Weaving through the villages...

Updates from dear Corey!

*~*~*~*~*

I traveled to the field last week to interview approximately 10 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) as a whole and 50 SHG members. I spent three days in Thanagazi, trekking from village to village and conducting interviews. Unable to speak Hindi, I was accompanied by Priyanka, another JRF employee, who served as my translator. Neetu, the Thanagazi Program Coordinator, and Sudhir, the Thanagazi Field Officer, served as our liaisons, facilitating our entrance into each village and then introducing us to the SHG members.

Although I could not understand their conversations (neither Neetu, Sudhir, nor any of the SHG members spoke English), it was obvious that the SHG members, all of whom were women, felt comfortable around Neetu and Sudhir and as a result were more willing to open up to Priyanka and me. Thus, I would not have been able to conduct my assessments if it were not for Neetu, Sudhir, and Priyanka. They did not just make my job easier - they made it possible.

The interview process was long and exhausting. I asked the SHG members a series of questions, both as a group and individually, on carpet-weaving, the structure and rules of their SHG, their livelihoods, and their future vision for their SHGs. Since each interview took about a half hour, we left for the villages early in the morning and did not return until late at night. The long hours, coupled with the 115O F weather, were both mentally and physically draining, but I would not have traded them for the world.

My trip to the field has thus far been the highlight of my internship. Not only did it provide me with a greater perspective on the SHG model that JRF has implemented, but it allowed me to observe and interact with the people who I hope to help. Having them teach me how to weave, sing me songs, and laugh at my pathetic attempts to speak Hindi were just as meaningful as the answers I compiled from my surveys. My trip to the field deepened my understanding of the rural weavers and served as a window into the culture, life, and soul of the weaving villages.

-Corey