A VISIT TO PUNDITA RAMABAI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2691, 11 October 1905, Page 81

A VISIT TO PUNDITA RAMABAI.

During his recent trip to India Mr Samuel Smith, the well-known member of the British House of Commons, found time to visit Ramabai and her wonderful colony at Mukti. The* following report (which he wrote upon his return) is an excellent summary of the facts concerning the work of this extraordinary woman, and will be read with pleasure in view of the great effort which is to take place this week by local friends of the mission, with the view of raising funds to aid in the prosecution and extension of this noble enterprise : —

"We paid a visit yesterday to the wonderful work carried on by the Pundita Ramabai, not very far from Poona. This Hindu lady was the daughter of Brahmin parents who perished in the famine of 1876. She was married, and lost her husband, and learned by sad experience how trying is tHe lot of an Indian, widow. Being ail educated woman, she resolved to devote her life to help that oppressed class. She spent some time in America and England, and passed through various >- phases of religious thought, ending in becoming an evangelical Christian. She opened a home for widows m Poona on a small scale, but when 'the terrible famines of- 1897 and 1900 filled the country* with orphans, she felt called to provide for them, especially ftr the girls. Pier number grew until there were 2000 under her care. She acted on George Mailer's principles of trusting in faith and prayer to obtain supplies, and she has been able to go on till now, never failing to get sufficient. She has now I established a colony at a quiet rural placo called Kedgaon, and quite a village has sprung up there, with a beautiful largo church and apparatus for industrial trainj ing. She has at the present time 1600 inmates, and 10 ladies who work with hey, British and American, as well as her daughter. All live like natives, and share with the children- any scarcity of food there may be. They seem perfectly happy in their work. I was struck with the bright faces of the dear children. Many of them were so emaciated -when they were received that they died afterwards. The mortality was very great for one or iwo years, as always happens with famine orphans. Government sent a sanitary inspector, who suggested improvements which have been carried out, and now the colony 13 very healthy. The real difficulty is ho*? t3 dispose ot the girls when they grow up. Openings for single women are rare in India. I discussed this with Ramabai. She thinks that many will be utilised as teachers and .Bible women in other missions, and many will .get married to youths trained un in mission schools. She is not anxious abont N:he future. She is a remarkable woman, of excellent natural powers, as well as of great faith and love, and has the entire confidence of her colleagues. She now receives for this work some £10.000 a year, much of il; from Australia. The cost of living and clothes is about three and a-half rupees a month, or nearly ss. It is marvellous how cheaply the poor can live in India. . But in famine years the cost is much greater; and I am sorry to say that the crops are suffering much from drouglifc, both in the Bombay and Madras Presdencies, I- fear that famine relief works will have" to be started in some places."'