Vijayawada: Vasavya Mahila Mandali, an NGO in the Vijayawada city, is working to make women stronger, bolder and more dynamic by training them in self-defence.
The target is to train as many as 1 lakh girls and women and make them stronger, both physically and mentally, so that they can face hurdles in life or harassment attempts from colleagues or strangers or anti-social elements.
Presently, training is being imparted to select Mahila Mitra members and Mahila Mitra coordinators. A training camp was inaugurated on December 7 by Vijayawada police commissioner Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao.
The Vasavya Mahila Mandali trains 150 girl students of various colleges and schools in Vijayawada limits at a time in its campus at AG & SG college in Vuyyuru.
For help with the training, the Vasavya Mahila Mandali has approached well-known self-defence trainers N. Lakshmi Samrajyam and Ravi, the founder and chief coaches of Rudrama Devi Self Defence Academy, Podili, Prakasam district.
They are training members of the Mahila Mitra and Mahila Mitra coordinators on how to prevent chain snatchings, kidnapping, rape, murders, knife attempts etc. The trainees are also being taught how to teach self-defence to others.
Speaking to DC, VMM secretary G. Rashmi said, “The present training sessions will conclude on December 15 and will start for girl students the same day. The first camp will be held at the AG&SG college, Vuyyuru “she added.
Ms Reshmi added, “We planned to complete training sessions for 1 lakh girl students by January 30 and are planning to organise a demonstration in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at Pavitrasangamam.”
She added that the proposal has been formally accepted by district collector B. Lakshmikantham and the police commissioner.
Instructor Lakshmi Samrajyam said that the academy’s chief coach Ravi is 7th dan Black Belt and she herself is an international gold medallist with 5th dan Black Belt. They have been giving training to the police department for the past 30 years.
Ms Samrajyam said that the self-defence training classes was the brainchild of former MP late Chennupati Vidya. “Training 1 lakh students and women is a record and it will be a major awareness among the public,” she said.
A housewife and a Mahila Mitra member K. Lakshmi Manohara from Patamata said, “Confidence levels will increase among the girls and women with this training.”
