| EQ-network Europe www.eqee.org | |||
2.6: "India dec 2003" - Page 3-8   |
|||
Second report 26/27/-11-2003 Bangalore "Busy from 6 to 24.00 hr. every day makes one wonder: how will I survive this all...". Harry Hello EQ-friends, This is written in Hyderabad. The last days in Bangalore were so busy, that we did not find any time to write a report. So - at last - here it is... (P.S. everything is well, and lot's of good things seems to be in progress...) The 26th of november Usha and Dhyan visit Vani Mitra Kendra a centre for self-help in Bangalore. A traditional welcome with flowers and essence, it was very heartly. The eighteen woman who did this welcome are all doing a beauty service training of three months. This small group is representing a bigger group of woman who come to this center for self-help groups. Other projects they have is the Bamboo project and an printing center.  This center is builded by Mr Sathya Na ra ya na. He is old and asked Usha Gowri to manage it. Because Usha don't believe in managing for others she asked Dhyan to give her some help to train the woman in self responsibility, ownership and accountability. It started with a stressing interaction with some elder woman who were very angry because a governmental person asked money from them before he could help. This woman gave all she had, that was ten years ago and the government did nothing at all. She told us her story at the borderline of the group young woman who liked to do some training. After a time Usha stopped this intermezzo. She did this with respect for the elder woman picking up the needs here and now of the younger woman, changing the atmosphere. After this we had a real positive start for Dhyan. We did an EQ-starter with emotion-carts and some circle-time exercises. After that Dhyan introduced the story of the feminist movement (FORT) in the Netherlands and a self help method they used to start emancipation. The method was working very well. Woman asked questions related to there story and there dreams for future. After some time this question raised: "How can we build an enterprise for us all? ". We picked up. The woman were discussing how they all individual have can start there own beauty shop. They were very afraid to do it, feeling that they had not enough power and money. Then Dhyan came in asking them to find two or more options for a beauty service they can do together. After some time the solutions were there. They like to work in teams for beauty service at homes. A beauty-box that they can take with them in a taxi (taxi in India is not expensive) can be the first step. Now the questions rise: "How to do it?". How to organize the box. How to organize the care for the children of the working woman, how to organize the marketing, how to organize the accounts, how to organize some money to start. Dhyan asked Usha to take over now. Usha did. She picked up the needs for the new project. Telling the woman that she will organize expert help by making a list of her friends (and phone numbers) who are experts in one of this subjects and like to give some expert help. Telling them that she can coach their initiative, but the women have to take the first initiatives. They have to find a moment they can come together to do the self help methods they did today and organize there own initiatives. And if they know the time and place they can invite Usha (giving them her phone number). Then we asked the woman to choose a manager and assistant for there group. The first manager is the very assertive woman who during his intervention was translating what Dhyan told from English in Tellegu. Another woman who showed to be social competent will be the assistant and after a month they will change and other woman will take responsibility. This happening was very fruitful. During the reflection (we did a circle time reflection) everybody showed very positive. During the reflection one woman told the others that it will be good when every woman will learn to speak English. Then two school managers who where waiting for a meeting experiencing this happening came in. Telling the woman that if they have that need they can come to there school (in the same area) and they will teach the Active English. Usha was telling us that this was a very positive and joyful experience also for her. Tomorrow we go to HIVOS office and will try to tell Shoba and the others there this experience. Try to find out what possibilities they have for enterprise starters finance for initiatives like this. If we like to empower our women friends we have to make them owners of there own enterprise. They have to learn and to develop competences, like: to communicate effectively, to connect woman, take initiative, collaborate and be pro-active and accountable. Also girls and poor children can develop this competences in education. Community life in India is very strong. There are persons from big powerful communities who like to help others to organize themselves to develop this competences for new economy. They have to bridge the gab that tradition has build and open new possibilities. In the afternoon we have an other meeting, now with Mr. Bhuvaneshawari Nagar. He is the initiator of a school who will cooperate with the other 11 schools to set up a training center (first a bus) for more effective and joyful learning. After a short discussion we take a taxi to visit the school. This private school is big. The area outside Bangelore is not very poor, most of the people living here are working in shops, hotels, services etc.  There are 10 classes (standards) for primary-secondary education. In each class 30-50 children.  At the top of the building a girls-college for physics, arts and management. Next year they will start a teachers trainers center. Government gave them permission for 49 students.  The building is clean and you can see that good care is normal here. There are toilets for boys and girls. There is a also a computerroom with some 15 computers. Here the older students are teached basic principles of computer practise.  In an other building there are teacher rooms and there are labs for biology, physics and chemist.  The education in language and social science is traditional. The computer teacher is pro active. In the computerclasses children learn to make powerpoint presentations and she is very interested in making/using interactive education. She showed us the first little successes of her approach. The teachers physics and mathematics are also pro-active thinkers. They are working very hard to organize more practical education by using the laboratory they build in this school. This school can be a good practise for others. After the visit we discuss the possibilities for collaboration between the 12 schools. They have to share there knowledge and learn from each other. Sharing and exchange of knowledge and educational expertise is not a thing they are use to do. They have to learn it. We end up visiting a beautiful Indian-marriage... A very interesting and joyful experience. We wish the couple all the luck...  Then leaving this festivity we had to rush off for the airport in busy-traffic Bangalore and just came in time allright. After landing we were picked up by Srinivasan and brought to our hotel. We had just 30 minutes to wash-up and then had to start working... More hopefully later... Greeting from Dhyan, Harry, Usha, Jyotsna & Srinivasan. 
(Harry is signing off, had a nice meal and now enjoying a cold beer!) European Network on Emotional Quality © 2002-2008 |