Final Report by Fayette Fox

Final Report
Fayette Fox
Volunteered: 1 September – 7 October 2008
Contact details: fayette.fox@fastmail.fm

Overview
Volunteering at the Sambhali Trust has been extremely positive for me. I was able to experience a completely different side of India and feel I made a positive impact on the participants through my teaching. I am delighted I was able to take part in the Ramdevra Pilgrimage. Those five days walking in the desert were utterly unique and I hold them very close to my heart. When I first started teaching English at Sambhali, I felt very anxious because it was not something I had done before. However, over time I felt more at ease in my role as teacher and got a better feel for how to introduce a topic clearly and work through a lesson with the girls. It was apparent they enjoyed the English lessons and were making progress which was exciting for them and also for myself. However of all the projects, the health workshops stand out as the most dynamic and beneficial to the participants.

Workshops
Fellow volunteer, Meg and I researched and organised seven days of health workshops for the girls. They consisted of a day each covering nutrition and exercise and five days on sexual health. These sexual health workshops covered:
· The female and male reproductive systems
· The science of how babies are made
· Fetal development
· Health measures during pregnancy
· Family planning – The concept of women in control of their own bodies, factors to consider before having a baby, etc.
· Birth control – Dispelling myths and features of different methods
· HIV and STD prevention – Dispelling myths about HIV, the virus in a global context, discussion of how HIV is contracted and how it is not, STD symptoms to be aware of, how women get HIV in India and how to stay safe.

Meg and I put a tremendous amount of work into these workshops, devising interactive activities and creating large colour posters. We documented the lesson plans and all the materials will be available for use by future volunteers. It is our hope that these workshops can be run again for the next batch of participants. The effect of these workshops felt tremendously powerful and important. We presented the girls with information which can help inform future life decisions and keep them safe. The vast majority of what we covered was entirely new information to them. Particularly gratifying was answering their anonymous questions from a “question box”. Although they were encouraged to ask questions throughout the workshop (and many girls did), some people were shy about asking questions in front of the group and felt more comfortable writing their queries in Hindi. The range of these questions and the girls' obvious interest during the workshops, served as proof of the importance of the workshops. Govind's wife, Mukta acted as a wonderful translator for us, conveying our message to the girls.

I would encourage future volunteers to take the initiative to organise and run other such workshops. Thanks to our Western education, we have knowledge we may take for granted that could be useful to Sambhali participants. What is relevant and interesting? Volunteers don't need to be “experts” on these subjects. A basic understanding supplemented by internet research is likely to be enough to serve as the foundation for a strong workshop.


Crafts

Puppets
While I was at Sambhali I helped teach the girls how to make hand and finger puppets. I envisioned papier-mâché heads and cloth bodies. After discussing my idea with Govind and Tamanna, the sewing teacher, I learned that Indian papier-mâché is very different from the newspaper/flour paste creation we have in the West. Here, pulverised newspaper pulp is combined with smashed clay rocks which are combined with water to form a sort of mud along with powdered fenugreek seeds and a little glue. The mixture takes several days to make, but once completed, can be moulded like clay. The end result is a type of lightweight clay which hardens in the sun.

The girls enjoyed this project a lot. I gave some direction and instruction but was keen to let them express themselves creatively. I have documented the process so future volunteers can teach this same project to a new batch of Sambhali participants.

Structure
When I first got to Sambhali, some girls got started on sewing projects straight away each morning. However I was surprised to see some girls sitting around chatting during craft time. They were very slow to get started and didn't seem to take craft time seriously or else perhaps they were unsure what project to work on. Equally, I was uncertain initially what my role was as a volunteer. Should I leave them to it and not interfere? Or should I play “the teacher” and ask them to please start working on something?

I felt conflicted about the whole thing and unclear how I should act. However after a few days I became more comfortable and started asking them to get started. “What are you working on today?” I asked. The girls might shrug. “I don't see anything in your hands. Can you please go get something to work on?”

Meg and I talked with Govind about this issue and we were delighted how quickly it was resolved. Tamanna started teaching new projects, such as how to sew a kurta (Indian tunic). She drew patterns on the board and the girls diligently copied them down in their notebooks. The mood changed drastically. Suddenly the girls seemed more focused and directed.

We also discussed the idea with Govind that when the girls finish working on one project, they should have a repertoire of other projects they can fall back on. For example, if they finish making an elephant then they can get started on a bag. If they finish a bag then they can start making a belt and so on. Govind thought this was a good idea. We hope this will help them be more self-directed.

I hope this renewed industriousness continues. Personally I think craft time is as important as English lessons. Consequently, I feel it should be as productive and focused and taken as seriously. The atmosphere can still be fun and the girls should absolutely be allowed to talk while they're working. But they should be working on something at all times. If volunteers see a girl sitting around without a project, they should “be a teacher” and ask her to please get working on something.

Sambhali Shop
What sort of crafts might Western tourists want to buy? The Sambhali shop by the entrance of Durag Niwas guesthouse had only been open for a few weeks when I arrived. The collection of stuffed elephants, skirts and bags is wonderful. It's exciting to walk inside and be surrounded by beautiful things the girls have made.

It occurred to Meg and myself that guests might appreciate having price tags on the crafts. If someone is browsing and sees something they like, they may be put off if they have to find a staff member to ask the price. They might also interpret “no prices” as “I'm going to have to bargain for this” which many tourists find a tiring process. Meg and I mentioned this to Govind. Within days everything in the shop was clearly marked with a price tag. I'm delighted by the change and hope it will increase sales.

Knowing your Market
I suggested the girls make small, cute crafts such as birds which can be sold cheaply to Western tourists. I imagine a lot of travellers coming through Durag Niwas guesthouse might like to buy a little something as a way of making a token donation to the Trust. However, not everyone wants to buy a bag or a more expensive item like an elephant. Meg and I talked with Tamanna about this and discussed it with Govind. Both were very receptive and while we've been here, the girls have started learning to make birds. As always it's such a thrill to see our ideas put into action. I hope the girls continue to make small, distinctive and inexpensive items with these travellers in mind. There is an opportunity for future volunteers to help by coming up with new ideas for suitable craft projects.

English
As discussed in Meg's Final Report, there was no record of English lesson plans from previous volunteers. Looking through the girls' notebooks, it was clear that old lessons often covered too much ground, confusingly flitting from one subject to another. Furthermore, the girls seemed to have carefully copied down material from the board without understanding its meaning.

Lesson Planning
Meg was a maths teacher in England and was able to put together level-appropriate English lessons which focused on a single topic. We had the girls break off into pairs and do role-plays, a staple exercise in language classes. They would then perform these conversations for the class.

However, I feel inventing a good English lesson is much more difficult and a different skill than being able to teach. I was comfortable teaching the girls English but may have struggled to create appropriate lesson plans. Rather than volunteers creating their own curriculum from scratch, I believe it would be a better use of their time and of more enduring benefit to the girls if Sambhali had a few good, modern “English as a foreign language” textbooks available. I have arranged for some such textbooks to be sent to Sambhali from the States and they will be with the Trust soon. Volunteers should, in my opinion, absolutely still use their own creativity and best judgment to expand textbook lessons as appropriate, however I think having these textbooks as a basis will make things easier for both volunteers and the participants.

Differing Levels of English
The Sambhali girls have vastly different English language abilities. Some are much more advanced than others. Because there were two volunteers at the Jodhpur project in September, Meg and I were able to split the class in two. Meg taught the main group which is at a more basic level. I taught about ten, more advanced girls in the sewing room. In our case, Meg created all the lesson plans and the two groups covered the same subject, but the advanced group took this topic a little further with some additional complications. For example, in a lesson about family, the basic group covered vocabulary such as “older” and “younger” whereas the more advanced group went a step further with the additional words, “oldest” and “youngest”. Sometimes we found it worked well to keep the whole group together initially, while we talked them through the basics for 15 minutes or so. Then we split the group and I continued on from there with the more advanced students. I believe there is tremendous benefit to the girls to be divided by English ability. Consequently, when there are two volunteers I strongly feel to the girls should continue to be taught in this way. Additionally, Meg started teaching a 30 minute “Easy English” class to a small group of girls with virtually no English. This class took place before lunch, between 12:30 and 1pm. She went through the alphabet and taught phonics using flashcards. These girls were making real progress. I feel this class should be continued by future volunteers to get this group up to speed.

Overcoming Learning Difficulties
An extremely successful lesson focused on learning how to ask questions in class when something is not understood. For example, “What does this word mean?” “Can you say that again?” “Do you understand?” “Yes, I understand.” We also talked about it being okay to not understand something, but that it is important to ask questions so the teacher can explain something in a different way. This lesson was very successful and now the girls know to say when they don't understand something.

Hindi on the Board and Writing
Rather than assuming the girls understood new words, Meg and I got them or Tamanna to write the corresponding Hindi next to each English word. We said a word in English and then had the class repeat it (in English). Only after we had gone through each new vocabulary word did we let them copy the words down in their notebooks. The girls seem to feel most comfortable copying from the board. Writing is certainly one way to learn a language, but speaking and listening are equally important. By ensuring they understood the meaning of the words before they wrote them down, the act of writing had more significance. (If they wrote the words and then learned the meaning, writing would have been a meaningless exercise.) Some girls are able to write from the board faster than others. Rather than holding up the class, we frequently told them to put their pencils down and listen for a minute, while we explained the next stage of the lesson. This seemed to work well and I would recommend future volunteers try similar techniques.

Publicity
Letting the public know about the good work the Sambhali Trust is doing is a valuable way of getting the Trust's name out there and enabling it to continue to receive funding. This publicity takes take a variety of forms.

Durag Niwas Menu
It occurred to me that the guesthouse menu would be an ideal place to let guests know about Sambhali. In a non-profit restaurant I visited in Cambodia, the menu had a page telling diners about the orphanage it supported. I suggested this idea to Govind and he liked the sound of it. I imagine this could be a single page describing the aims of the Trust and the work it has accomplished so far. Guests could be told about the wonderful crafts for sale in the shop and that 100% of the revenue from the sales go straight back into the Trust. Perhaps there could be a colour photo of the girls.

Newspapers and TV
Govind has some excellent connections with the local Indian media and is savvy about inviting them to cover Sambhali related events. I was genuinely surprised that Indian newspapers would take any interest in foreign volunteers. However, I soon learned that they are very interested indeed. I was first interviewed in connection to Sambhali before going on the Ramdevra pilgrimage. We were briefed us on the importance of saying the name “The Sambhali Trust” several times in each interview because apparently it was left out of a previous newspaper article. I felt quite anxious being interviewed. I have no media training, my knowledge of Baba Ramdev Ji (the Hindu saint) while adequate for my personal needs was perhaps insufficient for an interview on the subject and I had only arrived in Jodhpur the day before. It's a shame that the journalists didn't interview us after we'd done the pilgrimage. We would have had a lot more to tell them at that stage!

I'm sure some volunteers would enjoy the media attention and feel more at ease talking in front of the cameras. Personally I felt uncomfortable and ill-equipped speaking to the journalists. Also, as a volunteer, I felt uncomfortable in the role of Sambhali “figurehead”. I felt I was stealing focus away from the girls who are the real story of Sambhali, simply because I'm a foreigner.

For me, this feeling of discomfort was at its worst the day after the horrible Jodhpur temple crush. I went on a memorial walk with the girls as a sign of solidarity. This walk was emotional and deeply significant for them, whereas I was accompanying them as their teacher in a show of support. We were told there would be no cameras, but unfortunately it seems these media folks can't resist a story and turned up with still and video cameras. I felt uncomfortable being filmed and scrutinised by the cameras during the walk. Setrawa volunteers Gris, Helen and I were asked repeatedly to walk at the front of the group but we declined, feeling it would make it “our” event. We all receive so much attention in India as foreigners, I suppose it's a rather touchy subject for me to be further put in the spotlight, particularly when it seems to take the attention away from the Sambhali girls.

Perhaps in the future, these media opportunities could be presented as more of a choice rather than an obligation. Some volunteers will surely enjoy talking with the journalists and being filmed. For those who feel more shy in front of the cameras, perhaps they can give the interviews a miss.

Foreign Publicity
While coverage of Sambhali events by the India media furthers our cause to people in India, foreign publicity could have a significant effect on letting the larger world know about the NGO and would help bring much needed donations to the Trust. Unfortunately, during my time at Sambhali I did not have time to pursue any foreign publicity, however this could be an interesting project for a future volunteer. A good place to start might be getting in touch with a local newspaper at home (wherever “home” may be) and offering to write an article about the Sambhali Trust. As I understand it, “publicity” is advertising you get for free and “marketing” is advertising you pay for. A volunteer with a background in publicity would be able to come up with innovative ways to get the Trust's name out there.

Other things
What I didn't know before I came here
1. Guesthouse is in the same building as Sambhali school
This made “commuting” a breeze. I just had to walk upstairs from my room and I was in the classroom.
2. Age of the participants
The Sambhali participants are teenagers. When I read that they were “girls and women”, I mistakenly thought I'd be teaching mostly adults. As it turned out, this wasn't a problem, but having no experience with teenagers, I was initially anxious I would not have the right skills to teach them.

No Expectations
Some volunteers, myself included, have a lot of questions about the project before we get here. For me this was part of my process of deciding if I was right for Sambhali and if Sambali was right for me. It wasn't about getting everything figured out before I arrived. Being flexible and open to change are key to working for any NGO. However, I don't think it is actually possible to “have no expectations”. Because I had lots of questions, I asked to get in touch with a previous volunteer before I arrived. Govind kindly gave me Chloe's email address and we had a lively email exchange in which I asked her about her daily routine, what she most enjoyed about volunteering at Sambhali, what she found challenging, etc. I would be happy to get in touch with prospective volunteers in this same way in the future to answer any of their questions about my experience volunteering at the Trust. Everyone is different, but I prefer to enter into an experience with my eyes open.

Improvements for the Future
Professionalism
I have viewed my volunteering as a job and have done my best to approach it with professionalism. All volunteers will be different in their approach to the role. However the primary importance is their commitment to the work they do for the Trust. All else is secondary and should not come at the expense of their work.

I was always happy to offer my opinion regarding issues with the Trust. This collaborative spirit is key to Sambahli's volunteer/founder relationship. However, any disagreements should take place outside of the classroom environment and away from the girls.

Requests for Additional English Teaching
Volunteers agreeing to work for the Sambhali Trust will expect to be working with Dalit girls and women (as per the Trust's public mission statement). If there are any requirements to teach outside of this group (something I would not have felt comfortable with), then it is absolutely essential that is made clear to volunteers before they arrive. Whilst some volunteers may be happy to do so, in every case it is imperative that it is agreed in advance of their arrival.

Cross-over of Volunteers
When possible, I think it would be useful for volunteers to have at least a few days of overlap when a new person arrives before the old one leaves. This would make it easier to exchange knowledge and handover projects. Good handover notes can't substitute for talking things through face-to-face, sitting in on a few classes, etc. If this is not possible, I would recommend volunteers write thorough hand-over notes for the volunteers who come after them.


Closing Remarks
I am so pleased I decided to volunteer at the Sambhali Trust. I have learned a great deal and feel I made a positive difference teaching the participants. I wish the Trust all the best for its successful growth and continuation for many years to come.