Vanasthalee started working towards educating rural women in a very systematic and structured way by starting a course to educate rural women and training them to become Balwadi teachers in 6 months. Vanasthalee today is working in 9 districts in Maharashtra with centres at Udgir, Jejuri, Baramati, Sangola, Sreerampur, Sangamner, Talegaon, Uralikanchan, Somatne and Lasalgaon. Somatne Centre - At this center, women are trained to become balwadi teachers and can also learn special skills, such as preparing liquid soap ,perfumes, candle making, decorative craft items, etc. which will enable them to earn, and become economically independent. During this year 150 women benefited from various training programmes. Our club decided to assist the Vocational training centre at Somatane village by donating the following items and also by participating in the training activities No. Particulars No 1 Mats 10 2 Chairs 15 3 Water Tank (Sintex) 1 4 Water purifier 2 5 Toilet Tank 1 An additional amount of Rs 20,000/- was donated for the mobile library or “firte vachanalay” i.e another popular activity of vanasthalee which provides children from remote villages , access to books and toys. The women at the centre enacted a skit which addressed the issues of dowry, sex determination, female child abortion, and bride burning. It was more touching as they were presenting their own challenges ! The skit ended on a very positive note where all the women in village decide to come together and raise their voice against this injustice and one of the songs in the skit had a line “Hunda magnaryana kutuyat!!” (Translated as “lets beat up those who demand dowry”) We witnessed the change.. the progress happening in society..slowly and steadily as when these young women become the ‘mother-in-law’ they will definitely not demand dowry or insist on a male child! Director Projects Rtn. Nandu presented the donation cheque to Mrs Bharati, of Vansthalee. Rtn. Ashatai Rashingkar, Rtn. Tanmay, Rtn Shashank, Rtn Amruta , Rtn. Ganesh and Rtn Vaishali presented the certificates to the participants who had successfully completed the balwadi teachers training program. TV star Rtn Dr Varada was most popular and was busy giving autographs to the the young girls