Photos

Older SHG member with a boy, probably her grandson.

Woman signing in the group log book after making her monthly payment to the SHG's group central fund, from which all group members can take loans. Having this central fund ensures that no interest is paid to banks, so all the money stays in the community. This group log book records the contributions of all group members and is kept by LSS to track the group's activities, i.e. amount of funds in the central fund, status of loans taken out, etc.

For women who are illiterate, they sign the book by giving their thumbprints. This women is putting her thumb in the inkpad.

Signing the book with her thumbprint.

Rohitash and Gopal sitting at the front of the group, discussing issues related to the groups activities. Once the group is comfortably formed, they will serve mainly as facilitators to the conversation, letting the women discuss amongst themselves. This is an integral part of each SHG group meeting, a discussion of the groups affairs. It usually runs for an hour or two, with often very loud and impassioned discussion. Very fun to watch.

If you look at the upper left corner (perhaps with zoom) you can see our organization's name transliterated into roman symbols - Lok Sabhagi Sansthan, meaning public participatory institute. Rohitash and Gopal ordered these books, which are kept by each member to record their contributions to the group's central fund. On it is written their name and inside is the date of the various group meetings and the amount they gave to the group's central fund in that meeting. The amount is standardized at Rs 50 (about $1) per month. See this book with our organization's name on it makes me smile.

Inside of the book, showing the first contribution of Rs 50 on December 4th, 2010.

James Arnott with the SHG group members.

James was tickled by this village lady, who spent the whole time sifting grain while talking on her cell phone. Typical rural India: ancient methods and cell phones side-by-side.

James got a treat at Gopal Singh's house: Dal Batti Churma. It is sizzling hot wheat balls with butter (batti), a mixture of brown sugar, butter, and flower (churma), and Dal. There appears to also be yogurt (chach). This is one of the best meals in India, though I'm not sure you can find it in the US, as I believe it is a Rajasthani specialty dish, and Rajasthani cuisine is not too common in the US.

Gopal Singh's field. The winter crop consists of wheat, barley, chickpeas, and mustard seed. This brings me great joy, as this field had turned to mere dust because Gopal did not have a good source of water and rain had been bad. A successful well project and good monsoon later, things are much improved. It makes me so very happy for Mr. Singh, a class act if there ever was one.

Rohitash and Gopal posing at their desks, where they process paperwork for the running of the SHG's and other aspects of the LSS's work.

The desks, computers, filing cabinet, etc. that were purchased in the last year.

The bed James slept on, consisting of fabric stretched over a metal frame. Sounds simple (and is), but this is one of the best places to sleep. So comfy, and James concurs.

Great smile from Gopal Singh. He has LSS's camera in his hand. Gopal is ebullient and hardworking, a tremendous asset to the organization.

Good close-up of Rohitash Kumar Meena, a gentle and kind soul. Doesn't he just look it? Love these guys.

Rohitash and Gopal on the roof above the office. Rohitash has on a light blanket, as it does get cold in the morning in the winter. They have surely had some chai and have probably read the paper in preparation for their day.

It's been a while since my last post, with finishing up classes and the holiday season. However, the workers have been busy continuing their work, with SHGs going in Derki, Kukrela, Pando, and Sundarpura. They are also in talks with women in the villages of Kechawala and Amloda. We have also hammered out the budget and agenda for next year, which includes the start of the Youth Leadership and Technology Groups (YLTG's). More on this below.

I have to say, first of all, that I got a most wonderful Christmas present: some pictures of the NGO's office and work, from a friend of mine who was visiting in early December, James Arnott. I have been to India and seen Rohitash and Gopal's work, but not since we formed this new NGO to focus on issues of women's equality, technology education, and environment. It's quite gratifying for me to see the workers at their desks, or with the women in their SHGs, doing the work that we started LSS to do. We have the proper facilities all set up and now we are just going to slowly build up our operations.

Indeed, we will continue to form SHGs, since Rohitash and Gopal are experts at that, having spent roughly 17 years doing such work. The benefits from such activities are also immense, in terms of allowing women a degree of economic independence and allowing families access to small loans to improve their condition. However, we will start moving into our other areas of planned work, starting with the YLTG's in 2011. We have the funds for two computers, have two others donated, and will look to get one more laptop to bring over when Meg and I visit India in summer of 2011. So, we will get groups set up in 5 villages and focus on them for the next year, and most probably 2012 as well. We will work to find what is the best structure in which the youth can learn about computers and how to use them to advance themselves professionally.

One things that's hard to fathom as Americans is that in these villages only a small number of the students have ever SEEN a computer, let alone used or learned about one. Indeed, in a group of 20 students aged 13-18 that I visited last year, only 1 of them had seen a computer. There is tremendous opportunity to allow these students to develop themselves and their skills so that they will be greater assets to their communities. We will be looking for the best ways for our computers to be used for the benefit of the communities in which we work in the years to come. It will be a trial and error process, and we welcome ideas on methods we can implement.

Verily, James suggested the idea, taken from a Ted talk, that student be given access to the computer in groups of 3 or 4, and through discussion they will learn about the computer, teach each other, and eventually will have a working knowledge of the computer. So, my thought is that we'll put up a schedule in each village and the students can sign up in groups of 3 or 4 for hour timeslots on the computer. We will probably supplement this with short lessons from Rohitash and Gopal, who will be trained the first two months of the year by a live-in computer teacher (something else they were busy arranging in the last month or so). So, let the work begin! Enjoy the photos and updates will be coming as we begin this work with the youth.