Vimala Devi Boeken

An actor of traditional Hindu dramas meets an adolescent girl who turns out to be his half-sister. A man returns to Goa from Mozambique to father a child for a family whose unmarried daughters has produced no heirs. Another man feels out of place in his family home after returning from Portugal to get a university education, as a woman waits faithfully for him to return. A forbidden romance blooms between a Christian girl and a Hindu boy. Through these stories, written with a mix of poignant nostalgia and sharp criticism, Vimala Devi recreates the colonial Goa of her childhood. First published in 1963, two years after the Portuguese colony became part of India, Monsoon is a cycle of twelve stories that vary in tone. By turns satirical, desolate, tender, humorous, and dramatic, they come together through a subtle interplay of echoes, parallels and cross-references to form a composite picture of a world gone by. They delve into divisions of caste, religion, language, and material privilege, setting them off against a common historical experience and deeply felt attachment to the land. Including a critical and contextualizing introduction by Jason Keith Fernandes, this rendition of Monsoon allows contemporary readers a rare peep into a colonial society that was significantly different from the British Indian mainstream.

Focusing on women's involvement in community development in Nepal, the research employs both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to assess current participation levels and influencing factors. It analyzes participatory theory and concepts of gender and empowerment through a study of 50 women across 15 organizations in Kathmandu. The findings highlight the roles of various stakeholders, including NGOs and government entities, in enhancing women's participation. The paper concludes with recommendations aimed at individuals, communities, and organizations to bolster women's engagement in development initiatives.