Monday, April 27, 2009

More news from Sambhali

Final Impressions

Report by Eliane Luthi Poirier

I came to Sambhali Trust not knowing exactly what my responsibilities would be. It was clear, however, that I would be helping with the English classes, and this turned out to be one of my major responsibilities during my three months.

In the beginning, Johanna and I divided the classes up according to ability: one Basic class, and one Advanced class. We would develop lesson plans revolving around the same subject, for instance Food & Health, and simply feed more complex vocabulary and grammar to the Advanced girls.

After about five weeks, I thought it would be a good idea to touch base with the girls and see how they felt about the classes. I conducted individual interviews with each girl and the help of Mukta and Tamannah. This turned out to be a very worthwhile exercise, as we discovered that many of the girls were interested in improving their reading and writing skills. This need was articulated through various requests: the illiterate girls said they would like to learn reading and writing, both in Hindi and in English; the Advanced girls requested more writing exercises in class and more homework assignments, with the ultimate goal of being able to read newspaper articles in English.

We shared these results with Govind and discussed the possibility of hiring a teacher of the Hindi language for the girls. Meanwhile, Johanna and I established a daily Reading and Writing class, in which we used a phonics-based approach to teach the girls English letters and the sounds they are associated with. This class has worked very well, and I am proud to say that after six weeks of study, the girls that were once illiterate are now able to recognize and write a variety of three-letter words such as “ant”, “pin” and “hem”. Finally, I introduced more reading, writing and grammar into the Advanced class. However, in general, the progress and the learning curves of the girls were quite modest, as many of them have not been exposed to much teaching in their lives.

During the first month of teaching and getting my bearings, I began thinking about all the things I’d like to do for the Trust. My main reason for coming here, after all, was really to work on Women’s Empowerment. Govind gave Johanna and I the responsibility for organizing our March 8th celebration, which will remain one of the highlights of my time here (see our report on the subject). Being able to bring all these women together and to speak to them about the issues that affect all of us regardless of our nationalities, religions and cultures, was a very powerful moment for me. I was thrilled to be able to follow up on that special day with our Women’s Health and Awareness Workshops and my Women’s Rights Workshops, both of which were immensely satisfying and rewarding for me as a volunteer.

I have also had numerous other responsibilities, ranging from manning the Market Stalls, to trying to find high-profile visitors to invite to the Trust, to going to Setrawa to present the Setrawa project to visitors, to aiding and advising Govind in preparing his presentations. At times I even felt slightly overloaded, which didn’t necessarily have as much to do with the actual workload as with the way the work was planned. Coming from a relatively strict corporate background, I was used to long-term planning, deadlines and punctuality, all of which I learned were difficult to apply to this particular context. For instance, my attempts to establish a timetable and have the girls actually read and respect it were repeatedly foiled. I ended up learning how to deal with the day-to-day planning that Govind, Tamannah and the girls are all used to, and to make the most of it. This meant, for instance, that instead of getting upset about the Advanced class regularly forgetting that we have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I would begin reminding them gently every time they left on Monday and Wednesday that we were to have class the next day and to be sure to bring their notebooks and their homework.

I also discussed structural and management ideas with Govind, such as what I felt was the need to establish clear working hours for the volunteers at the Jodhpur project. (I personally have felt that living in the same building I work in is quite a challenge). Govind was very receptive to these ideas and has decided among other things that volunteers should now be expected to work from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Finally, in the free time I had, I spent time with the girls. This, I have found, has been quite easy with some of the girls and quite challenging with others. There are girls that have been at Sambhali for quite some time and, I believe, no longer wish to get too close to volunteers they know will be eventually be leaving them. The girls that have been here for six or seven months, however, arrived with good English skills and higher levels of self-confidence, and seem more curious about the volunteers. I will always remember the afternoon the girls were asking me about my wedding, and we were discussing the differences between Western “love marriages” and arranged marriages. One of the girls, Jaya, who had been sullen for a few days, suddenly burst into tears. I went to her and the girls explained to me that she was about to get married and that she was very scared and sad. We spent awhile just hugging each other and at the end we were both laughing and smiling again. The girls here are so strong and never fail to amaze me with their courage.

My whole experience has been so positive that I cannot really find the words to thank Govind and everyone at the Trust enough for making this opportunity a reality for me. Working with them and these wonderful girls has been an eye-opener and an inspiration for me, and Sambhali will remain in a special place in my heart for a long time!

* * *

Something very good happened to us at Sambhali Jodhpur project few days ago on 27th April 2009, we were invited at Women's leadership conference 2009, it was hosted and organised by two of FSD organization's interns Mr.Jason and Ms.Savannah.


Few words from Ms. Savannah

The 2009 Women’s Leadership Conference included four capacity building workshops on the topics of health, personal banking, microfinance, and women’s rights. Through open discussion women were encouraged to share experiences and stories with each other and ask questions to the guest speakers.

Jason and Savannah hope that by attending this conference women will be able to return to their self help groups, villages, and communities and share the information they have learned. By this transfer of knowledge the organizers hope that a sustainable method of education and eventually development will ensue.

In addition by networking and sharing, women in attendance with have taken away a valuable lesson in women’s unity. Hopefully this will be the beginning of women’s support networks and empowerment through the people rather than only through large organization. Development for women must start at the ground level once women are assembled this will grow organically.

Ms.Eliane, Ms.Johanna, Mr.Gabriel and I with Meera, Shalu, Saraswati, Bharati, Monica, Sandhya and Soniya went there.

Monica had a chance to speak about her personal life in front of these women participating in the confrence from other NGO's in Jodhpur and Meera got interviewd by the State Television Channel.

The program started around 10.00 in the morning and lasted till 3.00 pm, it was a wonderful day. We had crafts done by the Jodhpur particpants displayed there and it was very much appriciated by other ladies.

I would like to share with you some photo impressions from this day and Mr. Jason's Photo Link from the conference.

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/jason.caya/2009WomenLeadershipConference?authkey=Gv1sRgCNb2_p6ay-q5vAE&feat=email#5328758527877852290

Second good news is about the Women’s Rights Workshop which took place here at Sambhali Jodhpur Project.

A Report by Ms. Eliane Luthi Poirier:

One of the reasons that inspired me to come to Sambhali Trust was the dismal state of living, working and social conditions that most Indian women spend their lives in, which I had witnessed firsthand on a previous trip to India.

I had also been told that women in Rajasthan led especially challenging lives. This turned out to be quite true, as coming to the Jodhpur project, I began to hear stories about fourteen and fifteen-year-old girls that have already been married off by their parents, or about girls getting beaten by their fathers for attending school or Sambhali. In the areas where our girls live in Jodhpur, if violence isn’t happening directly to them, it’s often happening in the house next door. This all got me thinking about coordinating a women’s rights workshop and arming the girls with the legal information they need about their rights as women and as Dalit women.

Govind was very supportive of my initiative and gave me the name of a reputable lawyer in Jodhpur, with whom I sat down for several hours to discuss the various provisions for women in the Indian constitution, as well the punishments for crimes against women in the Indian Penal Code.

I organized the workshop over five days and Govind, Mukta and Tamannah all helped translate for me. On the first day, I introduced the theme of the workshop by asking the girls to brainstorm the following question: What is violence against women?

The following days focused on the specific types of violence that the girls had pinpointed, namely:

- Sexual Harassment & Rape

- Domestic Violence & Dowry Death

- Female Feticide & Infanticide

- Child Marriage

- Discrimination against Dalit women

I would introduce each type of violence by showing a video clip of a news report or pointing to a poster and asking them to comment it. Then I would:

  1. Give the legal definition of the crime. (For example: What is sexual harassment?)
  2. Discuss the extent of the problem in India. (Is sexual harassment a big problem in our community?)
  3. Give them a checklist to help them identify a crime. (How do I know if I am being sexually harassed?)
  4. Give ways to react to the crime. (What should I do if I am sexually harassed?)
  5. Describe the punishment for offenders.

The overall feedback from the girls was very positive. On the first day in particular, the girls were very open about sharing stories on the various forms of violence they had witnessed or encountered in their lives. Many of them were of the opinion that any form of inequality between men and women was a kind of violence. Some mentioned how differently they had been treated from their brothers, from not being allowed to play when they were kids, to having to eat their brothers’ leftovers mixed with water. What saddened me the most was that several of them also said they would not like to come back as women in their next lives.

At the end of the workshop, both Mukta and Tamannah told me that the girls felt much more confident about the prospect of getting married, which is often a source of stress for them. Many of them also wanted to know more about their rights as Dalit people, so I obtained a full copy of the 1989 Prevention of Atrocities Act, which we went through in more detail afterwards. The girls spoke of many forms of discrimination they had experienced as Dalits, such as not being allowed into certain temples or to drink tea from reusable tea cups like non-Dalits do. We encouraged them to act as role models for their communities by filing reports on these acts of discrimination and by spreading the word about this law.

This act, the 2005 Protection of Women against Domestic Violence Act, and all the electronic material I used during the workshop will be available at the Trust for the girls and any future volunteers that want to consult them. It is my hope that this workshop be reconducted for future participants in the Empowerment Project, and that future volunteers and Trust staff touch base with the girls on this subject on a regular basis. It now seems to me that, unfortunately, knowing what to do about violence is of much more practical relevance to the girls than learning scholastic skills like English grammar...

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Sambhali in the end of April, 2009


Sambhali News:
April has been good for practical information for our Jodhpur project girls, besides our girls taking off for marriages both in Jodhpur and Setrawa projects.
Ms. Johanna came back with Mr. Gabriel (boy friend) for a few days, we are happy to see them.
Ms. Corinne Rose left for few months; we look forward to hosting her again late June 2009, most probably with business visa.
Waiting for my visa from the Austrian Embassy, hopefully they will be kind and give me permission to do the presentation.

First Impression Report - Adriana Contreras (Setrawa project volunteer)
While traveling around Asia for the first time after graduating university I had the strong inclination to volunteer in India. After much time on the net I found Sambhali Trust. I was told beforehand that I would be going to work in the village of Setrawa; which left me with some doubts. I have been volunteering with children for quite some time now, but had never worked with teenage girls, or lived in a small community where I don’t speak the language. I first arrived in Jodhpur where I stayed for a few days and observed English lessons.
Everyone in Jodhpur was so nice and helpful that I was sad about leaving when the time came to go to Setrawa. I was afraid that I might start feeling lonely once in the village. The fear of feeling lonely soon vanished as we were greeted by about ten girls upon our arrival. Being the only foreigners in Setrawa it’s easy to know where you are from. As you walk down the few lanes in the village you are greeted with “Hello, Sambhali?!” All of the girls were so sweet, and before the end of the first day I had about three offers to go eat dinner at the girls’ homes.
The warm welcome from all of the girls in Setrawa really helped me ease into the culture…until I came down with the flu, that is. Everyone recognized that being sick in Setrawa wasn’t a good way to start off volunteering, so I got out of bed and got onto a bus. I returned to Jodhpur for a few days, and as soon as I felt better I was again anxious to get back to the girls and resume my life in Setrawa.
Before I arrived there were two volunteers that stayed in Setrawa for about eight months. Their presence in the community was strong, and all of the girls kept telling me about the things that I did with them. One of the obstacles that I am continuing to struggle with is the amount of presents that the previous volunteers gave to the girls. In no way are the girls in Setrawa spoiled, but they do seem to expect a lot of gifts from the volunteers, which I’m not ready to give. So I found that the best strategy to avoid this is pretend not to understand what they were asking for, and even outright ignore them at times.
Another aspect of life in Setrawa that changed with my arrival was that I began to stay with Usha’s (the local teacher) family. After some problems with the landlord, Govind decided that it would be best if I went to stay in Usha’s home. At first I was a bit apprehensive about living with a host family (which I have also never done), but so far the experience has been nothing but pleasant. While the house is not equipped for a western ideal of privacy, the family does try and allow me time to be on my own.
The more I stay with the girls the more I get to know them. They are all very eager to learn English, and to have as much interaction with the volunteers as possible. Since my name is a little too long for all of the girls to remember, they have shortened my name to Ana, which at times takes me a few shouts to recognize.
Setrawa has thus far proved to be one of the best volunteer experiences that I have had. I am completely immersed in the project, as well as in the culture. Everyone in the area knows who we are, and what Sambhali is doing for the community, and are ready to help or even practice a little English with you. Setrawa is a wonderful village; vibrant in its own way where native peacocks roam around, and two rouge monkeys terrorize the village. I look forward to completing my time in Setrawa, and to further getting to know the girls and take part in their lives.
Women’s Health and Awareness Workshop By Ms. Eliane and Ms. Johanna (Jodhpur project)
Inspired by previous work done by volunteers, Johanna and I attempted to evaluate the need for a second workshop on sexual health and reproduction. The new batch of younger girls had not participated in last year’s workshops and the older ones, who had, expressed an interest in reviewing the subject. Staging this workshop would also allow me to raise issues such as rape, abortion and prostitution in the Women’s Rights workshops I was planning for later.
All of the material produced by the previous volunteers, Meghan and Fayette, had unfortunately disappeared entirely from the classroom for reasons that no-one was really able to explain. Johanna and I were obliged to research the subject again and produce new material. We produced anatomy diagrams, printed out posters and pamphlets on various means of contraception, and bought condoms so the girls could practice. We also downloaded several audio and video files to make the workshops more interactive.
Following the girls’ requests, we held the workshop behind closed doors in the sewing room to ensure maximum privacy. We decided to stage a condensed workshop over three days, with three hours of workshops per day. It was necessary to do this as we were unavailable for many days due to the Market Stall and Johanna’s departure was approaching quickly.
Our schedule was as follows:
- Day One: Anatomy, Reproduction & Menstruation
- Day Two: Pregnancy and Contraception
- Day Three: Sexually Transmitted Diseases & HIV/AIDS
The schedule was thrown off on the first day, when over lunchtime, one of our girls was sexually harassed outside of the guesthouse. All of us went down to the police station to file an FIR against the boys. Afterwards we all sat down with Govind and he asked the girls what they had learned from the experience. It turned out to be a good experience to use as a springboard for the Women’s Rights workshop to be held later, and as we’d planned some extra time for games at the end of the Sexual Education workshop anyway, we were still able to discuss all our subjects within our three-day time frame.
Govind’s wife Mukta took time off her busy schedule running the guesthouse to translate for us. We were very grateful for her help and presence, as it is quite obvious that the girls trust her a lot and feel comfortable around her.
The outcome was very rewarding. On the first day - probably due to the delicate first subject - many of the girls were shy and didn’t dare openly participate in the workshop. To get them talking, we had them fill in and label diagrams in groups. By the second day, however, the girls had become very open and were asking us many questions. Some of them were of such a medical nature that we had to research them afterwards! We were kept quite busy during those three days, looking up additional information, emptying the question box and consulting Mukta on the girl’s work and progress.
The gaps in knowledge between the various girls were enormous. Some of the girls from the middle batch were extremely knowledgeable on everything, including the details on HIV transmission, whereas some of the girls from the first batch were still confused as to from where a newborn baby emerges from a woman’s body. Finally, the very new girls had absolutely no knowledge whatsoever of the subject. It was challenging to consolidate all these levels of expertise, but we found that group work was the best way to go about doing so.
Some of the girls were very grateful for the work we had done, which was very satisfying for us. One of them even hugged us at the end and said “Thank you for my future”! Overall, we were just very happy to have been able to arm them with the crucial information they will need in their day-to-day life and decision-making.
As Meghan and Fayette before us, we hope that future volunteers reuse what we did, improve it, and feed this critical knowledge to the girls that will arrive at Sambhali during the next cycle. We have left all our electronic documents and support on Govind’s computer, and all the paper support in the computer room, where we hope it will survive!


Friday, April 03, 2009

Sambhali Trust in the beginning of April, 2009

Dear Readers,

I hope all of you are fine.


Sambhali Trust:
Finally we are called their partners, yes the Planet Wheeler Foundation (formerly known as Lonely Planet Foundation) is calling us their partners in their website. http://www.planetwheeler.org/index.php?s=others

Ms. Adriana has joined Setrawa Project for two months.
After the success of International Women's Day rally (report by Ms. Eliane and Ms. Johanna),
Holi celebration with the Soziale Initiative and the Sambhali Team, with the help of Ms.Corinne we managed to have a market stall this month at the Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur.The stall was great idea because of its big platform and we hope we will be given this place in future also, but this time it was not that successful due to off-season (less tourists). Please check the report by Ms. Corinne.
We have been asked by a dear friend to start up Micro-finance scheme in Setrawa village, we have had meetings with the women in Setrawa and they have really appreciated it. The scheme will be called Sambhali Sherni (lioness) project. We are putting together all the documents required. Please check the report on the website by Ms. Corinne, Ms. Adrienne and me.
Buisness plan (for the sewing centers establishment) by Mr. Richard for the graduating girls, final impressions by Ms. Helen and Ms. Griselda and our Annual Report for 2008 by Ms. Pinky are ready, please have a look at their reports on the Sambhali website (volunteers reports).

Dakhu came to Jodhpur,She looked healthy, happy and jolly. Her husband wants to take her back but she has given up, she has refused to go with him to his house. She can cook, wash and do everything that a normal girl would do, I wish we would have found her 4 years back and saved all this time of her life when she was tied to that tree. The parents are out of their words thanking the Trust and me for helping them out with this.


I would like to share Mr. Francisco’s report with you. Mr. Francisco is a photographer and good friend and was touched by a little child with a cleft lip.
I live and work in the UK and have been travelling throughout India for the past 5 months. I was in Jodhpur , Rajasthan last week to celebrate ‘Holi’, the coming of Spring. On Tuesday, 10 March 2009 I stopped at a side stall along the road to buy a boiled corn on the cob. After buying the corn, I walked along the road and was stopped by a little girl, Shava (10 years old) and her little brother, Chordu (2 ½ years old). Shava reached out her hands and touched her mouth, then reached down to her stomach, a gesture telling me that her and her little brother were hungry.
From my travels through India , I have learned not to give children money as there is the risk that they spend it on glue, or they give the money to their fathers, who are often abusive alcoholics. The main risk in giving children cash is that it encourages a lifestyle of begging. Instead I handed Shava my corn and her eyes lit up as if it was Christmas day. I looked down at Chordu, he too was smiling – but with a difference. His smile was broken and my eyes filled with tears when I realised why.... he had a cleft lip. I felt a sense of urgency in my heart to help him – but how, I couldn’t speak Hindi and they couldn’t understand English..... I walked away and kept glancing back – they were both sitting in the dirt, eating the corn as if it was their first meal in days. They saw me looking back and instantly stood up, they waved goodbye and showed so much appreciation for what I had just given them. My sense of urgency to help little Chordu grew stronger......
I raced back to the guest house where I was staying (Durag Niwas) which is owned and run by Govind Singh who is also the founder and director of Sambahli Trust (an NGO set up to empower untouchable woman and girls). I immediately related my story to Govind, saying that I have to do something to help. He sprung into action and we both raced back to where I had left Shava and Chordu and found them standing by garbage on the side of the road.
Govind spoke with Shava, asking her where her family lived. She pointed towards a large, dusty and barren stretch of land down from the famous Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel – they were homeless, their parents and grandparents, and Shava herself are garbage pickers. We asked Shava to take us to speak with her parents and grandparents as I was determined to pay for Chordu to have an operation to rectify his cleft lip. We approached their home and were met with caution by Chordu’s family as nobody has ever stopped by their home in the dust. Govind spoke with Chordu’s grandfather, grandmother, father and mother, explaining that I would like for Chordu to have an operation to ‘fix his lip’. I was apprehensive about their response as there is much superstition and reservation about foreign aid amongst some communities in India .
We were so happy to see their faces light up and to see them bring their hands together in thanks – THEY WANTED CHORDU TO HAVE THE OPERATION!
We agreed to meet later that night to discuss the next steps. I got worried when the family did not arrive to see us. Despite their initial agreement towards the operation, their uncertainty about our motives and fear for what lay ahead meant that we had to go and locate them to continue our discussion.
When we met we agreed to take Chordu to the hospital to see a doctor immediately. They agreed and so Govind’s cousin Bunty, Chordu, his father, grandfather and I made our way to the hospital. I could tell that they had never been in a motor car before because they looked frightened and sat in silence on the way to the hospital.
Because none of us were sure about the best way to proceed with a cleft lip operation we had to try several different hospitals before we were told to go to the Rajdadeej Hospital . When we arrived, we made our way to the plastic surgery wing and entered a waiting room full of people. Being the only foreigner, attention was drawn our way, people whispered and pointed – my homeless friends felt uncomfortable.
Five minutes later, a very helpful, fluent English speaking hospital assistant approached us. He looked at us and smiled as Bunty explained to him that I wanted to pay for Chordu to undergo surgery. The hospital assistant looked at me and smiled, saying that it was not necessary for me to pay for the surgery. I looked at him confused – he smiled again and said that an organisation known as ‘The Smile Train’ offers the surgery for free. The surgery usually costs US$250, but the incredible work of ‘Smile Train’ covers all the costs. I was stunned and so, so grateful. He went on to say that Chordu would have to return to the hospital on 27 March 2009 for an assessment, he would then have the operation on 28 March 2009 and return to his family on 29 March 2009 ! I was speechless – this was simply amazing! It was at this point that I noticed the Smile Train posters on the wall depicting pictures of children before and after their operations. I grabbed Chordu’s father’s hand (he was carrying Chordu) and lead him to the poster with excitement. I showed him the pictures, he put his hand to his mouth in shock and then smiled and called out to Chordu’s grandfather to come over too. They were in disbelief that little Chordu would have a perfect smile by the end of the month! They turned to me and drew their hands together in thanks, they were delighted!
The hospital assistant recorded Chordu’s details in the registration file and handed us a bundle of flyers written in Hindi to educate people about the free cleft lip/pallet operation offered by ‘Smile Train’. He asked Chordu’s father to hand the flyers out to inform others of the good work that is being done. We all left the hospital smiling and truly grateful for the incredible work that is done by ‘Smile Train’.
We drove back to Chordu’s dusty home. His father and grandfather jumped out of the car and spoke with his mother and grandmother. I stepped out of the car and was immediately greeted by them, they fell at my feet and touched them with respect and gratitude. My eyes filled with tears and I drew my hands together in respect for them. Bunty told them that he would return to their home on 27 March 2009 to take Chordu and his father and mother to the hospital for the assessment. They were so grateful for this. When we returned to the Durag Newas guest house, I told Govind what had transpired. He was so happy to hear the news but warned me that families were being evicted from the dusty stretch of land where Chordu and his family lived.
I headed to town the next day with my girlfriend Chloe and our new friend Sandriene from Holland . We bought food and clothing for Chordu and his family. They could not believe their luck when we arrived with all the bags! Chordu’s sister, Shava was always smiling and welcoming. I had spoken with Govind the day before and said that I would like to pay for her to go to school. Govind said that he would meet with me the following day and that we would speak with her family to see what we could do to make my wish come true. True to his word, Govind met with me and we headed to Chordu and Shava’s dusty home again. Upon arriving at their home, Chordu’s father and mother informed us that they were served with an eviction notice and had nowhere to go – I was devastated at this news and instantly decided that I would pay for accommodation for the family. Govind made a few phone calls on his mobile phone and asked me to jump onto his motorbike with him. We raced to view a one roomed house not far from their dusty home and I instantly signed up to pay rent for one year at the cost of Rs 9600 (110 pounds).
On the day the family was to move in ( 13 March 2009 ) we were informed that after I had met them and arranged for the operation and their new home that Chordu’s grandparents travelled over 400km to visit a spirit medium in their village to seek advice on Chordu’s pending operation. The spirit medium told them that Chordu will die during his operation unless they paid him Rs 11 000 (approx 120 pounds). The belief system in rural India , and Rajasthan in particular, means that this foresight is taken very seriously and villagers rarely deviate from the advice given. The family therefore decided not to proceed with the operation unless we paid the spirit medium’s protection fee. We are in the process of working with the family to raise these funds.
Unfortunately, Chordu’s grandmother also went on to say that they will not move into the new home that I have acquired for them as they believe that I am part of a missionary organisation and possibly trying to convert them from Hinduism. It’s so sad to see that there is still so much distrust and scepticism when it comes to helping others.
What I have learned from helping to organise a cleft lip operation:
· Language barriers mean that it’s easier to help others when you know and TRUST a translator. Working with a translator is extremely important, not only from a language point of view, but from a belief point of view too. Communities being targeted by Smile Train have extremely low levels of literacy. Written promotions do not have the reach and impact that is needed. I believe that an ‘on the ground’ translator is required to educate people. Education is freedom. People need to be educated and shown that there is help out there and that there are good people and organisations in this world who are willing to help without a price tag associated
· Belief systems are strong and often raise questions in people’s minds, at times preventing help from others. It is important to break through these barriers without offending their beliefs. As the belief systems are strong in India and so sometimes the traditional approach overrules conventional western understanding, their belief structure needs to be understood and a common ground formed
· Many people try to get involved when helping others as they try to see what they can get out of the situation – in many cases they want money!
· It’s important to ‘be on the ground’ and not simply walk into a situation, speak with people and walk away expecting things to change. It is important to follow through with what has been started.
· Remote villages need to be targeted as these people have the least education and awareness.
I hope you have liked the information and hopefully will not take soo much time in posting again.
Take care and all the best
Regards
Govind and The Rathores.