Setrawa project's monthly experience report by Ms. Anna and few pictures, overall impression report from Ms.Anna, Ms. Karelia's reports. Annual report by Ms.Mary to come soon on the blog.
Volunteers at Sambhali Setrawa project.
Below Dadi, our eldest participant.
Below Sewing class, setrawa village project
Karelia and the kids from junior class.SPORTS TIME!!
Bus stand of Setrawa below.
Celebration at of the houses in Setrawa Village
The Country around the Project Building at Setrawa.
Deers on distance on the dune, must have ran away from camera.
The 2 cenethopes on edge of the old city(600 year old ruins) of setrawa. Earth querry for digging out sand stone is distroying the old homes of the deserted village.
your neibhour on the tree in the courtyard of Sambhali setrawa project below.
Some thoughts on the projects and my very personal experiences and feelings
Living in Setrawa
Now that I have spent some month in India in different places taking in the dazzling, contrasting, amazing and as well repelling new world, things just start to take on a certain meaning and structure in my brain. Sitting in front of Meena’s fathers shop and watching life going on, is not just an ever so colorful spectacle but I start recognizing people I’ve seen before, knowing what is sold in which shop, realizing cast differences: a group of men with darker complexion, untidy hair, wearing rags, their head and shoulders bent and another man in spotless white cloth, a bright colored turban, striding proudly across the road. They constitute and share live in the same village; still their social status refers to the old tradition of different casts. What does that mean to them? How does official Indian politic affect them, if at all? How does the refugee family of Meena slot in this village life? How do people feel about rich westerns coming along to “help” them?
Slowly, slowly I learn, will I ever understand? Explain this world to me!
Walking through the village and outside the village is not just a pleasure but also instructive because of all the observations of daily life we can gather. I noticed the truly military morning drill at the school behind our place, noticed the young boys working at the roadside tea places. They don’t go to school. I wonder why? We see the girls and boys in their school uniforms coming in small groups a long way walking on dusty roads in the early morning. We listen to the complaints of the government school teacher, that only 20 out of 80 girls turn up at school and see the teacher’s frustration. We notice the men starting their day at the tea place with no urge to hurry to a daily work. I see the little boy at the veggie stall having only a few rupees’ in his tiny hand buying as many potatoes as he can get for his family: it bought him four potatoes. Seeing the boys running barefoot through the garbage and sewage mixture in front of the temple: they don’t bother, noticing where the girls are at home.
There is this experience: wandering through their world full of wonders, fighting the same fights against the sand, cooking, shopping, washing, saving water the same than everybody and still so different.
Looking into eyes: distant, dark and deep, knowing the epics of a world completely secret to us, knowing unknowingly of people’s struggles, successes, glory and pain. Time has a different meaning, my feeling of time starts to change as my staying here exceeds. I change my view … and it feels alright.
Setrawa Sambhali
Regarding the Sambhali project I feel a deep desire to better understand the world of the girls and women I am dealing with, particularly their
ideas about life,
desires and fears,
feelings towards each other
dreams and beliefs,
roots, history and religion,
education,
struggles and difficulties
values they’ve been taught,
skills they are trained in,
traditions supporting and binding them
and all the things that make up their life including the caste system.
Not understanding each others different cultures sometimes causes friction in daily life as my western style expectations are not understood by the village people and our different approach to shared resources leave at least question marks on both sides:
Why are so many of the students notoriously late? Why does a strange girl walk in the classroom/ bedroom during class and starts flicking through the students books and messing them up, behaving like she owns the place? Why is it so hard for them asking permission, before they help themselves to supplies? Why do some girls/ women not even bother to take on any responsibility for the class even when asked for (like to picking up a pencil left on the floor)? Why do they demand things in a commanding voice: Anna pencil, book, eraser, what ever!!! Why do they laugh about something, why do the girls start giggling?
English afternoon class: Big girls
English lessons with the big girls are definitely worth the effort it takes preparing them. I try a skill based system (reading, comprehension, conversation, vocabulary – and no more spelling, please!J). Lessons are structured by cooperative learning
Ideas: think, pair, share. This structure ensures that every student is active during lesson and interacts with others in the process of learning. Thus learning becomes a process they organize and evaluate themselves, taking on responsibility for their own learning process as well as for others.
I like the girls spirits – once they get the message, what I want them to try, they are so eager, they help and support each other with reading, learning vocabulary, comprehension – and still it is hard for them to forget the teacher centered way of teaching they are so used to. They don’t put up much resistance to my ideas.
I told them this is not the usual kind of school but Sambhali school, which is a different place for a different experience: empowering women, learn how to learn, try your skills, improve them, work together, appreciate the qualities of classmates. Explaining something to someone else helps both to better understand. Accept the mutual dependence and the challenges encountered. Of course I have Meena to translate my appeals.
And they do! It is so rewarding! It is hot, it is sticky, students are crammed in, it is late afternoon – but still in the end of the lesson when I feel tired and in need for a break I struggle to stop them working, to make them go home! I can’t help but love them.
Arts and crafts
I was a bit afraid teaching the arts and crafts class as I know I am not qualified in these things. When I came to Setrawa I saw what Amanda did, saw the women embroidering and I felt even more insufficient.
I had a team meeting with the other volunteers (Karene and Elly) before they left and brainstorming surfaced some good ideas, which I put into action. Papermache was fun and salt dough as well. Rekha and Usha are really great supporters. And still it is sometimes difficult to cooperate with Rekha. I noticed she was starting her own project without letting me know, what was going on. But then with a little delay (it’s India!) things work out well and I am satisfied with the work. Never knowing the meaning to the women, though.
Support
Govind is always supporting our work in every possible way. He is always open to suggestions. It is fantastic to see the improvements happening in this short period of time I am here. Local teachers have been employed, so the precious time women and girls in both projects spent together is used with great efficiency. They get good instructions which lead to quality work. The project gets more self sustainable and less dependant on volunteers. It’s still a great place for vounteers.
Some suggestions for the future
Administration in Setrawa
- enrollment and quitting of participants should be formalized and controlled regularly,
- have a suitable computer form for this duties,
- regular checking of attendance lists à ask for reasons of absence, take consequences if necessary,
- have students/ participants details in a file, make it available in English
- have someone being responsible for administration (continuously),
- evaluate the progress/ personal success of each participant, whatever that is.
For volunteers
- give introduction to special culture, religious, social, caste etc. background,
- have follow up meetings on these subjects, take on responsibility for the education of volunteers,
- teach basic Hindi, culture techniques.
Volunteers at Sambhali Setrawa project.Below Dadi, our eldest participant.
Below Sewing class, setrawa village project
Karelia and the kids from junior class.SPORTS TIME!!
Bus stand of Setrawa below.
Celebration at of the houses in Setrawa Village
The Country around the Project Building at Setrawa.
Deers on distance on the dune, must have ran away from camera.
The 2 cenethopes on edge of the old city(600 year old ruins) of setrawa. Earth querry for digging out sand stone is distroying the old homes of the deserted village.
your neibhour on the tree in the courtyard of Sambhali setrawa project below.
Some thoughts on the projects and my very personal experiences and feelingsLiving in Setrawa
Now that I have spent some month in India in different places taking in the dazzling, contrasting, amazing and as well repelling new world, things just start to take on a certain meaning and structure in my brain. Sitting in front of Meena’s fathers shop and watching life going on, is not just an ever so colorful spectacle but I start recognizing people I’ve seen before, knowing what is sold in which shop, realizing cast differences: a group of men with darker complexion, untidy hair, wearing rags, their head and shoulders bent and another man in spotless white cloth, a bright colored turban, striding proudly across the road. They constitute and share live in the same village; still their social status refers to the old tradition of different casts. What does that mean to them? How does official Indian politic affect them, if at all? How does the refugee family of Meena slot in this village life? How do people feel about rich westerns coming along to “help” them?
Slowly, slowly I learn, will I ever understand? Explain this world to me!
Walking through the village and outside the village is not just a pleasure but also instructive because of all the observations of daily life we can gather. I noticed the truly military morning drill at the school behind our place, noticed the young boys working at the roadside tea places. They don’t go to school. I wonder why? We see the girls and boys in their school uniforms coming in small groups a long way walking on dusty roads in the early morning. We listen to the complaints of the government school teacher, that only 20 out of 80 girls turn up at school and see the teacher’s frustration. We notice the men starting their day at the tea place with no urge to hurry to a daily work. I see the little boy at the veggie stall having only a few rupees’ in his tiny hand buying as many potatoes as he can get for his family: it bought him four potatoes. Seeing the boys running barefoot through the garbage and sewage mixture in front of the temple: they don’t bother, noticing where the girls are at home.
There is this experience: wandering through their world full of wonders, fighting the same fights against the sand, cooking, shopping, washing, saving water the same than everybody and still so different.
Looking into eyes: distant, dark and deep, knowing the epics of a world completely secret to us, knowing unknowingly of people’s struggles, successes, glory and pain. Time has a different meaning, my feeling of time starts to change as my staying here exceeds. I change my view … and it feels alright.
Setrawa Sambhali
Regarding the Sambhali project I feel a deep desire to better understand the world of the girls and women I am dealing with, particularly their
ideas about life,
desires and fears,
feelings towards each other
dreams and beliefs,
roots, history and religion,
education,
struggles and difficulties
values they’ve been taught,
skills they are trained in,
traditions supporting and binding them
and all the things that make up their life including the caste system.
Not understanding each others different cultures sometimes causes friction in daily life as my western style expectations are not understood by the village people and our different approach to shared resources leave at least question marks on both sides:
Why are so many of the students notoriously late? Why does a strange girl walk in the classroom/ bedroom during class and starts flicking through the students books and messing them up, behaving like she owns the place? Why is it so hard for them asking permission, before they help themselves to supplies? Why do some girls/ women not even bother to take on any responsibility for the class even when asked for (like to picking up a pencil left on the floor)? Why do they demand things in a commanding voice: Anna pencil, book, eraser, what ever!!! Why do they laugh about something, why do the girls start giggling?
English afternoon class: Big girls
English lessons with the big girls are definitely worth the effort it takes preparing them. I try a skill based system (reading, comprehension, conversation, vocabulary – and no more spelling, please!J). Lessons are structured by cooperative learning
Ideas: think, pair, share. This structure ensures that every student is active during lesson and interacts with others in the process of learning. Thus learning becomes a process they organize and evaluate themselves, taking on responsibility for their own learning process as well as for others.
I like the girls spirits – once they get the message, what I want them to try, they are so eager, they help and support each other with reading, learning vocabulary, comprehension – and still it is hard for them to forget the teacher centered way of teaching they are so used to. They don’t put up much resistance to my ideas.
I told them this is not the usual kind of school but Sambhali school, which is a different place for a different experience: empowering women, learn how to learn, try your skills, improve them, work together, appreciate the qualities of classmates. Explaining something to someone else helps both to better understand. Accept the mutual dependence and the challenges encountered. Of course I have Meena to translate my appeals.
And they do! It is so rewarding! It is hot, it is sticky, students are crammed in, it is late afternoon – but still in the end of the lesson when I feel tired and in need for a break I struggle to stop them working, to make them go home! I can’t help but love them.
Arts and crafts
I was a bit afraid teaching the arts and crafts class as I know I am not qualified in these things. When I came to Setrawa I saw what Amanda did, saw the women embroidering and I felt even more insufficient.
I had a team meeting with the other volunteers (Karene and Elly) before they left and brainstorming surfaced some good ideas, which I put into action. Papermache was fun and salt dough as well. Rekha and Usha are really great supporters. And still it is sometimes difficult to cooperate with Rekha. I noticed she was starting her own project without letting me know, what was going on. But then with a little delay (it’s India!) things work out well and I am satisfied with the work. Never knowing the meaning to the women, though.
Support
Govind is always supporting our work in every possible way. He is always open to suggestions. It is fantastic to see the improvements happening in this short period of time I am here. Local teachers have been employed, so the precious time women and girls in both projects spent together is used with great efficiency. They get good instructions which lead to quality work. The project gets more self sustainable and less dependant on volunteers. It’s still a great place for vounteers.
Some suggestions for the future
Administration in Setrawa
- enrollment and quitting of participants should be formalized and controlled regularly,
- have a suitable computer form for this duties,
- regular checking of attendance lists à ask for reasons of absence, take consequences if necessary,
- have students/ participants details in a file, make it available in English
- have someone being responsible for administration (continuously),
- evaluate the progress/ personal success of each participant, whatever that is.
For volunteers
- give introduction to special culture, religious, social, caste etc. background,
- have follow up meetings on these subjects, take on responsibility for the education of volunteers,
- teach basic Hindi, culture techniques.
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