Mary's final impression report

Sambhali Trust
Mary Polizzotti report
April 10, 2008
I tried to arrive in Jodhpur with zero expectations. I had no idea what I was about to experience, where I was going, who these girls were, or what this project was really all about. I was excited with anticipation as I stepped off the plane. Govind whisked me away to Durag Niwas Guest House where, as we pulled up to the arched doorway, I saw a line of giggling girls extending down the hallway. He turned to me and said, ‘The girls have come to meet you.’ I was confused; it was Sunday, their day off. But they had all made the choice to come and meet the new volunteer. As I entered, Mukta, Govind’s wife, adorned me with two strands of orange and gold marigolds, and marked my forehead with a traditional rice and crimson bindi. The girls were laughing, reaching out to me, checking me out, and chattering as I walked by them waving hello and hi, taking in all of their gorgeous faces. I was so touched I fought back tears.
I felt immediately accepted and loved by the girls and women of Sambhali Trust. There was never a moment when I felt any of them were suspicious of me, wary of me, or not appreciative of my presence there. Knowing a bit about their backgrounds, how rough their short lives had been compared to my own, their lack of opportunities, and how none of them had ever really had access to a truly great education, I felt so fortunate to be unabashedly welcomed into their lives for a short while.
My original intention coming to Sambhali Trust was to write their first annual report, which would give them a greater platform to show the world who they are and what they are doing. But to do this, I felt I really needed to spend the first week getting to know the girls and to gain a sense of how the projects, both Jodhpur and Setrawa village, worked. Charlotte was still volunteering during my first week there, so I followed her lead for the first day. We taught Basic English from 11am – 1pm, which ends up starting about 30 minutes late, as girls are arriving, catching up with each other, going to the bathroom together, and setting up the “classroom.” Well, many of them are teenage girls after all. I found it hard to enforce strict rules because of the hardship they all left behind at the door. Most of these girls, ages 8-38, are cooking, cleaning, taking care of babies and siblings and fathers and mothers, well before they make it to the refuge of Sambhali Trust.
That first week, Charlotte and I taught English together, neither of us having any experience teaching before. We reviewed colors, basic songs like the alphabet, days of the week, and basic greetings. The majority of them were obviously well versed with “hello, how are you? I am fine and you? I am happy, gooooood, I am 15 years old, bye!” It was great to watch their personalities shine through and learn their names slowly. As with any girls, some were very outspoken, and some shy and reserved, hiding behind calm smiles and wide eyes.
I felt we needed some new vocabulary and I was frankly tired of the “good morning song” so one day, Charlotte and I burned a CD of some Madonna songs. We wrote the lyrics of Holiday on the whiteboard and helped them to learn the chorus. Soon enough, we had them belting out Madonna. They particularly loved the line “it would be, it would be so nice!” Even girls from the sewing class in the other room would peek in enviously. Some of them were bold and danced with Charlotte and I, but mostly I think they enjoyed watching us dance around the room because they kept yelling “Char and Mary, dance!” And then they would repeat the song again. I think in 3 weeks we listened to Holiday about 134 times if not more. Usually in the morning, I woke up to the song since my bedroom was adjacent to the workshop area and the girls put Holiday on from the moment they walked into Sambhali Trust.
Charlotte and I befriended another Aussie staying in the guesthouse, Clare. An art teacher by trade, we begged her to have an art class with the girls in the afternoon, which between 1-3pm, was somewhat reserved for chilling out, arts and crafts, bracelet-making, gossiping, chai, games, relaxing, and whatever else they wanted to do. Clare agreed and taught them about blending colors, drawing points of reference and other artsy stuff. Charlotte and I sat in the back trying to learn something, since our stick figures paled in comparison to what everyone else was drawing. The girls were completely absorbed in their work and some were quite adept at the task.
One particular Saturday, which is normally reserved for playing games outside at the playground next door, it was sweltering hot. Charlotte and I decided it would be a fantastic surprise to take everybody to get ice cream at National Handloom, which does indeed have the most amazing Krishna Softy & Softy. So we gathered 33 ladies and strolled down the street on the field trip. Apparently, some of the patrons at the store were speaking condescendingly to the girls, saying that they were there “taking advantage of foreign women” i.e. Charlotte and I. It’s amazing that people recognize Harijan women from the lowest caste of society and treat them differently, when to my eyes, they look like and dress like everybody else in the store. En route home to the project, some men stopped us on the street and asked curiously “Why are so many women walking together on the street? Where we come from this is very unusual.” Our girls responded, “Do you have a problem with this?” When they shook their head no, our girls said, “Well mind your own business then.” Many months of attending Sambhali Trust has obviously worked wonders in helping them stand up to prejudices against them and men in particular.
During two days of my stay, we visited the Setrawa project about 2 hours away. Setrawa is a bit more structured with a one-room schoolhouse and space for sewing and textile work. The girls and women there were, again, thrilled to have visitors and welcomed me with open arms. They surrounded me and stared, giggling. They showed off some of their handicrafts which are very impressive and I asked all of the girls their names and ages. The desert heat can make the small room slightly oppressive but you would never know it as smiles were wide and enthusiasm, obvious. At one point, I was surrounded by girls eager to decorate me and the other guests with henna. Their attention to detail was astounding and their patience unmatched. Everybody wanted the chance to draw on me and I felt pampered by the girls, they seem completely unaware that this one skill could be a lucrative business in the western world! There are more young children wanting to learn basic English in Setrawa, and it’s interesting to see so many older women coming to class with their babies in tow – again, it’s evident they enjoy their time spent learning in Setrawa as well as associating with the other females. A strong women’s network is clearly forming and really enforces the Sambhali Trust goal of creating unity among women. This is impressive considering the Setrawa project was only born a mere 5 months ago! Govind and his supporters should be commended for such a positive initiative.
Back in Jodhpur, another 2 weeks passed of teaching Basic English and working on the annual report. Teaching did not come without its trials and tribulations. The group was usually eager to learn, however there was a division between the girls abilities. About 75% of them could comprehend writing, speaking the words and sentences, and associating them with what I wrote on the board. However, the other 25% can copy the writing, repeat the words, but are unable to make the connection between seeing the word and understanding it when speaking and writing. Never having taught before, I was stunned to learn that those whose comprehension was the weakest had never attended school or had minimal schooling. Those who were quick to understand at least had attended some basic years of school. This was one of my most startling observations of Indian society – the amount of children who are not in school. I am shocked that the government overlooks this especially when the country is vying for the position as one of the world’s next superpowers. This will not happen with such an atrocious education system. I learned that some of the younger girls did not attend school because they were previously beaten and abused in the public school. And who can afford private school? These girls struggle to survive on a daily basis, 80% are malnourished, and education, if even possible, is reserved for the men. Another tragedy is the lack of childhood vaccinations; I couldn’t believe that Anita, a beautiful and serene girl, had been stricken with polio and is now constrained to drag herself around on the ground for the rest of her life. It’s absolutely heartbreaking!
In Jodhpur, it would be beneficial for the girls to have 2 separate classes for English, but only with more volunteers and/or the hiring of a local teacher would this be feasible. Some of the girls like Kirin, Soniya, Sarika, Savita, Lajwanti and Deepika have solid basic knowledge and could really take off with some more advanced lessons. Other girls such as Asha, Bharti, and Saroj need to start from the very beginning of reading and writing. Their handwriting is excellent, but they need more one on one attention to advance. And then there is Sandhya and Anita for example, who I know comprehend and just need an extra nudge. Sandhya was always quick to look for the answer from somebody else, but when I forced her to answer, she would. It was very gratifying!
I took out the atlas one day and we discussed the continents, countries and cities, how many hours are in a day, north, south, east, west... I was proud that after a few days, they all knew that Mary came from North America and they all lived in Asia. I think they were surprised to know how long an airplane takes for me to get to Jodhpur (about 24 hours!) and that yes we have cows were I live, but they’re in fields, not walking down the city streets – they nodded with unfathomable curiosity. I also covered a lot of questions, when, where, how many, which kind, so they may be able to move on from their basic four questions. I made them act out ‘what did you do yesterday?’ every day. Performing definitely helped with all of their comprehension. We covered prepositions religiously with me jumping around ‘behind’ and ‘in front of,’‘in the corner,’ and ‘near and far.’ The best feeling was when somebody like Kirin would ask about a word with a furrowed brow and I would explain with actions or more words until her face would soften with understanding and she would proceed to explain to everybody else. Another funny victory was one day I decided to teach them some American slang. We rehearsed ‘Hey Dude, how are you dude?’ Every day after that, the moment I would walk into class and say hello, Sarika was the first to say brazenly ‘Hey Dude how are you?!’ I also taught them ‘chatterbox’ because they would get distracted and be babbling about. On a particularly noisy day, I interrupted and asked ‘Geez, do you girls know what you are right now?’ Pooja, a girl who usually sat quiet in the back, hunched shoulders, barely speaking a word, responded “Chatterbox!” I was thrilled to know she listened and understood.
The day before my last class, I informed all of them it would be my last day there and I teasingly threatened that they better show up. The next day I walked into class to see it had doubled in size and also with faces I had never seen before! I was bewildered that the girls had apparently brought new friends to Sambhali Trust, it was great. The next surprise was that they came bearing gifts! They took turns giving me earrings, a photo frame, a wallet. I was, again, moved to tears. These girls who have nothing were so generous and thankful to me, and I felt so unworthy of their benevolence. I grabbed my camera so we could take a group photo which I promised to put in the frame they gave me. A few of them said ‘you are best teacher!’ I know they say this to all volunteers but it still felt amazing.
Sambhali Trust is really still in its infancy as an organization. It has been fortunate to have a wide variety of volunteers from all over the world who have helped to shape and develop the organization with their own expertise and skills. The project is obviously doing wonders for the girl’s self-esteem, confidence, and maturity in both Jodhpur and Setrawa. There are many ways in which Sambhali Trust can grow especially because the founder and backbone, Govind Rathore, has endless ideas, enthusiasm, and support from friends, family, and increasingly, the world. Now, with the aid of the original Board and the newly formed Advisory Board, Sambhali Trust has the ability to step up to the next level and really make a difference in these women’s lives. I can’t wait to come back in a year and see how far it has come and I’m so grateful I have the opportunity to be a part of it. Thank you!

Ms.Karelia and Ms. Anna's report with the annual report On the way.