Report from the Sambhali Trust by M.s. Johanna Johne.
Report for Lonely Planet Foundation Sunday, May 20, 2007
Sambhali – Sambhali Trust Non-profit Charitable Organization
Contact person and founder of Sambhali: Govind Singh Rathore
1st Old Public Park, Raika Bagh
342001 Jodhpur, Rajasthan
India
Volunteer: Johanna Johne
23 years old, female
student, BA social sciences at university Osnabrueck
Germany
1. Who is the person behind the project?
2. When was it founded?
3. What is the particular goal of the project?
4. Where does the project have its seat?
5. What programs are being offered in order to help and teach the participants
today?
6. What goals have been accomplished so far from my point of view?
7. Do I think this program can bring a change?
1. Who is the person behind the project?
Govind Singh Rathore is the founder of the project “Sambhali”.
Govind is 23 years old and works in a family run hostel which was founded by his father. Since childhood he has been in contact with foreigners from other cultural backgrounds and with different ideas. Some of them were working in the field of development aid. So at one point Govind decided to start a project as Indian in India to do something good for his own society. One of his other intentions was to help to face the new India of the 21st century which is becoming very modern and different from the traditional point of view. As women in all social layers of society have a weak position towards their husbands and families Govind decided to do something for women in particular. He chose to work with the weakest group of all, the untouchables or also called dalits. Members of this group are not even worse being in the caste system. They are outcasts and avoided by society. For them getting a job and a regular income is not easy and still they have to cope with traditional requests as the (dowry – girls family has to pay the wedding ceremony) just like any other Hindu as well. As the financial situation is very bad in this particular group of society, the pressure is very high on the families, which they in turn put on their women, daughters or daughters in law. This is where Govind wants to make a difference.
His intentions are to help the females to become more outspoken, especially when they are abused in a mental or even physical way by their husbands, brothers, uncles as well as mothers in law etc. The girls are to learn to speak up for themselves and openly ask for a change, for a compromise, for help. Govind wants them to recognize that they are not alone but a large number of people with similar problems who can create a unity, a network.
Personally, from my point of view Govind seems to be a highly motivated man, who is open-minded, caring, responsible and not just a talker when it comes to ideas. He wants to put them into action. Also what I like about him and what makes work much easier is the fact that he is open for critics and suggestions from others as well. Still, he manages not to lose his aims out of his viewpoint. Now, although he is very young he seems to have all the attributes needed for this kind of work.
2. When was the project “Sambhali” founded?
In Hindi language the name “Sambhali” stands for the self-consciousness of women.
The project “Sambhali” has had quite some history in 8 months only. In April 2006 Govind decided to put ideas into action and with the help and cooperation of 15 other people he founded the project “Sambhali coporative society limited Jodhpur”. In other words 15 persons were all partners by law, now trying to make a difference. Very soon, Govind realized that this special kind of association would not work for him and his interest. Everybody was involved, so everybody out of this group tried to influence the process in a very different way and also whenever this very person felt like this. A status of stagnation spread very soon so Govind decided to leave the group.
Despite this experience he decided to give it another try as the participants had already made a great progress and in result were asking for continuing with the program. Basic English, art& craft, and health and hygiene had been part of the program already. Therefore, the groundwork had been achieved in many ways. This gave Govind hope, self-confidence and also strength to try even harder. But this time he was choosing a different path. He would be the only one in charge to fasten things up and be more independent and flexible at the same time. Mainly with the help of friends from the U.S. financially but also with a great amount of know-how Govind started the “Sambhali Trust – a non profit Charitable organization” in January 2007. This time only 4 people (three very close family members as well as a very close family friend) were involved. In India a trust can only be created if there is a minimum of five people being involved as said by the C.P.A ’Public Charted accountant’. So Govind’s family stood up for him so he can start something new on his own. This by the way is almost unusual as working with people from the dalit community for higher casts members is not a reasonable thing to do.
Mainly because of these changes being mentioned above the project and its goals have had a greater seriousness about them from the moment of “Sumbhali” being a single man project?
3. What is the particular goal of the project?
The project of Sambhali particularly cares about the women and girls of the dalit community in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Govind wants the women to get a voice, to speak up for themselves and to learn how to cope with their new freedom. Of course, this takes a lot of work and cannot be achieved in a few years only. But it has to start at some point. Govind made the beginning in the area where he and his family live.
First and foremost the project concentrates on the girls’ self-esteem as well as their emotional status. Often times, the girls have had a very difficult life so far, a lot of bad experiences and the feeling of being powerless and in consequence hopeless also. Although the women play key roles in family-life and in traditions also, they are always inferior to men. In consequence they are shy, have a very low self-esteem and no hope whatsoever. This makes them even easier target to mental and physical abuse. Their life is a farce and they play the supporting role.
To fight this status of the particular goal of the project now is to give the participants some basic education in literacy, maths and English language. In top of that the founder likes the girls to learn some skills they can use to earn money with and by that become financially independent from their husbands and families if necessary. This would take a lot of pressure out of the girls’ life. It is not the intention to break up family structures. The aim is that the girls become more self-sufficient and by that eventually equally accepted members of their community and later of society in general also.
In a practical sense the goals for the project are to teach the women new skills (six months training), to provide them paid work, to provide safe and clean workshops, to provide basic human rights education, education about health and hygine and education about the development in urban und rural areas. In top of that, the girls get help in order to open an individual bank account, to develop their personality and by that build up their confidence and self-esteem. The project also wants to teach them in socializing skills and further on give them information about domestic violence, HIV etc. (have a look at http://sambhali-trust.org/projects/empower women/ index.html).
4. Where does the project have its seat?
The project has its seat in a family run hostel in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The founder saved one large rooftop with a wooden roof over it and in top of that he built a new school room for the girls with financial aid as donation and credit from the outside for the program. So the girls have two rooms on hostel property so far. For the number of 36 participants it is enough at this moment.
As the girls come here on a daily basis, the participants are somewhat treated as part of family. Now, being part of a family and especially one of a higher cast is a great honor and a sign of appreciation, love and respect. This gives the participants very much hope because they feel like they have a safe place to go to in case something bad happens. Also love and acceptance is usually rare in traditional families, especially towards women as they are seen as burden first and foremost.
In top of this first positive point, the hostel also gives the girls a chance to meet people from all over the world. Tourists pay them visits during their class hours and both parties get the chance to meet and talk with each other. This provides opportunity for the participants to interact with strangers and practice English at the same time. In addition, the girls get to see other customs and they recognize that especially women are not always treated the way they are treated in Indian communities. It is important to realize that it can be different as well. Not all of that has to be good or even better but there are different ways of social behavior and treating a woman in particular. This shows that their situations do not have to be static because there are other possibilities also – not easy to reach but they do exist.
The project being located in a hostel also teaches the tourist. Among them the project is creating a greater awareness towards social issues in India. But at the same time, the tourists are being shown that something is done for Indian society also. So in result both, girls and tourists learn from each other.
5. What programs are being offered in order to help and teach the participants today?
Momentarily, there are three different classes in the weekly schedule ,Except for Wednesdays and Saturdays, basic English is taught during the first two hours. Afterwards the girls practice traditional dance, play games or help Govind with some new ideas to make the class-room area look more beautiful. Especially playing games is important as at home the girls have to work most of the time as well as to learn how to behave properly towards their men. But after all they are still children. So Govind gives them also a chance to take a rest from duties every once in a while and just have some fun.
On Wednesdays the girls learn and practice traditional techniques of art and craft, embroidery and stitching. Saturday is used to address cultural and social issues. This class is not only about exchanging information and experiences but also about learning and practicing how to lead a discussion, look for pros and cons and work out a synthesis or a compromise. For that, the girls have to speak up and make their ideas, wishes and intentions known. Here the girls can practice without being punished when saying something wrong or in a wrong way. In top of that, this class is supposed to tighten the bonds between the girls in order to create a women’s network consisting out of trust, openness, honesty and directness.
6. What goals have been accomplished so far from my point of view?
I am here as a volunteer to teach basic English. That is a great accomplishment already. I am shortly going to explain why. I come from Germany, a very strict and well organized country when it comes to organization, money and security. Therefore, my German organization which gave me this address looks carefully if the project they recommend is professional working, safe for the volunteers they send and also effective in what they do. They want their volunteers not only to be a worker for free. But they are also interested in what comes out for the volunteer, if he/she learns a lot and gains many experiences he/ she can contribute from in another context as well. At the same time they also look if the volunteer they send gets treated well, that the area is not some kind of battlefield and also that the accommodation is suitable enough to be able to stay there for several months etc. So they look out for a lot of things which not every project can meet. The fact that my organization recommended “Sambhali” to me therefore also says a lot about Govind and his work so far. He managed to create a project worth of sending a volunteer there in eight months only.
In top of basic English classes Govind found professionals to teach the girls embroidery and all other sorts of handmade work. Since then they have produced many items which are sold in a little shop in the hostel to the tourists who stay over. This money also goes into the project. So the girls help to finance their own education really which is very impressive.
The schedule of the week does not include all the things Govind wants to teach the girls. Eventually, he invites speakers and professionals occasionally but not yet on a weekly or monthly basis. At this point it also has to be mentioned that professionals, who often times come from higher casts, often times do not want to teach for free, even if it is for a social benefit. In addition, they might have a hard time working with dalits also because it is impure to do so. In other words it is against their religion. Although the caste system has been officially abandoned for many years by now it is still intact. Therefore, money would also be used to invite people over and give the girls lessons about culture and certain issues like sexual intercourse, HIV, rape etc. as this is not openly talked about but nevertheless very important. Also Govind has had this idea about a mid day meal. The participants usually stay here from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. So mostly they do not eat between five to six hours when they come here. Providing for so many kids on everyday basis costs quite some money the project does not have at this point of time. We are talking about 4€ per day in order to feed approximately 20 students with some chapatti and vegetables curry. So this is also an idea standing on the waiting list.
To sum it all up, great things have been accomplished so far but now it is going into detail as the project becomes more complex every day and with every new idea come at least 3 more tasks to fulfill in order to make it work. It takes a lot of patience (Indian beaurocracy), personal time and sweat, and money of course, to be able to finance it. So although, quite some things of Govinds ideas haven’t been put into action yet, I still think he has achieved a lot so and he will not stop half way.
7. Do I think this program can bring a change?
Although I have only been in this project for 3 weeks by now, I do believe that the girls have gained a lot so far. For example, they were not afraid to come up to me, try to talk to me and also from day first on they were very eager to learn. They truly seem to enjoy being here at Govind’s place and they even come on Sundays which are normally off. They argue with each other, they laugh, they help each other in class , they basically get the chance to develop their own character and find out their interests instead of having to play a wife’s role all day long, even before marriage.
What has been accomplished so far also is that the girls have hope and interests. And sometimes they even know or have ideas about how they want to achieve them. Also, I got to see how they made scarves and bags with their own hands. I was very impressed, not only by the product but also by the traditional way of creating such wonderful work. Nevertheless, they didn’t know before. Govind asked a professional to teach them those kinds of things. This is also why Wednesday is art and craft day – the girls are to practice on a regular basis so they do not forget what they have learned so far but also it is important for them to improve their skills.
To sum it all up, the participants have changed. They became more outspoken, they came to realize that they are more than only what society reduces them to – “slaves of the household” and “birth machines to little baby boys”. They are individuals. They have dreams and whishes, which of course cannot all come true but now there is hope. And maybe some things will come true. They now know that they can work on it and make a change in their own life at least to some extend.
Despite all those positive impressions I have, there also seems to be a dark side to it. For example, this situation they are experiencing right now won’t stay like this forever. The girls will get married some day in near future. So you show them the world and in the end they still have to go back to family duties. Therefore, they will be put back in old structures of society again. Eventually, they can raise their children to be more open minded and treating the next generation of girls in an equal way. Also they might be able to use their English skills every once in a while and sell some hand made items they produced all by themselves. This project will surely help them after all; still it will not have the very impact so soon which is being hoped for by the founder and by the girls. I just hope they will not be disappointed. Once you know it can be different you will have greater difficulties to deal with the very same situation again as just before because you know different, you know better. The dilemma of having to go back anyways could create big disappointment and make them questioning the whole program in worst case.
Another issue Govind has to deal with on a daily basis is that once one girl stops to come, than the whole family, cousins, sisters, etc. do not come anymore also. Once again this shows the great influence of family and family structures. To overcome this will take a lot of time, faith and experience with this particular community of dalits in order to be able to create a regular program of all of the participants. Their community always has the last word in terms of making decisions. So Govind in a way depends on them and their good will. I think he is doing a great job so far. For instance, he is trying to clear everything up before problems can rise up to something unmanageable anymore. Often times he would call in meetings and talk about recent issues and problems. It is a learning process for the men of the community also because why would somebody from a high cast be interested in helping dalits and especially girls. They have to learn to trust Govind, to trust in his ambitions, goals, will and abilities. This is a hard piece of work and Govind has to think about every step twice in order to get the community on his side and also keep this status up. In this paragraph I think it became clear that a great change can not come over night but takes a long time to fulfill.
Nevertheless, some things can be changed in the near future I think, not particularly for the status of the single woman really but for the situation of them in this very community them in general.
By coming here almost every day, learning new things, sharing a lot of nice moments with each other, eventually a women’s network will develop through friendship. During the next step Govind teaches the girls that they have to stand up for each other, no matter of like or dislike, but because of this is the only way of achieving some change. There have been a number of incidents already where they gained experiences and got proof at the same time that working and moving in a group gives some amount of power and influence to make a difference. Therefore, by creating a women’s network a change can take place inside the community. It will be easier if everybody works together, those who do harm, are punished in a way they deserve it, and good can spread and make the community stronger for challenges from the outside, modern India as well. Nevertheless, family structures and also big structures of society cannot be influenced that easily and it will take decades to be able to recognize a real change in the role of women in society compared to the pictures nowadays. As Govind knows this and also because of the fact that even if educated the women of the project will have a hard time finding a job and become independent, he wants to open shop ‘Sambhali India’ which is already registered with Indian government with all sorts of licenses etc to import and export the handicraft also. The Firm Sambhali India has opened up to employ the girls and women from Sambhali Trust and sell things they have produced on their own. In other words, his next step is to create a frame of protection and business at the same time in which he intends to ensure the employment of new skilled and educated dalit women. After two years of being trained in the project they finish their education and can, if they like, start in one of his businesses or open their own business independently with the help of Trust, already Govind has opened a very small shop to research the market related to travelers. The shop is in his hostel which is quite successful in season. I would like to call this status a “step in between development”, before finally achieving the higher goal – equality of men and women in Indian society. Of course, the final goal cannot be raising skilled workers for own business purposes only. Unfortunately, at this point of time in society this is the only chance to ensure these women a regular income, a great amount of independence and self-reliance as well as a new role in family which is supposed to change societal structures in the long run as well. In other words, the women of the project do need a man to represent them in business matters nowadays because society demands it. In top of that, I am sure that the women will be very grateful in the beginning as well. After all, they do not know how to run their own business. Govind gives them the chance of practicing and making important experiences in how to treat and talk to a customer, how to work with money, and to organize themselves in order to get work done and earn out of it. I am sure they have to get used to this new kind of freedom also. They will have a great responsibility. Nevertheless, I don’t doubt that they will learn fast and do a great job.
I have been in the project of “Sambhali” since the 30th of April, 2007 and not at one single moment I was in doubt of the motivations and actions being taken by Govind for this project. Some things might seem strange and different to me sometimes. But I do trust Govind, I have trust in his faith, in his motivations and also in his abilities.
Govind has made a choice for life really. Because after all, those women are human beings with emotions and feelings and already they are very much attached to him because he has done so many good and joyful things for them. He not only took them into his family but also the other way around. And already there is a network which hopefully will grow in number of participants and strength and thus be able to change a lot of things in favor for these wonderful women.
Thank you kindly for your interest and your time
Sincerely
Johne Johanna
Report for Lonely Planet Foundation Sunday, May 20, 2007
Sambhali – Sambhali Trust Non-profit Charitable Organization
Contact person and founder of Sambhali: Govind Singh Rathore
1st Old Public Park, Raika Bagh
342001 Jodhpur, Rajasthan
India
Volunteer: Johanna Johne
23 years old, female
student, BA social sciences at university Osnabrueck
Germany
1. Who is the person behind the project?
2. When was it founded?
3. What is the particular goal of the project?
4. Where does the project have its seat?
5. What programs are being offered in order to help and teach the participants
today?
6. What goals have been accomplished so far from my point of view?
7. Do I think this program can bring a change?
1. Who is the person behind the project?
Govind Singh Rathore is the founder of the project “Sambhali”.
Govind is 23 years old and works in a family run hostel which was founded by his father. Since childhood he has been in contact with foreigners from other cultural backgrounds and with different ideas. Some of them were working in the field of development aid. So at one point Govind decided to start a project as Indian in India to do something good for his own society. One of his other intentions was to help to face the new India of the 21st century which is becoming very modern and different from the traditional point of view. As women in all social layers of society have a weak position towards their husbands and families Govind decided to do something for women in particular. He chose to work with the weakest group of all, the untouchables or also called dalits. Members of this group are not even worse being in the caste system. They are outcasts and avoided by society. For them getting a job and a regular income is not easy and still they have to cope with traditional requests as the (dowry – girls family has to pay the wedding ceremony) just like any other Hindu as well. As the financial situation is very bad in this particular group of society, the pressure is very high on the families, which they in turn put on their women, daughters or daughters in law. This is where Govind wants to make a difference.
His intentions are to help the females to become more outspoken, especially when they are abused in a mental or even physical way by their husbands, brothers, uncles as well as mothers in law etc. The girls are to learn to speak up for themselves and openly ask for a change, for a compromise, for help. Govind wants them to recognize that they are not alone but a large number of people with similar problems who can create a unity, a network.
Personally, from my point of view Govind seems to be a highly motivated man, who is open-minded, caring, responsible and not just a talker when it comes to ideas. He wants to put them into action. Also what I like about him and what makes work much easier is the fact that he is open for critics and suggestions from others as well. Still, he manages not to lose his aims out of his viewpoint. Now, although he is very young he seems to have all the attributes needed for this kind of work.
2. When was the project “Sambhali” founded?
In Hindi language the name “Sambhali” stands for the self-consciousness of women.
The project “Sambhali” has had quite some history in 8 months only. In April 2006 Govind decided to put ideas into action and with the help and cooperation of 15 other people he founded the project “Sambhali coporative society limited Jodhpur”. In other words 15 persons were all partners by law, now trying to make a difference. Very soon, Govind realized that this special kind of association would not work for him and his interest. Everybody was involved, so everybody out of this group tried to influence the process in a very different way and also whenever this very person felt like this. A status of stagnation spread very soon so Govind decided to leave the group.
Despite this experience he decided to give it another try as the participants had already made a great progress and in result were asking for continuing with the program. Basic English, art& craft, and health and hygiene had been part of the program already. Therefore, the groundwork had been achieved in many ways. This gave Govind hope, self-confidence and also strength to try even harder. But this time he was choosing a different path. He would be the only one in charge to fasten things up and be more independent and flexible at the same time. Mainly with the help of friends from the U.S. financially but also with a great amount of know-how Govind started the “Sambhali Trust – a non profit Charitable organization” in January 2007. This time only 4 people (three very close family members as well as a very close family friend) were involved. In India a trust can only be created if there is a minimum of five people being involved as said by the C.P.A ’Public Charted accountant’. So Govind’s family stood up for him so he can start something new on his own. This by the way is almost unusual as working with people from the dalit community for higher casts members is not a reasonable thing to do.
Mainly because of these changes being mentioned above the project and its goals have had a greater seriousness about them from the moment of “Sumbhali” being a single man project?
3. What is the particular goal of the project?
The project of Sambhali particularly cares about the women and girls of the dalit community in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Govind wants the women to get a voice, to speak up for themselves and to learn how to cope with their new freedom. Of course, this takes a lot of work and cannot be achieved in a few years only. But it has to start at some point. Govind made the beginning in the area where he and his family live.
First and foremost the project concentrates on the girls’ self-esteem as well as their emotional status. Often times, the girls have had a very difficult life so far, a lot of bad experiences and the feeling of being powerless and in consequence hopeless also. Although the women play key roles in family-life and in traditions also, they are always inferior to men. In consequence they are shy, have a very low self-esteem and no hope whatsoever. This makes them even easier target to mental and physical abuse. Their life is a farce and they play the supporting role.
To fight this status of the particular goal of the project now is to give the participants some basic education in literacy, maths and English language. In top of that the founder likes the girls to learn some skills they can use to earn money with and by that become financially independent from their husbands and families if necessary. This would take a lot of pressure out of the girls’ life. It is not the intention to break up family structures. The aim is that the girls become more self-sufficient and by that eventually equally accepted members of their community and later of society in general also.
In a practical sense the goals for the project are to teach the women new skills (six months training), to provide them paid work, to provide safe and clean workshops, to provide basic human rights education, education about health and hygine and education about the development in urban und rural areas. In top of that, the girls get help in order to open an individual bank account, to develop their personality and by that build up their confidence and self-esteem. The project also wants to teach them in socializing skills and further on give them information about domestic violence, HIV etc. (have a look at http://sambhali-trust.org/projects/empower women/ index.html).
4. Where does the project have its seat?
The project has its seat in a family run hostel in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The founder saved one large rooftop with a wooden roof over it and in top of that he built a new school room for the girls with financial aid as donation and credit from the outside for the program. So the girls have two rooms on hostel property so far. For the number of 36 participants it is enough at this moment.
As the girls come here on a daily basis, the participants are somewhat treated as part of family. Now, being part of a family and especially one of a higher cast is a great honor and a sign of appreciation, love and respect. This gives the participants very much hope because they feel like they have a safe place to go to in case something bad happens. Also love and acceptance is usually rare in traditional families, especially towards women as they are seen as burden first and foremost.
In top of this first positive point, the hostel also gives the girls a chance to meet people from all over the world. Tourists pay them visits during their class hours and both parties get the chance to meet and talk with each other. This provides opportunity for the participants to interact with strangers and practice English at the same time. In addition, the girls get to see other customs and they recognize that especially women are not always treated the way they are treated in Indian communities. It is important to realize that it can be different as well. Not all of that has to be good or even better but there are different ways of social behavior and treating a woman in particular. This shows that their situations do not have to be static because there are other possibilities also – not easy to reach but they do exist.
The project being located in a hostel also teaches the tourist. Among them the project is creating a greater awareness towards social issues in India. But at the same time, the tourists are being shown that something is done for Indian society also. So in result both, girls and tourists learn from each other.
5. What programs are being offered in order to help and teach the participants today?
Momentarily, there are three different classes in the weekly schedule ,Except for Wednesdays and Saturdays, basic English is taught during the first two hours. Afterwards the girls practice traditional dance, play games or help Govind with some new ideas to make the class-room area look more beautiful. Especially playing games is important as at home the girls have to work most of the time as well as to learn how to behave properly towards their men. But after all they are still children. So Govind gives them also a chance to take a rest from duties every once in a while and just have some fun.
On Wednesdays the girls learn and practice traditional techniques of art and craft, embroidery and stitching. Saturday is used to address cultural and social issues. This class is not only about exchanging information and experiences but also about learning and practicing how to lead a discussion, look for pros and cons and work out a synthesis or a compromise. For that, the girls have to speak up and make their ideas, wishes and intentions known. Here the girls can practice without being punished when saying something wrong or in a wrong way. In top of that, this class is supposed to tighten the bonds between the girls in order to create a women’s network consisting out of trust, openness, honesty and directness.
6. What goals have been accomplished so far from my point of view?
I am here as a volunteer to teach basic English. That is a great accomplishment already. I am shortly going to explain why. I come from Germany, a very strict and well organized country when it comes to organization, money and security. Therefore, my German organization which gave me this address looks carefully if the project they recommend is professional working, safe for the volunteers they send and also effective in what they do. They want their volunteers not only to be a worker for free. But they are also interested in what comes out for the volunteer, if he/she learns a lot and gains many experiences he/ she can contribute from in another context as well. At the same time they also look if the volunteer they send gets treated well, that the area is not some kind of battlefield and also that the accommodation is suitable enough to be able to stay there for several months etc. So they look out for a lot of things which not every project can meet. The fact that my organization recommended “Sambhali” to me therefore also says a lot about Govind and his work so far. He managed to create a project worth of sending a volunteer there in eight months only.
In top of basic English classes Govind found professionals to teach the girls embroidery and all other sorts of handmade work. Since then they have produced many items which are sold in a little shop in the hostel to the tourists who stay over. This money also goes into the project. So the girls help to finance their own education really which is very impressive.
The schedule of the week does not include all the things Govind wants to teach the girls. Eventually, he invites speakers and professionals occasionally but not yet on a weekly or monthly basis. At this point it also has to be mentioned that professionals, who often times come from higher casts, often times do not want to teach for free, even if it is for a social benefit. In addition, they might have a hard time working with dalits also because it is impure to do so. In other words it is against their religion. Although the caste system has been officially abandoned for many years by now it is still intact. Therefore, money would also be used to invite people over and give the girls lessons about culture and certain issues like sexual intercourse, HIV, rape etc. as this is not openly talked about but nevertheless very important. Also Govind has had this idea about a mid day meal. The participants usually stay here from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. So mostly they do not eat between five to six hours when they come here. Providing for so many kids on everyday basis costs quite some money the project does not have at this point of time. We are talking about 4€ per day in order to feed approximately 20 students with some chapatti and vegetables curry. So this is also an idea standing on the waiting list.
To sum it all up, great things have been accomplished so far but now it is going into detail as the project becomes more complex every day and with every new idea come at least 3 more tasks to fulfill in order to make it work. It takes a lot of patience (Indian beaurocracy), personal time and sweat, and money of course, to be able to finance it. So although, quite some things of Govinds ideas haven’t been put into action yet, I still think he has achieved a lot so and he will not stop half way.
7. Do I think this program can bring a change?
Although I have only been in this project for 3 weeks by now, I do believe that the girls have gained a lot so far. For example, they were not afraid to come up to me, try to talk to me and also from day first on they were very eager to learn. They truly seem to enjoy being here at Govind’s place and they even come on Sundays which are normally off. They argue with each other, they laugh, they help each other in class , they basically get the chance to develop their own character and find out their interests instead of having to play a wife’s role all day long, even before marriage.
What has been accomplished so far also is that the girls have hope and interests. And sometimes they even know or have ideas about how they want to achieve them. Also, I got to see how they made scarves and bags with their own hands. I was very impressed, not only by the product but also by the traditional way of creating such wonderful work. Nevertheless, they didn’t know before. Govind asked a professional to teach them those kinds of things. This is also why Wednesday is art and craft day – the girls are to practice on a regular basis so they do not forget what they have learned so far but also it is important for them to improve their skills.
To sum it all up, the participants have changed. They became more outspoken, they came to realize that they are more than only what society reduces them to – “slaves of the household” and “birth machines to little baby boys”. They are individuals. They have dreams and whishes, which of course cannot all come true but now there is hope. And maybe some things will come true. They now know that they can work on it and make a change in their own life at least to some extend.
Despite all those positive impressions I have, there also seems to be a dark side to it. For example, this situation they are experiencing right now won’t stay like this forever. The girls will get married some day in near future. So you show them the world and in the end they still have to go back to family duties. Therefore, they will be put back in old structures of society again. Eventually, they can raise their children to be more open minded and treating the next generation of girls in an equal way. Also they might be able to use their English skills every once in a while and sell some hand made items they produced all by themselves. This project will surely help them after all; still it will not have the very impact so soon which is being hoped for by the founder and by the girls. I just hope they will not be disappointed. Once you know it can be different you will have greater difficulties to deal with the very same situation again as just before because you know different, you know better. The dilemma of having to go back anyways could create big disappointment and make them questioning the whole program in worst case.
Another issue Govind has to deal with on a daily basis is that once one girl stops to come, than the whole family, cousins, sisters, etc. do not come anymore also. Once again this shows the great influence of family and family structures. To overcome this will take a lot of time, faith and experience with this particular community of dalits in order to be able to create a regular program of all of the participants. Their community always has the last word in terms of making decisions. So Govind in a way depends on them and their good will. I think he is doing a great job so far. For instance, he is trying to clear everything up before problems can rise up to something unmanageable anymore. Often times he would call in meetings and talk about recent issues and problems. It is a learning process for the men of the community also because why would somebody from a high cast be interested in helping dalits and especially girls. They have to learn to trust Govind, to trust in his ambitions, goals, will and abilities. This is a hard piece of work and Govind has to think about every step twice in order to get the community on his side and also keep this status up. In this paragraph I think it became clear that a great change can not come over night but takes a long time to fulfill.
Nevertheless, some things can be changed in the near future I think, not particularly for the status of the single woman really but for the situation of them in this very community them in general.
By coming here almost every day, learning new things, sharing a lot of nice moments with each other, eventually a women’s network will develop through friendship. During the next step Govind teaches the girls that they have to stand up for each other, no matter of like or dislike, but because of this is the only way of achieving some change. There have been a number of incidents already where they gained experiences and got proof at the same time that working and moving in a group gives some amount of power and influence to make a difference. Therefore, by creating a women’s network a change can take place inside the community. It will be easier if everybody works together, those who do harm, are punished in a way they deserve it, and good can spread and make the community stronger for challenges from the outside, modern India as well. Nevertheless, family structures and also big structures of society cannot be influenced that easily and it will take decades to be able to recognize a real change in the role of women in society compared to the pictures nowadays. As Govind knows this and also because of the fact that even if educated the women of the project will have a hard time finding a job and become independent, he wants to open shop ‘Sambhali India’ which is already registered with Indian government with all sorts of licenses etc to import and export the handicraft also. The Firm Sambhali India has opened up to employ the girls and women from Sambhali Trust and sell things they have produced on their own. In other words, his next step is to create a frame of protection and business at the same time in which he intends to ensure the employment of new skilled and educated dalit women. After two years of being trained in the project they finish their education and can, if they like, start in one of his businesses or open their own business independently with the help of Trust, already Govind has opened a very small shop to research the market related to travelers. The shop is in his hostel which is quite successful in season. I would like to call this status a “step in between development”, before finally achieving the higher goal – equality of men and women in Indian society. Of course, the final goal cannot be raising skilled workers for own business purposes only. Unfortunately, at this point of time in society this is the only chance to ensure these women a regular income, a great amount of independence and self-reliance as well as a new role in family which is supposed to change societal structures in the long run as well. In other words, the women of the project do need a man to represent them in business matters nowadays because society demands it. In top of that, I am sure that the women will be very grateful in the beginning as well. After all, they do not know how to run their own business. Govind gives them the chance of practicing and making important experiences in how to treat and talk to a customer, how to work with money, and to organize themselves in order to get work done and earn out of it. I am sure they have to get used to this new kind of freedom also. They will have a great responsibility. Nevertheless, I don’t doubt that they will learn fast and do a great job.
I have been in the project of “Sambhali” since the 30th of April, 2007 and not at one single moment I was in doubt of the motivations and actions being taken by Govind for this project. Some things might seem strange and different to me sometimes. But I do trust Govind, I have trust in his faith, in his motivations and also in his abilities.
Govind has made a choice for life really. Because after all, those women are human beings with emotions and feelings and already they are very much attached to him because he has done so many good and joyful things for them. He not only took them into his family but also the other way around. And already there is a network which hopefully will grow in number of participants and strength and thus be able to change a lot of things in favor for these wonderful women.
Thank you kindly for your interest and your time
Sincerely
Johne Johanna
