Field Update

A typical house set up in Rajasthan, with buffaloes out front, eating their feed and greens.

It occurred to me that I had not explained the short-term plan of LSS's work on this blog. So, the plan is for the workers to mainly go around to different villages via motorcycle and talk with the people about the benefits of starting microcredit groups and youth groups. Due to the isolated nature of these villages, the people are often very suspicious of outsiders, especially since many people who start NGOs in India are less than pristine. Add to this the conservative culture, and it equals a barrier that must be overcome to start these groups. Hence, there is a need for this foundation of conversation and good relations to be layed and nurtured for some time before work starts properly. The workers are currently doing this, and our plan is that this work will be roughly conclude in the first 3-5 pilot villages by the end of the year. In January we will start in earnest with operating SHG groups and youth groups.

That being said, the workers have already made sufficient inroads in two villages, Kukrela and Sundarpura, that they have been able to start micro-credit groups there. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it previously on this blog, but Kukrela is the home village of Rohitash, so that is nice to have a foot hold there. It is also nice to have a group setup in Sundarpura, in which neither of our workers live.

Additionally, the workers have been talking with school principals in the villages in which we plan to work, to get them to talk up our computer education program (as part of the larger youth group program). This program really is novel in the village area, where a poll that we gave in a representative village last year showed that only 1 boy out of our group of 20 had even seen a computer up close. There is a lot of opportunity here, and enthusiasm on the part of the village children and their parents. They are well aware that computer literacy is very important in the job market, and that the village children will benefit immensely from gaining experience with computers. I am particularly excited to see how this part of the program develops, since it is new and innovative, I think. We know the SHGs work and are a great benefit to their members, so I'm hoping these youth groups will turn out the same. We will strive to make it so, making adjustments as we go.

Speaking of computers, I had my first laptop donated last week. I would like to thank D. Quan for the very kind donation. There is some possibility that I can get it sent to India in December, but if not, I will bring it with me in August. These donation are a terrific help, as they free up some of the funds I had earmarked for these youth groups to go towards other developments besides just the computers themselves, i.e. perhaps I will be able to get internet in some villages, or send some of the youth group members to a week-long computer training school, or something along these lines. In the long run, building up donations will help us move towards meeting all of our goals as an organization, with management of the environment, especially water, being high on our priority list. We definitely hope to have the funds to run a water management program with the internationally-renowned, Maharastra-based NGO WOTR. I will write on WOTR and our hopes to partner with them in a coming post. Long story short, with these environmental management programs, a crucial part is often paying for the labor of the villagers in building, e.g. the water harvesting structures. This takes more funds than is currently in the budget, but less than you might think ($5-10,000, I believe) for very important work in this desert state. More on this soon.

On this subject, I end with some great news: it's been one of the best monsoons in Rajasthan in years and the people in the village are currently harvesting millet (or bajra). The good rain was much needed, as the last few years had scant rain and were quite rough on the crops, and hence the village income. I am very happy about this, as I'm sure the buffaloes pictured above are as well, as they love swimming in puddles of water.

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for staying tuned.