HYDERABAD:In an unique initiative, the officials of the State Home of Telangana Women and Child Welfare Department here are doing something beyond their duty which no other ‘Home’ across the country does for the welfare of orphan women who take shelter there.
Under an unofficial ‘mission,’ the Women and Child Welfare Department is giving the residents of ‘State Home’ a new life by finding them eligible life partners from well settled families. In a span of less than four years, the officials managed to conduct marriages of five young women, who are now leading a happy life.
It all started few years ago when an officer at the State Home found that the orphan women are lacking social security once they leave the Home. The government provides the orphan women aged between 18-35, a shelter at Home for a limited period and train them in professional courses.
Every year, the Home receives marriage proposals from men who want to marry orphan women for various reasons. Some have progressive thoughts, while some other make an attempt to exploit the helplessness of lonely women. Hence the officials conduct a discrete inquiry to know the social and financial background of the candidates and chose only the best among them.
“Our enquiry includes even minor details like habits and social groups of the candidates,” said B N Girija, Woman and Child Welfare Officer at the State Home. A final call will be taken only after the women agree for the proposal.
“They also have some dreams. We don’t want them to live with somebody they don’t like. They are no different from our daughters,” she added.
Currently the State Home has around 60 pending marriage proposals. Interestingly, factors like caste and social status have no place in these weddings. Majority of the applications have come from candidates belonging to upper castes. All five marriages at the Home were inter-caste marriages, Girija said.
This initiative by the officials was widely appreciated by philanthropists who, so far gave donations to make all the wedding arrangements ranging from decorating the stage to organising the wedding feast. Recently, a new couple also got gifts from the guests who attended the marriage, the women at Home said.