Feedback from Linda Wolf, meeting Sambhali

I am the Executive Director of Teen Talking Circles and the Daughters Sisters Project. We are located in Washington State in the US and have been in business as a nonprofit organizaiton for over 16 years. We run Girl's Talking Circles for high school and middle school girls, GenderTalks for mixed gender youth, and programs for youth activists.

We received a grant to come to Jodhpur and run a Girl's and Women's Talking Circle with Sambhali Trust girls. I had no idea what to expect. When we arrived at the Durag Niwas Guest House Govind took us to his village to meet some of the women and girls (as well as boys) who are being served by Sambhali in their school. I was blown away by the faces and excitement I saw there. I witnessed girls from the "untouchable class" learning English and crafts, making saleable objects, sewing clothes and generally getting tremendous rewards from the volunteers who were there to help in the organization.

But what was the most moving and important experience for me was when we organized a Daughters Sisters Talking Circle back at the guesthouse where Sambhali has a center. We sat on the floor together, about 25 or 30 young women, me, Govind and his father-in-law, an attorney. Through Govind as a translator, I described what we do in the US when we sit in circle; how we use Compassionate Listening skills we learned to practice in circle and created safe space for everyone in the circle to tell the truth about what they are going through and feeling.

After I shared about our work and gave some examples of how important having this kind of space is in my own life and what my teen years were like, I opened the circle for the women and girls to speak. Two women asked to share their troubles with me. They told me, through our translator, what kind of injustice they were living through. They shared horror stories that no one in Sambhali had any idea they were going through. When they were asked why they had not mentioned these things prior to this circle, they said that they never felt safe that they could be open about their lives. It didn't occur to them that they could or should.

The attorney who was in the room listened and asked many questions and I gave a lot of hugs, as did all the other girls. The attorney promised to persue the issues the girls were having with the appropriate authorities. We ended circle after 2 hours and much sharing and many tears.

It was extremely important and powerful to bring Daughters Sisters Project to Sambhali and I've heard from Govind that both cases of the girls who spoke out are now being heard in court. Things are moving and happening to help them.

Not only was it exceptional to do the circle with these girls and see how our model works no matter where in the world we are, but the girls want to keep doing circle. Govind and I are looking at ways to have me come back and train adult women to faciltate the circles. I was so honored to be part of these women's lives and I know we will be back to collaborate on more circles in the future. This was an experience I will always treasure.