been able to develop over one lakh nutri gardens during the last few years.
Among the many interventions being implemented on the ground, development of nutri-gardens at the level of individual household and community, has been very successful in terms of its adoption by community members and it's positive impact on the health and nutrition status of the members of rural households.
We therefore decided to conduct a 20 day campaign from 25th June 2020 to 15th July 2020 with a target of 28000 Individual nutri – gardens.
Today, the world is facing the critical challenge of COVID-19 outbreak and India is no exception to the situation. Since the detection of the first individual of SARS-CoV-19 (Coronavirus 2) infection in India, the number of individuals with the infection has been increasing exponentially. Maharashtra has most number of active cases of COVID-19 and to curb the further spread of COVID-19, various departments of the state government and civil society organizations are working on the frontline with all possible measures.

The COVID-19 pandemic situation has taught us all about the significance of one’s immunity to fight the SARS-CoV-19 (Coronavirus 2) infection. Strong immunity can be attained by consuming nutritious food. Having access to fresh, residue-free vegetable on daily basis can be a good way to add nutrition in the food of rural households. However, the pandemic has caused shortage in supply of vegetables for consumption purpose.
To resolve this situation the state team came up with the idea of conducting 20 days’ campaign of developing individual nutri-gardens in SHG households in 27 districts, 266 blocks, 10640 villages.
They capitalized on the strength of the well-trained community resource persons to disseminate knowledge and information and to motivate the SHGs. Such was the spirit of all the women in the SHGs that all districts have achieved the targets and many achieved more than two or three times the allocated numbers. Wardha, Yawatmal and Hingoli districts are the top three districts which have achieved phenomenal success in the campaign. Together all districts have created 92281 Nutri-Gardens which is way higher than the 28000 planned by us. All this without any investment from the government and only due to the " Do It" spirit of the women and our teams The only support given was effective online training to develop the layouts for nutri gardens along with details to make preparation and follow up on the sowing processes.
The campaign not only ensured better use of land but will also be ensuring an inexpensive, regular and handy supply of fresh vegetables, which are basic to nutrition. The villagers will save almost Rs.60 crores which they would have spent on purchasing vegetables and fruits. Additionally they would also be earning upto Rs.90 crores by sale of vegetables and fruits grown in their nutri garden.
This simple low cost sustainable approach is not less than a silent revolution in times of Covid 19. It will develop a habit to consume vegetables and also promote dietary diversification due to the development of nutri-garden. Four to five species of vegetables will be regularly available in the village throughout the year. Additionally there is a scope of creating new nutri enterprises.
The Nutri garden development campaign showcased the tremendous strength of community institutions and community cadre as SHG federations and community cadre throughout the state participated proactively in the campaign activities during the 20 days of the campaign.
The campaign has concluded however the work related to food, health, nutrition and sanitation will continue to take place in the field. MSRLM will now focus on sustaining the nutri gardens developed during campaign to ensure that households have access to nutritious vegetables for consumption throughout the year. MSRLM will also focus on ensuring diet diversification and incremental income source for SHG households in upcoming time.
The work built during campaign will be supplemented by behavior change communication practices in the field especially in the domain of Mother, Infant and Young Children Feeding (MIYCF) practices.
Convergence with MGNREGS for the promotion of Nutrigardens will give it a new life.
Thus Nutri-gardens have become a game changer in transforming rural lives. Prevention is certainly better than cure and good nutrition is the only remedy that can boost our immunity . After all nutritious food is our best medicine!

वरदान जीवन का....

वरदान जीवन का....

क्या वक़्त के साये में हूँ मैं छोटा सा तिनका
पवन जिसे उड़ाकर दूर दूर उछाल दे
क्या वक़्त के साये में हूँ तरल सा बबूला
हवा के झोंके जिसे उड़ा दे
क्या वक़्त के हाथों हूँ माटी की गुड़िया
ठोंकर लगते ही जो धम से टूटे
क्या वक़्त के हाथों हूँ रास्ते का पत्थर
राह चला जो कोई भी हटा दे
क्या वक़्त के हाथों हूँ समंदर का बालू
लहरों के झोंके जिसे मिटा दे
क्या वक़्त के हाथों हूँ हताश जीव
कीमती समय को जो यूँही गवा दे
क्या वक़्त के हाथों हूँ एक कायर
छोटी कठिनाईयों से घबरा जाए
नहीं, नहीं, नहीं, नहीं, यकीनन नहीं
सृष्टि से निर्मित हूँ प्राण अनोखा
सहारा तिनके का भी ना व्यर्थ गवां दूँ
ईश्वर का रचित हूँ दिलेर योद्धा
हर मुश्किल को मैं पार कर जाऊं
विश्वास मेरे मन का
बदले हवाओं का रुख
रचना मेरे हाथों की
दे माटी को नया रूप
मिटा दे समंदर गर बालू के निशान
किनारों पर रहेंगे मेरी अमिट छाप
साहसी हूँ मैं दृढ़ निश्चय मेरा
लांघूँगी हर पाबंदी देकर जी और जान
समझ लो तुम भी बस इतनी सी बात
वरदान हैं जीवन नहीं हैं अभिशाप
करते रहो मेहनत और मन से काम
तभी पार करोगे तुम मुश्किलें हज़ार....

मन विमल 

Bridging the gap in Banking : Bank Sakhis and BC Sakhis as Doorstep Bankers.....

Bridging the gap in Banking : Bank Sakhis and BC Sakhis as Doorstep Bankers.....

Banking has always been a challenging task for many of us. We are often caught signing on the cross mark made by banking officials in a hurry to get our loans or credit cards. Most people are eager to sign on the dotted line to ensure that their dream purchases of a home, car, other luxuries or education materialise. 

In contrast are our rural brethren who need money for their day to day needs and livelihoods but are largely unaware of banking systems and procedures. Distance from bank branches in the rural areas makes quality and timely access of financial Services difficult. Added to it are issues like overcrowding at branches, understaffed banks which hinders the small loans of SHGs. Therefore getting finance easily is a big challenge for self help groups. 

DAY NRLM came up with a unique plan for appointment of Bank Sakhis at Bank branches to facilitate banking for members of the self help groups. The Bank Sakhis provide much needed relief to the bank branches and function as a bridge between banks and the community. However they cannot undertake banking transactions. 

A Bank Sakhi” is someone who is a member of the self-help group and is involved in conducting banking and book-keeping activities of the group. On behalf of the bank she provides a range of financial services to the community except conducting transactions. 

The concept and role of Business Correspondents(BC) is different from that of the Bank Sakhis and was propagated by nationalised banks with gusto in the last decade. BCs are retail agents engaged by banks for providing banking services at locations other than a bank branch or ATM. BCs enable a bank to provide its limited range of banking services at low cost in remote areas. They are a great support for financial inclusion which is one of the pillars of DAY NRLM. 

Based on RBI guidelines BCs have to do a variety of functions like identification of borrowers, collection of small deposits, disbursal of small credit, recovery of principal / collection of interest, sale of micro insurance/ mutual fund products/ pension products/ other third party products, receipt and delivery of small value remittances/ other payment instruments and also create awareness about savings and other products. They are also responsible for education and advice on managing money and debt counseling etc.

Today MSRLM has more than 2000 Bank Sakhis and 2000 Financial Literacy Community Resource Persons (FLCRPs ) to initiate financial inclusion. However the number of BC Sakhis is limited to 390 BC Sakhis and 503 Digipay Sakhis. 

DAY NRLM has been propagating the concept of 'One Gram Panchayat, One BC Sakhi. Efforts are being made to ensure the concept gains momentum. 

With the onset of Covid 19 the need for BC Sakhis has multiplied specially since the Union Government announced release of Rs.500/- per month for 3 months into PMJDY Jan Dhan accounts of women. SRLMs were given the responsibility to transfer the fund with support of the Department of Financial Services and Banks.

Government of India also released other DBT funds like Rs.2000/- to PM Kisan Yojana accounts. MGNREGA wages payments had also to be made to address the financial stress being faced by the community.

Due to release of these funds through DBT a rush was expected at the Bank premises for withdrawal of these amounts. Therefore after great planning, instructions regarding withdrawal were given in advance by many Banks as to how and who can come to the Bank for withdrawal as per last digit of account numbers. 

It was at this juncture that the services of BC Sakhis (SHG women working as Business Corresspondents for banks) came to the rescue of banks as their services were utilized for making payments to the rural households in the villages. This prevented crowding in bank branches and also proved to be a boon to senior citizens and differently abled citizens. 

The BC Sakhis played a vital role amidst lockdown by disbursing financial relief packages provided by Government of India efficiently. 

The rural community facing socio-economic distress felt fortunate to have access to banking services at their door step in the unbanked areas through the BC Sakhis to meet their daily requirements during the lockdown period. It's a matter of great pride for MSRLM to acknowledge the fact that the BC Sakhis and Bank Sakhis have been able to handle over 2 lakh transactions worth Rs. 65 crores.

Banks have also understood the importance of BC Sakhis and Bank Sakhis and have issued special ID cards to them for Covid-19 as also Lockdown Pass as Essential Service Duty. Some banks have also issued letters and stickers to them for ease in conducting business. 

MSRLM is exploring partnership with Banks & Corporate BCs in their respective locations for effective implementation of this initiative. It has already signed MoUs with IFDC First Bank, Magnot Services and CSC E-governance Services India Ltd. 

 To encourage SHGs and it's members for increasing digital banking transactions MSRLM has taken the responsibility of training SHG members and providing them with support to get IIBF certification. MoRD has initiated a concept of ONE GP ONE BC. 

CSC E-governance is playing an important role in this by deploying SHG women as DIGIPAY Sakhis. MSRLM is planning to place about 2000 BC Sakhis in 2020-21 It has identified SHG women for the same. 

On 13th July as a part of the CSC Mahila Diwas celebrations, all districts in Maharashtra celebrated the day and distributed digipay devices. 

Bhandara,Wardha,Akola,Nashik Districts celebrated the day by distributing Digipay Devices to active SHG members who have been selected as BC Sakhi.

The Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad Bhandara, Ms. Bhuvaneswari celebrated the event by distributing 50 Digipay devices. 

The BC Sakhis and Bank Sakhis have made doorstep delivery of banking services a reality in rural Maharashtra. They are emerging as an alternate model in rural banking. 

 A salute to their spirit. 

P.S.- 16th July will be celebrated as CSC Diwas

मेघभरी शाम

मेघभरी शाम....

बादलों से घिरी
मेघभरी शाम
छटाओं से भरी
मेघभरी शाम
वादों से घिरी
मेघभरी शाम
यादों की लहरी
मेघभरी शाम
अपनों की नगरी
साथ संगत वो गहरी
मिलना मिलाना
हसीन फुहार की डगरी
लुप्त हो गई ज़रा
हालत यूं बदली
ना मिलना मिलाना
ना अपनों का आना
ना घूमना और फिरना
ना दोस्तों से टकराना
बेचैन हैँ सासें
बेताब सी आँखें
मिलने को आतुर
प्रियजन हमारे
डरे सहमे से सब
हैँ इतनी मजबूरी
बिगड़े है हालात
वायरस जो फैली
मगर इरादे हैँ बुलंद
हौसले के संग
दुआ और यातना
बदलेंगे रंग
पलटेगी किस्मत
लौटेगी बहार
घोलेगी कानों में मिसरी
होठों पे मुस्कान
छटेंगे बादल
होगी उल्हास
मेघभरी शाम लाएगी
खुशियों की फुहार.....

मन विमल

The Shining Sun behind Rainy Days.....

The Shining Sun behind Rainy Days.....

Rainy days always bring back special memories to every person. From paper boats floating in the rain water to a fun-filled walk in the flowing rains each one of us has experienced this sometime. There is something magical about the rains as they engulf us in a range of emotions, at times pushing us to let go and immerse ourselves into its beauty.
There have been times when I too have walked into its arms without an umbrella, unshielded to let go of myself and my inhibitions and at times even my tears. The salty water of my eyes mingling with the raindrops reaffiming Charlie Chaplin's take on it.
Mumbai has been experiencing a downpour the last few days. The rain drops lashing down on trees, roads and buildings. Pictures and videos of the waves from the mighty Arabian Sea striking the gibber stones on Marine drive keep surging in the media. There were times when my heart would be set on getting drenched in the rains in those settings. I seem to be at odds with it today wanting to protect myself from any possible infection. Thanks to Covid 19 times have changed so much that the new normal has become devoid of innocent drenching in the rains for most of us.
I also could not help recalling a poem on 'The Rainy Day', by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
" The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the moldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary."

This poem is a wonderful reflection of today's world post Covid 19. Like the rains, misery is an inseparable part of our lives. The first stanza of the poem describes the dreary weather conditions. The second stanza metaphorically links it to our melancholic thoughts and misery.
However one must give full credit to the poet for ultimately steering us to positivity in the last stanza where he says that it may be raining now but the sun is still shining behind the clouds. Our grief may prevent us from seeing it now but nevertheless it would certainly shine again.
Happiness and sufferings in life are cyclical. Each one of us undergoes heartache and pain but it is important to master the art of overcoming grief. Pain is compulsory but suffering can be optional. Ironically over the weekend I spoke about happiness on my YouTube channel only to face the tragic death of one of our young employees at office the very next day. 

Each day can be so unpredictable. All that remains with us is mastering the skill of maintaining our balance.
Times are specially tough now due to the fear of Corona virus and Covid 19 yet it is important to remain optimistic because it is this positive spirit which will help us sail through with certainty. So, be still, sad heart! and cease repining; behind the clouds is the sun still shining.....

Hellen Keller : A world beyond limitations....

Hellen Keller : A world beyond limitations.....

Two hands and legs, eyes and ears, a nose and a mouth and our brain, we take these for granted. Many times those of us who are blessed with all these are not even aware of the limitations their absence can cause.
Indeed a person with physical or mental disabilities maybe restrained yet that does deprive him or her of his right to participate equally. Neither does it mean that such persons are unable to meet success. History is replete with instances of achievements by persons with different kinds of disabilities. All of us have heard of Hellen Keller, 27 June, Hellen Keller Day commemorates the life and achievements of Helen Keller and also celebrates human resilience and achievement. It is a day which recognizes the struggles and hardships faced by those with disabilities so that we can have sensitivity towards them. 
Helen Keller was not born blind but lost her vision and ability to hear due to an illness. She lived in despair till Ms. Anne Sullivan, her teacher and trainer entered her life. Her initial days of learning were full of struggle. It was the cool and soothing touch of water which enabled her to understand and fathom the word, 'water'. There was no looking back after that. Such was the dedication of Ms. Anne Sullivan that Hellen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to earn a bachelor’s degree in the United States of America.
Sheer grit and determination enabled her to transform into a prominent personality, a well-known writer, an orator, a human rights advocate, a political and social activist. Most importantly she was a pioneer for those battling with disabilities in their lives. By her own example she proved that with self will and determination, one can overcome any limitation in life.  

Her story gives hope and is a source of inspiration and encouragement to those who have to face untold hardships by birth or due to some unfortunate incident in their lives. It demonstrates that with self commitment and dedication one can achieve anything and everything.
Positivity radiated from the life of Helen Keller. 
She stood by the fact that character could be strengthened through experience of trial and suffering.  She believed that unless we were dedicated to our work and derived happiness out of it we would be a menace to our profession as well as to ourselves.

Adding a ray of hope to everyone's life she said one should not be disappointed by failures because when one door closes, another opens. However often we look regretfully upon the closed door ignoring the one that has opened for us.
To her, social justice depended upon the great mass of the people because only their sense of responsibility would enable each other's welfare. She also said that one can attain happiness only by brightening lives of others. Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through dedication and commitment towards a worthy purpose.

Our success and happiness lies in us. If we resolve to be happy and remain joyful conquering all our difficulties would be much more easy. 
To her, education was not blind learning but a medium to train the child to use his brains, to make a place for himself in the world and maintain his rights even when society seemed to be shoving him into the scrap-heap.
She was appalled by the fact that millions were spent on war and war engines than on the entire public school system. And to her, a teacher was someone who breathes life into knowledge so that it takes new form in progress and civilization.
She had her moments of fame in Hollywood too when she was honoiured with the Academy Award for “Helen Keller in Her Story,” a 1955 documentary film about her life. Time magazine had listed her as one among the 100 most important figures of the 20th century in 1999.
When we hear the word ‘disabled,’ we inadvertently think about people who can’t walk or talk, see or hear or do anything which "normal" people take for granted. Hellen Keller was a towering personality who not only proved this wrong. She is a source of inspiration not only to persons with disabilities but  to millions of other people. What touches me most is her positivity and simple approach to life.

Honestly real disability exists among  those  who drown in self-pity, prrocrastinate and by being bitter are unable to find joys in life. Most of us would never know what it feels to be differently abled.  Yet all of us can imbibe the positive thoughts of Hellen Keller and look at life afresh. That would be a beffiting tribute to her and to humanity.....