Hello dear friends!
Sambhali Trust:
God, don't ask me, I have again done something quickly, but I am happy it has started slowly, I am sure this will fruit, there is a good team of people involved in this and we just need good volunteers to participate. If you are intersted in joining this, please hurry up and let us know and be part of the change we will bring in the lives of the people.
"Welcome in Setrawa" Project Report by Ms. Amanda
Sambhali Project: Setrawa 
Very exciting news: we are starting a new school! Here is an excerpt from our report we are compiling
We have a time frame of about 6 days from the initial decision to the day we run our first class so excuse the formal nature of this entry. Please keep yourself up dated with the news blog.
Aim: To establish a free school for the local children
in Setrawa Village and self sustainable art and craft program
Some major goals:* To aid children already attending school with extra English classes. Before and after school hrs.
* To initiate schooling practices and opportunities for the children who can’t afford school.
* To create classes teaching self sustainable practices such as arts and crafts, products that can be sold to help run the project and for future independence for it’s participants.
* To demonstrate basic hygiene and etiquette practices such as washing hands, wearing long hair tied back, neat and clean clothing etc. That will help alleviate misconceptions about different castes’ cleanliness and presentation and also aid in self confidence and promote more job opportunities in the future.
* To integrate castes. Setrawa project, unlike Jodhpur Sambhali will be promoting mixed castes. This is more possible to try here because the village is small and free schooling is a unique possibility for all children regardless of their caste.
* We are looking forward to promote practices for eco-friendly livelihood. Such as recycling of old used materials, and by using household water to grow a kitchen/vegetable garden.
* Future possibilities may include improving general infrastructure and appearance of the village. For example: plantation, providing shade, drainage systems, building roads, street lights, awareness programs on health, hygiene, aids, education to help stop child marriages, equality etc… in the form of a council or community assembly group.
Observations about Setrawa
Setrawa is a small village 1 ½ hours (110 KM) drive west of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The village has a population of approximately 3000 people. There are several communities in the village, the Sarpanch is an elderly woman of the Dalit community (Meghwal), she is officially the head of the village Panchayat, however she is a widow and uneducated so her eldest son assumed the position. His education level also influences the change as he had completed 5th or 6th level of schooling.
The strange thing is that a Dalit woman is elected as a leader in the community. This is allowed because the Indian government has reservations for untouchables in their system. It was an unusual circumstance when we were invited to her house, and told that if a Rajput individual was to visit that it was considered indecent to drink the water being offered. We were concerned over whether this is common practice, or only in certain areas. We were offered Chairs and she would not sit in front of us on the chair and a carpet was placed on the floor for her to sit.
The town seemed to operate quite efficiently. There were plenty of small neat little shops with all the basic requirements for living, such as a chemist, stationery supplies basic food stalls, even clothing stalls.
Other industry associated with people residing in Setrawa included farming and mining of the sandstone quarries.
The mining has also had a negative impact on the town by disrupting the soil stability in the most historical area of the village, the result being collapsed houses and dangerous waste land. The damage has increased in the last 2 decades.
There were so many children filling the streets when we arrived. It was soon established that this project would be very welcome in their village. Within minutes of suggesting our Ideas, the local leaders and respected members of the community were sweeping us around from place to place that were available for rent. We also were told around 30-50 children were already interested. This was meant to work.
The local people were very happy that the village name would be internationally recognized.
The level of education in the village is not very different here in comparison to Jodhpur (at first glance). We noticed quite a variety of levels. But this may have been because we were meeting mostly the higher caste children at this time, given our impressive introductions. One major difference is that most kids speak Marwari, so all of that good Hindi we practiced will have to be replaced by a new language!
This is a wonderful idea and a wonderful project. It is a beautiful area. The fresh country air and brighter skies are enchanting, and naturally after meeting the community this project has become more alluring then we first anticipated. Apparently this is nothing compared to the amazing star filled skies we are promised by Govind to witness at night!
Things just seemed to fall into place when we arrived on Saturday 3rd (This was both volunteers first Visit to the village). We are planning at this stage to move in to the project after Diwali celebrations 07, at this stage on the 11th November 07.
It should also be mentioned that the village holds much significance to Govinds’s family as this is the village his father grew up in. In light of the success and joys of the Sambhali project in Jodhpur he was encouraged and wanted to do something of a similar vain for his own village.
We are all very excited and are looking forward to the possibilities and challenges that lay ahead!!! Once again, please keep up to date with our developments on the blog.
Report on the Fashion Show by Ms. Sophie Haensel
Over all impression of the fashion show
When Govind told me that Soniya could have the chance to participate in a local fashion show I was so happy for her. This, in my eyes, seems to be the thing she is born to do. She is so beautiful and first and foremost she has the attitude to be a model! I thought it would be such a big proof for what has changed in the last year. We couldn’t even imagine that something like this would happen for one of our girls and finally there were four of them walking the ramp! (and I did it too, which is a little wonder as well =) )
We hoped that this will show them other world that they will learn a lot of things from this experience and that maybe, some little doors will open, not only for them, but for the NGO as well, by being in the news paper and having such publicity.
So we went for our first practice on Tuesday the 10th to the NIFD (national institute of fashion design). Oh my god, we had such a hard day. For the girls modeling sounded like fun and glamour, but actually it is hard work. You have to walk up the floor and down the flour, without eating more than a little breakfast for the whole day and you won’t believe it, but for those girls, who work at home as if they are slaves the hardest thing was to wait. Wait for the beginning of the practice, wait for the collections, and wait to change, wait for the choreographer…
Anyways, we had a lot of fun too, off course. We had fun while walking, fooling around making jokes and dancing. I think it was good for the girls to get to know the other models, who were very nice and understanding.
It was wonderful to watch the little changes in the girls: the first day, dressed in western clothes, the girls were so uncomfortable sitting in the rickshaw and being watched by so many men. The 5th day we sang all the songs of Kabi kushi kabi Gamh(sometimes happiness and sometimes sorrows) so loud, that I’m nearly sure that the whole street heard us, on the way back home (with hand movements, of course). No hiding any more, no fear or insecurity. This was wonderful.
But the thing the most important was the fashion show itself of course. We were so happy, that nearly all the girls, Govind, Virendra and even Mukta were there to see us!
We had a pretty long day, with practicing the whole morning, getting make up and dressed, practice again and than waiting, waiting for the show to start. The girls were surprisingly chilled and relaxed. There was a little excitement, when they noticed that Govind will watch them, but they talked to him at the phone and after that everything was fine. I was so proud of them, even more, when we started walking, because they did such a great job. Can you imagine some girls from the untouchables, about whom normally nobody cares whether they are alive or dead, which arrived at Govind’s project and did not even look in anybodies eyes, to walk as professionals? I couldn’t, but now I can.
They kept relaxed while the uncontrollable chaos backstage and were cooperative, no problems while changing or waiting!
After the show, we were so happy to have our people around me. Some family members of Pammi and Chandni were there as well, and they loved the work of the girls, which made them even happier! Chandni started crying, and they were so grateful for this experience and all the other girls seemed excited about this too!
Thank you Govind and Kamlesh, that they made this come true!
But still there are some problems after that, and I’m unsure whether it was such a great idea after all. Now the girls are back in the project, they are not fulfilled by what we are doing here any more. Especially Soniya for who a dream came true, seems to be lost, but even Pammi is unmotivated. We showed them an other world, which they can not reach even after being part of it for a while. More over there were some problems with the other girls as well, it seems that now there are two groups… our models are not able to find their place in the community from today to tomorrow again.
But I hope after some time passing, they will be able to keep this as what it is: a great experience, which showed and teached them a lot and which they could keep in their memory and tell their children, one day!
Over all impression of the fashion show
When Govind told me that Soniya could have the chance to participate in a local fashion show I was so happy for her. This, in my eyes, seems to be the thing she is born to do. She is so beautiful and first and foremost she has the attitude to be a model! I thought it would be such a big proof for what has changed in the last year. We couldn’t even imagine that something like this would happen for one of our girls and finally there were four of them walking the ramp! (and I did it too, which is a little wonder as well =) )
We hoped that this will show them other world that they will learn a lot of things from this experience and that maybe, some little doors will open, not only for them, but for the NGO as well, by being in the news paper and having such publicity.
So we went for our first practice on Tuesday the 10th to the NIFD (national institute of fashion design). Oh my god, we had such a hard day. For the girls modeling sounded like fun and glamour, but actually it is hard work. You have to walk up the floor and down the flour, without eating more than a little breakfast for the whole day and you won’t believe it, but for those girls, who work at home as if they are slaves the hardest thing was to wait. Wait for the beginning of the practice, wait for the collections, and wait to change, wait for the choreographer…
Anyways, we had a lot of fun too, off course. We had fun while walking, fooling around making jokes and dancing. I think it was good for the girls to get to know the other models, who were very nice and understanding.
It was wonderful to watch the little changes in the girls: the first day, dressed in western clothes, the girls were so uncomfortable sitting in the rickshaw and being watched by so many men. The 5th day we sang all the songs of Kabi kushi kabi Gamh(sometimes happiness and sometimes sorrows) so loud, that I’m nearly sure that the whole street heard us, on the way back home (with hand movements, of course). No hiding any more, no fear or insecurity. This was wonderful.
But the thing the most important was the fashion show itself of course. We were so happy, that nearly all the girls, Govind, Virendra and even Mukta were there to see us!
We had a pretty long day, with practicing the whole morning, getting make up and dressed, practice again and than waiting, waiting for the show to start. The girls were surprisingly chilled and relaxed. There was a little excitement, when they noticed that Govind will watch them, but they talked to him at the phone and after that everything was fine. I was so proud of them, even more, when we started walking, because they did such a great job. Can you imagine some girls from the untouchables, about whom normally nobody cares whether they are alive or dead, which arrived at Govind’s project and did not even look in anybodies eyes, to walk as professionals? I couldn’t, but now I can.
They kept relaxed while the uncontrollable chaos backstage and were cooperative, no problems while changing or waiting!
After the show, we were so happy to have our people around me. Some family members of Pammi and Chandni were there as well, and they loved the work of the girls, which made them even happier! Chandni started crying, and they were so grateful for this experience and all the other girls seemed excited about this too!
Thank you Govind and Kamlesh, that they made this come true!
But still there are some problems after that, and I’m unsure whether it was such a great idea after all. Now the girls are back in the project, they are not fulfilled by what we are doing here any more. Especially Soniya for who a dream came true, seems to be lost, but even Pammi is unmotivated. We showed them an other world, which they can not reach even after being part of it for a while. More over there were some problems with the other girls as well, it seems that now there are two groups… our models are not able to find their place in the community from today to tomorrow again.
But I hope after some time passing, they will be able to keep this as what it is: a great experience, which showed and teached them a lot and which they could keep in their memory and tell their children, one day!
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