Friday, May 30, 2008

First Impression and Report by Intern Ms. Casey Lord

An untouchable, indestructible army

Casey Lord is interning with Sambhali Trust in Jodhpur, India, an NGO whose mission is to empower Harijan (“untouchable”) women by providing them an environment free from discrimination and home duties where they can learn new skills in sewing, embroidery and basic English. Casey is particularly involved with the sewing initiative of the Trust and is hoping to use her time in Jodhpur to strengthen the Trust’s sustainability by improving the market prospects for Sambhali’s handicrafts.


Fighting the mounting summer temperatures of the Thar desert, I carefully wrapped, pleated and pinned my new cotton sari into position this morning in preparation for another meeting with Jodhpur bureaucracy. Saraswati has checked my tucks and folds and given me a red bindi - I look the part and I’m ready to go. Today I am going to the police station on behalf of a local Harijan woman whose life has been turned upside-down by her betraying, polygamist husband and in-laws. Pinkie’s husband has married and had a child with a fourteen-year old girl, bringing his ‘new family’ into the home where Pinkie and her children already live. The in-laws, also sharing the house, are favoring the ‘new family’ and are abusing Pinkie in an attempt to expel her. Pinkie has nowhere to go and has no control over the situation. I will stand with six other (also Harijan) women and protest for her basic right to a life without threat or violence.

This is not exactly an average day of my internship, but it’s certainly not unusual. There are forty-five participants who meet daily at Sambhali Trust but the outreach of the project is somewhat larger. Govind, the trust’s founder, is an incredibly dedicated and passionate man who is entirely committed to the welfare of these girls. His efforts overflow the trust’s permeable boundaries and touch the lives of the girls’ families and other needy members living in the community. The girls at the trust are encouraged to stand up for themselves, act on their own initiative and ultimately build a sense of worth and solidarity so deeply rooted that it will stay with them when they leave the project and bear fruit to a life more successful than that of their parents. Thus, when Pinkie approached Govind in dire straights she met not only a man who would refuse to turn her away but an army of forty-five young girls all ready to fight for her cause.

I am almost halfway through my nine-week internship and have had the opportunity to learn a great deal about working with a grassroots organization and have become fully immersed in the local culture. I’m reaching a transitional stage of applying what I have learnt about the needs of the trust and its participants into a personal project, a project that coheres with the trust’s mission and serves to increase its sustainability. Quality control and rigorous management are recurrent problems that NGOs with a sewing program face everyday, and I hope that my Western background can bring an alternative light into the organization. By researching successfully established organizations in the region Sambhali can develop a model on which to base its growth, and as the organization evolves into a self-sustainable project it can endeavor to support its participants even once they have left.

Govind has great dreams about the future of Sambhali and its sister organizations and I feel very excited to be a part of the realization of these dreams. I am grateful to FSD for providing me with the opportunity to work with such a special organization, to form a mutual relationship of new knowledge and experience, and for allowing me to join forces with a very unique army of empowered women.

First Impression of the Sambhali Trust

When I walked into the Durag Niwas guest house the Sambhali girls were already waiting for me, standing in the doorway ready to greet me with the traditional red bindi paste and a beautiful garland of aromatic flowers. They escorted me upstairs and welcomed me by performing a traditional dance (in which I was encouraged to participate!). Then, one by one, they introduced themselves in English. I was very touched and felt speechless when it was my turn. It was clear from the girls’ faces and hospitality that they were enthralled by having a visitor; but not as shy as you might expect. In the fifteen months that they have been here, strong bonds have formed between them and they have grown into confident young women with a strong sense of solidarity. In the hours that followed I watched the girls as they chatted with one another, worked at their embroidery and sat down to eat their lunch. There is a strong contrast between the girls who are new to Sambhali Trust and those who have been here since the beginning. The effects of the trust are evident in each participant and I am very impressed with the results.


I am filled with a sense of awe at the challenge that lies ahead of me and I hope that the knowledge and understanding I have of these girls’ backgrounds and culture is sufficient for me to begin to work to help them. When they girls are together they seem larger than the sum of their parts and I can immediately appreciate how much work it must’ve taken to achieve such solidarity. I only hope that this self-assurance stays true to them when they leave the project, and that they can walk home and into the rest of their lives with the courage to stand up to the difficulties and pressures they are certain to face.


* * *


Setrawa Project participants in Jodhpur



Setrawa Project participant Dhapu, Hemlata (daughter of Dhapu) and Ms. Rekha (teacher at Setrawa Project) have been invited to come to Jodhpur and stay with the Sambhali Jodhpur project, learn new things, learn what goes on here.

Techniques from art and craft by Ms. Tamana have been shared with Setrawa project participants, they stayed for 5 days. I have been to Setrawa a couple of times since no volunteers have been coming for this project. Recentely I have stayed over nights in the project building in Setrawa. Living there is soo simple and beautiful.

Durag Niwas Guest House:- Offseason, no foreign tourists, can not afford helpers, therefore reduced the number of staff. Sand Storms now and then make everything dusty. A few things like the bathroom taps, showers, electrcity related furninshing, the interior and exterior is under maintainance. GUEST HOUSE IS OPEN !

Family:- Mukta and Ayush are gone to Neemuch (Mukta's father's place) for a month, this is where Mukta goes every year to have some time as holiday. Mukta's sister and her children have also joined in. Without Mukta and Ayush the house is lonely and empty. Mumy does well, we have changed her Doc for Diabetes, she feels lot better with the new one's priscription. Mumy does all the cooking and looks after the Guest House, she likes it very much, the food is soo traditionaly prepared (oily and flavored) that, instead of loosing weight I have gained another 4.5 Kilos in 10 days.
Shakti and grandma do well, Bunty goes to his family every evening. I am doing fine, trying to loose weight, thinking of many ways but all require a lot of thinking, Lazyyyyyyy A**! Too boaring - nothing much to do, every time I open my email, which is usualy 10 times in a day for new emails, no emails come. I hope and pray that this year after Jaipur Bomb Blasts, the tourism wouldn't stop of have much bad effect. The whole incident is not even talked about anymore. Now it is the Gujjar community people wanting reservation in Government, which is a problem , but something will workout for sure in 2 weeks time. It will be quiet again but such incidents effect tourism and there are soooo many people surviving on this buisness.
Taking Ms. Casey for field trip to Setrawa Project for 2 days from tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Art of Living (Chetna Shivir) 19.05. - 22.05.08












Sambhali Trust has organized a Workshop of Art of Living for Jodhpur project participants, where the Participants were introduced to a lot of new things in their lives , the introduction was about health and hygine, ,natural,simple,basic living, Yoga, meditation,Singing,games,moral stories. 19.05.08 - 22.05.08
Mr.Gaurav Vishisht and Ms.Priti Bhandari took their time to come and share their wisdom with all of us.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Meeting at Divisional Comissioner Office on the 18th of May 2008

Articles from 3 newspapers, Dainik Bhaskar, Rajasthan Patrika and Dainik Navjyoti. We are thankful to the time the honorable Comissioner Saheba, officials and the press took out for us.




Khamaghani,

on behalf of Sambhali Trust (Govind) and on behalf of the Foundation for sustainable development, FSD, Ms. Smita Sawant, Lillian and other 3 volunteers we are thankful for a wonderful meeting for 2 and a half hours with the honorable Divisional Comissioner Saheba Kiran Soni Gupta, Jodhpur, and Women and Child Welfare Deputy Director Ms. Indu Chopra Ji. Social justice and welfare board department representative meeting was held at Comissioner Saheba's office.

We discused a lot of issues, possibilities, problems and difficulties. We also got to know the support Indian government has to offer and about the government projects which we have never heard of.

We had a very successful meeting and it would help us expanding our work and understand the local ways of dealing with NGO programs.

Sambhali Trust's work in such a small time and the efforts made by the Foundation for sustainable development to the local NGOs were very much admired by the senior officials.


Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Request to the Chief Minister of RAJASTHAN







Khamaghani readers,
Another achievement we made today, for some political function the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhra Raje Sindhya, is in Jodhpur. She has inaugurated many programs today, in her busy schedule she also came to the play ground next door.
Some of the Sambhali Trust board members, advisory board members, teachers, participants and volunteers were present to welcome the Chief Minister into the play ground - suprisingly, nobody knew we will do this, we were also not sure if we will be allowed to do so or even if the cars would stop for the group of women, western woman holding garland and a young man accompanied by an older gentelman. But when the Chief Minister saw us standing, she got the car stopped, Mumy (Badan Kanwar) garlanded her, Mukta provided the Sambhali Trust Annual Report, flyer and the book Sambhali Dreams, all the officials from the constitution were present, security with big guns surrounded us and then also rushed to the car. Honorable Divisional Comissioner Saheba who inaugurated the first Annual Meet up and the book Sambhali Dreams, also spoke a lot about us to the Chief Minister and her with our programs, introduced Casey who is volunteer to us from FSD .
There came 2 more groups, one from the educational department and mentally challenged students group, but the response the Chief Minister gave us was SOOO impressive, couldn't believe how down to earth the Chief Minister of Rajasthan is. Followed by 20 cars, her car stopped and then the time she read the Sambhali Dreams and flyer and a little bit from the Annual Report, and she asked: "Who is Govind Singh?", and she said to me: "This is very impressive, keep it up!", and she said to the Divisional Comissioner Saheba that we need some more NGOs in the field like this one. She waved and said good bye.
Respected Chief Minister Saheba, in case if you see our blog, and Divisonal Commisioner Saheba! Thanking you a million on behalf of Sambhali Trust.
Govind Singh Rathore (Executive Director/Founder)

"Come and see me in Jaipur if you come!", she said - for me it was a dream come true.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Annual Meet up and Sambhali Dreams inauguration 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crqdjTWsrH8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_wm2NZrp3Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6iGPV014lk
We all Thank the news Channel MH1 for interviewing The Annual Meet up 2008 in Jodhpur and Volunteers of Sambhali and FSD, the broadcast was a big success.
we also would like to Thank Ms.Miriam Grabenheinrich from Germany for Radio Air show.

All the blessings were very helpful. Tremendous response from friends, family and all the affiliated to Sambhali Trust for the Annual Report 2007-2008 and the Annual Meet up 2008.
Special thanks to our Chief Guest Ms. Kiran Soni Gupta (Divisional Comissioner, Jodhpur region) and the team of Foundation for Sustainable Development Society (FSD), Jodhpur.























81 participants, their families and friends, guests from Setrawa: 137 people all together came to Jodhpur from Setrawa Project.

40 participants and their family members made to 75 people, all together about 225 people were involved in the Annual Meet up in Jodhpur, we all had lunch together under one roof, it was soo much, thank you every one to make the best out of everything at the Annual Meetup, alone it wouldn't have been possible.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Annual Report 2007

Dear friends!
We are very happy to present you our Annual Report 2007 by Mary Polizzotti now!
Open the PDF-File with this link:
http://www.sambhali-trust.org/downloads/sambhalitrustannualreport2007.pdf
Thank you very much for your great work, Mary!

Few of the reviews from friends who have been through the Annual report. We thank them for their blessings.

dear Govind
thank you
interesting
how are you?
how about our ideas to connect tourism and musical culture?
greetings from Teheran
Neil van der Linden

Khamaghani Govind,it is such a great pleasure to read your report. It gives such a good impression of the grand work you do.
Badegruber Ernestine

Thank you, Govind. I am very pleased to see the wonderful work that you are doing. I have passed it on to a number of the people who were in our group.
Glynis

Dear Govind: You are really WORKING!!! I'm proud of you, proud to say that I know you and your family. Sincerely,
Mary
Govind, my brother...... success does not pay off without hard work and you have done so much for so many women. Keep up the good work.Thanks for sending me the report.
Sue

Mary & Govind
Wow! this document is amazing!
Mary you have done an outstanding job! This is really amazing and a huge testament to the fantastic work you are doing, Govind.
Brilliant stuff! I liked Cisco's photos in there too
Chloe Hart
Hi Govind Sa,
I just read the sambhali annual report. It's very impressive and you have done a great job with it.
keep it up.
Take care
Annu radha

Dear Govind, congratulations on your annual report.
It's wonderful, moving and the work you are doing is truly
admirable.
Jacqueline dechollet
Hello Govind
It is good to keep in touch with what is happening with Sambhali and to see the photographs.
Lynn Hughes

Dearest Govind,
I really loved reading the annual report!!
Thank you for sending it to all of us.
The way is was put together was so professional and
 I especially like the photography! Well done!!! :-)
This report would be particularly good to send to
interested volunteers.
Gemma West

This is just amazing Govind!!!
i am so proud of you and your family for helping
these girls....you have such a great ability with
buisness...it is truly your calling.
Jessica Scranton
dear govind, as usual I'm speechless what you do with 'sambhali'.
 gratulation and lot of joy for the coming day.
Mengia Nigama Riedi
Hi
Bill is spot on - this is a beautiful document and a credit to the great work of Govind, Mary and all the people of Sambhali. A very emotionally affecting Annual Report as well as being practical and informative.
Thank you
Anna Demant

Hi Govind,
Thanks for passing on a copy of your annual report for the Sambhali Trust.
I would still like to read the reports you send through as it is great to read about the brilliant work the trust is doing and the results it is getting.
All the best ...
Kind Regards,
Nicole Hansen

Dear Govind,
Bravo to you and Mary for producing an excellent report. Well done! It really is an impressive piece of work. Thank you for sending it to me.
With fond regards,
Bill MacArthur
Dear friends,
i am so happy to read your report and see that everithing is going on so well.
Irene Pezzella
Govind, this is a beautifully done report! Who prepared this for you? Fantastic job!
Warmly,
Catherine Vibert
Ciao Govind,
its an excellent report, a good mix of facts and progressive formal stuff, and the emotional. I am sure it will develop quickly from now on. well done!
Amanda Humphries

Saturday, May 03, 2008

News School Sponsoring

Khamaghani,
thank you soo much, dear sponsors, for sponsoring the 13 participants of Sambhali literacy project for year 2007-2008.
We, the participants, families and Sambhali are all very thankful from the depth of our hearts for making a difference in the lives of many.
The examinations are over and the results are here, all the 13 passed with very good grades. The result from Monica is an example above.
This year Meera's both children and Saroj's both sisters will be moved to a better school, Suncity School, next door to them, this is where a few other participants from us are studying.
Those kind sponsors who have not yet send the next years' sponsorship are requested to contact us for furthur sponsoring if still interested by the end of May 08.
Thanks a million!

Warmest regards

Govind Singh Rathore
(Founder, Trustee, Executive Director to Sambhali Trust, Jodhpur)

Some finished products made by Jodhpur project participants.

Before designing concentrate on the sketching - workshop by designer from Pune Ms. Suneeta Bhansali on 29th April 2008
Patchwork, embroidered, block printed - all in one quilt
Hand dyed fabric patchwork quilt

Quilt (recycled fabric used as patchwork)

Block printed, embroidered skirt
Embroidery skirt
Tea costers
Hand braclets


Cushion covers
Hand bags
Small jewellery bags
Door and window hanging
Magazine holders