A Visit To Payana
Written by - Suveera Malhotra
August 2023
Written by - Suveera Malhotra
August 2023
“Talki (tull-key) is a beloved mutton dish, and is a word from a unique language that our community has...”, says Chandani very matter of factly, as we drive to Vijaynagar in Bangalore. She is talking to us (Anantvijay and Suveera) about Payana’s latest efforts at communicating the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of the transgender and larger LGBTQIA++ community to the larger world via theatre, and they have already had one successful show. This flavourful start to the morning leads into some very meaty conversation when we reach Shantamma’s house and get seated. Here we meet Shantamma, Laxmiamma, Kanishka, and Aarti, among others. They are all from either Karnataka or Tamil Nadu, but many have traveled to Maharashtra and other states over the course of their journeys. When we very curiously ask how members from the transgender community end up making their way to groups like theirs, they talk about the strength of their networks and how they reach out to others when they travel. They let folks know that this is a safe space and thus the network keeps growing.
“My father was always supportive of me”, says Laxmiamma, while describing her own journey, and speaks of facing stigma from students in Pre-University College (Junior College or Class 11- 12 equivalent), but not from her family. Both she and Shantamma then talk to us about the concept of Nirvan, or the process of castration as they transition from male to female. Vaginal construction surgery is usually expensive and thus not accessible to the community, hence Nirvan is the common practice. They tell stories of how earlier it would be done by a Dayamma, with more traditional approaches to healing (oil, leaves, and not letting the patient sleep in case they didn’t wake up again), and how a shift to having hospitals do it has led to a reduction in the mortality rate associated with the practice. Shantamma talks about her own experience of seeing this when her own Nirvan happened via a Dayamma, and reflects on how times have changed since those days- “Today the law gives us respect, back then there was nothing”. They mention rituals that are conducted during the Nirvan, which leads us down a whole conversation of religion, worship, history, and identity. “We don’t look at one religion, we celebrate all religious identities”, they say, and Chandani describes different instances across mythology that they look at for inspiration. While Murga Mata remains a key deity, we speak about the trans community in the Ramayana that waited for 14 years for Rama to come back from exile because he asked only the men and women to go back; the story of Arjun’s son Aravanna and Mohini from the Mahabharat, and how he is thought of as a husband; a tale of a baba in Ajmer, his transgender devotee and her wish to have a child; and several others.
Over tea, the conversation meanders to what the experience of the pandemic was for them, and they reiterate how livelihoods suffered. Members from the community have a few major livelihood opportunities accessible to them- Badhai, wherein they ask for money at households that have recently had a child or other opportunities to celebrate; Basti, wherein they beg at traffic signals across the city; and sex work. While all livelihoods suffered, sex work was massively impacted because of restricted mobility and a fear of disease. We also end up talking about the development ecosystem serving the community in the area, and how there is a mix of communityled and non-community-led organizations in the space. “It is good that everyone is working on this issue”, they say.
As it is getting late and there are a few more stops to make for the day, we reluctantly bid our goodbyes to the group and head for lunch by way of a hammam, a traditional bathing spot for travelers coming from outside the city. This also makes it a spot to find sex work, and the rooms above it provide a safe space to have sex. Thus, it also becomes an area where the Payana team goes to interact with and counsel members of the community. We do not spend long here, saying a quick hello to a Payana field team member who is there for mobilization, and depart from under the watchful eye of the caretaker of the hammam. Lunch is a conversation-heavy affair, with the three of us paying special attention to our Andhra thalis while getting deeper into questions. As we eagerly wait for each of the elements to be served on our banana leaf thalis, Chandini shares how sex could mean different things and goes beyond just being a penetrative act. She says, “sex is a means of pleasure, even physical touch is sex..” Then she shares briefly about how there are different types of acts (thighs, anal, etc.) that are considered sex in the community. Our traditional Andhra lunch ends with a cultural learning- as Chandini teaches us to close the banana leaf towards ourselves after concluding lunch. “It's an indication that you liked the food” she explains as we move towards our last spot for the day- Payana Office. Our conversations begin with us introducing each other and then moving on to understanding Payana. We deep dive into its organization structure, governance structure and learn about their goals and plans on how to utilize unrestricted funds under Rebuild. As a community-owned organization, they share the core values of inclusion on which their Governance model exists. In tandem with this core value, it has members from all communities it works within its Executive committee. They share about their decision-making structure, which is primarily led by 2 bodiesA) The General Body members- includes 18 founding members, who meet every 6 months and take key decisions for the organization. B) Executive committee- which is a 7-member body that takes day-to-day decisions. The general body is an exclusive body- with elected representatives wherein all members of the community are not the members of the general body by default.
Our conversations then shift gears to understand how Payana looks at impact. “The existence of this community owned and managed organization by itself is impact...” shares Chandini as the team dives deep into the softer aspects of impact and highlight that mainstreaming the community, enabling inclusive laws, and generating employment opportunities are key areas of focus. The conversation leaves us thinking about how Payana’s understanding of impact is a testament to the fact that impact can be a journey and not a destination, specifically in the context of a community-owned organization.
Over tea, the conversation meanders to what the experience of the pandemic was for them, and they reiterate how livelihoods suffered. Members from the community have a few major livelihood opportunities accessible to them- Badhai, wherein they ask for money at households that have recently had a child or other opportunities to celebrate; Basti, wherein they beg at traffic signals across the city; and sex work. While all livelihoods suffered, sex work was massively impacted because of restricted mobility and a fear of disease. We also end up talking about the development ecosystem serving the community in the area, and how there is a mix of communityled and non-community-led organizations in the space. “It is good that everyone is working on this issue”, they say.
As it is getting late and there are a few more stops to make for the day, we reluctantly bid our goodbyes to the group and head for lunch by way of a hammam, a traditional bathing spot for travelers coming from outside the city. This also makes it a spot to find sex work, and the rooms above it provide a safe space to have sex. Thus, it also becomes an area where the Payana team goes to interact with and counsel members of the community. We do not spend long here, saying a quick hello to a Payana field team member who is there for mobilization, and depart from under the watchful eye of the caretaker of the hammam. Lunch is a conversation-heavy affair, with the three of us paying special attention to our Andhra thalis while getting deeper into questions. As we eagerly wait for each of the elements to be served on our banana leaf thalis, Chandini shares how sex could mean different things and goes beyond just being a penetrative act. She says, “sex is a means of pleasure, even physical touch is sex..” Then she shares briefly about how there are different types of acts (thighs, anal, etc.) that are considered sex in the community. Our traditional Andhra lunch ends with a cultural learning- as Chandini teaches us to close the banana leaf towards ourselves after concluding lunch. “It's an indication that you liked the food” she explains as we move towards our last spot for the day- Payana Office. Our conversations begin with us introducing each other and then moving on to understanding Payana. We deep dive into its organization structure, governance structure and learn about their goals and plans on how to utilize unrestricted funds under Rebuild. As a community-owned organization, they share the core values of inclusion on which their Governance model exists. In tandem with this core value, it has members from all communities it works within its Executive committee. They share about their decision-making structure, which is primarily led by 2 bodiesA) The General Body members- includes 18 founding members, who meet every 6 months and take key decisions for the organization. B) Executive committee- which is a 7-member body that takes day-to-day decisions. The general body is an exclusive body- with elected representatives wherein all members of the community are not the members of the general body by default.
Our conversations then shift gears to understand how Payana looks at impact. “The existence of this community owned and managed organization by itself is impact...” shares Chandini as the team dives deep into the softer aspects of impact and highlight that mainstreaming the community, enabling inclusive laws, and generating employment opportunities are key areas of focus. The conversation leaves us thinking about how Payana’s understanding of impact is a testament to the fact that impact can be a journey and not a destination, specifically in the context of a community-owned organization.
Farmpreneurs of Farm2Food Foundation
Written by - Ekansh Gupta
July 2023
Written by - Ekansh Gupta
July 2023
On a recent visit to Farm 2 Food Foundation, Rebuild's Ekansh Gupta reflects on the success of the organization in defying conventional motivation theories, demonstrating the profound impact of purpose-driven work in nurturing hope and revival amidst adversity.
‘Reclaim agency over our foodways’, and ‘Promoting Indigenous farming methods as an act of resistance’ are different articulations by A Growing Culture to highlight the importance of preserving indigenous culture and natural systems in order to attain food sovereignty. This is also the core philosophy followed by Farm2Food, a not-for-profit organization based in Jorhat, Assam. This was our port of entry into north-eastern India. A crash course on the conflict-marked history of Assam informed us about the ethnic strife that the state has witnessed. The communities and their parched economy have craved growth and looked outwards towards popular modes of development instead of the indigenous ways of sustainable, ecological and anthropogenic balance. The region, thus, has seen a staggering number of dead indigenous varieties of rice and other crops and fast fading knowledge of natural and organic farming.
The theory of change, therefore, is to rejuvenate indigenous systems of agriculture and crafts to restore this balance with school children as agents of change. Inculcating the idea of Farmpreneurship is Farm2Food’s key intervention that nudges the community to build an ecosystem that would make traditional organic farming a potential and viable profession for the next generation. The entry point is a nutritional assessment in a target school, where the poor results create the intention to improve the nutrition levels of the students. Continuous interaction with children leads them to the need to consume local fruits and vegetables. In continuation, often the students themselves come up with the idea of growing their own food - after all, this has been the life world for most of them.
Somewhere, in the deep rural pockets of Jorhat, a little girl came up with the idea of asking their parents for seeds to kickstart their school Nutri-garden. Over time, this became what is now known as ‘‘Beejdaan Yatra’. What we witnessed was a string of young boys and girls holding placards going around the village asking for local varieties of seeds. But then the elders did not limit themselves to sharing the seeds but also shared snippets of traditional wisdom on how to cultivate those seeds. This extension, called ‘Gyaandaan’, made the children learn the gradually disappearing traditional practices and created a sense of ownership for the community members towards this little project of school children. With the help of Farm2Food’s community experts, the children then push the intervention to the next phase of ‘Shramdaan’ where they ask the elders to support them in land levelling activities and in preparing the garden.
While this movement brews slowly, Farm2Food ensures that they build an ecosystem around the community to keep up the momentum. Interested women of ‘tea tribes’ (one of Assam’s most vulnerable groups of tribal migrants from Jharkhand who historically migrated to work as labour in Assam’s tea gardens) also get trained as paravets or ‘Pashu Sakhis’ which is a local version of barefoot veterinary doctors pioneered by the Goat Trust. Others get trained as ‘Solar Sakhis’ or solar engineers with expertise flowing in from Barefoot College. They also support local crafts like the handloom products one would find in each household of this region. The idea remains to restore/ create stronger relations between the community (especially the new generation) and the local ecology. The aspiration is that if not as a sole source of livelihood, farm-based livelihoods must survive as an additional source of income.
‘Reclaim agency over our foodways’, and ‘Promoting Indigenous farming methods as an act of resistance’ are different articulations by A Growing Culture to highlight the importance of preserving indigenous culture and natural systems in order to attain food sovereignty. This is also the core philosophy followed by Farm2Food, a not-for-profit organization based in Jorhat, Assam. This was our port of entry into north-eastern India. A crash course on the conflict-marked history of Assam informed us about the ethnic strife that the state has witnessed. The communities and their parched economy have craved growth and looked outwards towards popular modes of development instead of the indigenous ways of sustainable, ecological and anthropogenic balance. The region, thus, has seen a staggering number of dead indigenous varieties of rice and other crops and fast fading knowledge of natural and organic farming.
The theory of change, therefore, is to rejuvenate indigenous systems of agriculture and crafts to restore this balance with school children as agents of change. Inculcating the idea of Farmpreneurship is Farm2Food’s key intervention that nudges the community to build an ecosystem that would make traditional organic farming a potential and viable profession for the next generation. The entry point is a nutritional assessment in a target school, where the poor results create the intention to improve the nutrition levels of the students. Continuous interaction with children leads them to the need to consume local fruits and vegetables. In continuation, often the students themselves come up with the idea of growing their own food - after all, this has been the life world for most of them.
Somewhere, in the deep rural pockets of Jorhat, a little girl came up with the idea of asking their parents for seeds to kickstart their school Nutri-garden. Over time, this became what is now known as ‘‘Beejdaan Yatra’. What we witnessed was a string of young boys and girls holding placards going around the village asking for local varieties of seeds. But then the elders did not limit themselves to sharing the seeds but also shared snippets of traditional wisdom on how to cultivate those seeds. This extension, called ‘Gyaandaan’, made the children learn the gradually disappearing traditional practices and created a sense of ownership for the community members towards this little project of school children. With the help of Farm2Food’s community experts, the children then push the intervention to the next phase of ‘Shramdaan’ where they ask the elders to support them in land levelling activities and in preparing the garden.
While this movement brews slowly, Farm2Food ensures that they build an ecosystem around the community to keep up the momentum. Interested women of ‘tea tribes’ (one of Assam’s most vulnerable groups of tribal migrants from Jharkhand who historically migrated to work as labour in Assam’s tea gardens) also get trained as paravets or ‘Pashu Sakhis’ which is a local version of barefoot veterinary doctors pioneered by the Goat Trust. Others get trained as ‘Solar Sakhis’ or solar engineers with expertise flowing in from Barefoot College. They also support local crafts like the handloom products one would find in each household of this region. The idea remains to restore/ create stronger relations between the community (especially the new generation) and the local ecology. The aspiration is that if not as a sole source of livelihood, farm-based livelihoods must survive as an additional source of income.
The intervention and the constant community dialogue around it have led to a plethora of innovative ideas around indigenous farm practices. In some villages, the idea of a school garden has been extended to children starting kitchen gardens in their homes. While in other schools, children can be found vermicomposting and selling their produce. Success stories of children consuming vegetables like bitter-gourd and ridge-gourd talk about the ownership that can be created via a sustained community interaction. One can find children saying “I have grown that bitter gourd, who will eat it if I won’t?”. For students of class 6th, earning rupees 20 by selling vermicompost or fresh indigenous herbs can be a matter of incredible boost to self-confidence while building a solid foundation for future farmpreneurs.
Factors of success
A promise is based on trust. And trust is based on the relationship. This is the premise of how Farm2Food builds an ecosystem. A lot of the communication around Farm2Food’s work revolves around the promise to share a rejuvenated ecology with the next generation. School teachers absorb it in the articulation of holistic education and development for their students. Parents absorb it in the form of improved nutrition. The community in general adopts it in the form of an additional source of income. The outcome of all of these is a strengthened relationship between community members and their ecology. But still, is that a reason enough? Also, all this incredible work is delivered by local experts who are part of Farm2Food. What could be the reason behind their deep involvement and continued obsession despite the limited consideration one gets in the social sector? Could there be other motivations for the teachers to sustain the momentum around school gardens?
A local veteran speculates that these individuals, teachers that sustain the farmpreneur programme and the local experts/mid-management of Farm2Food who ignite it, may have a sense of realization of the ‘self-actualization’ stage of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This motivation theory, however, predicts that an individual can attain a higher level of Maslow’s needs only after the lower levels have been attained. Therefore, the experience of Farm2Food would then follow the alternative (read disputed) explanation of Dr Abraham Maslow’s theory that one can achieve higher levels without necessarily having realized the lower ones. Perhaps, this could be the reason why many in the social sector passionately continue to contribute despite being overloaded and not being adequately compensated.
Factors of success
A promise is based on trust. And trust is based on the relationship. This is the premise of how Farm2Food builds an ecosystem. A lot of the communication around Farm2Food’s work revolves around the promise to share a rejuvenated ecology with the next generation. School teachers absorb it in the articulation of holistic education and development for their students. Parents absorb it in the form of improved nutrition. The community in general adopts it in the form of an additional source of income. The outcome of all of these is a strengthened relationship between community members and their ecology. But still, is that a reason enough? Also, all this incredible work is delivered by local experts who are part of Farm2Food. What could be the reason behind their deep involvement and continued obsession despite the limited consideration one gets in the social sector? Could there be other motivations for the teachers to sustain the momentum around school gardens?
A local veteran speculates that these individuals, teachers that sustain the farmpreneur programme and the local experts/mid-management of Farm2Food who ignite it, may have a sense of realization of the ‘self-actualization’ stage of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This motivation theory, however, predicts that an individual can attain a higher level of Maslow’s needs only after the lower levels have been attained. Therefore, the experience of Farm2Food would then follow the alternative (read disputed) explanation of Dr Abraham Maslow’s theory that one can achieve higher levels without necessarily having realized the lower ones. Perhaps, this could be the reason why many in the social sector passionately continue to contribute despite being overloaded and not being adequately compensated.
The smaller things that stick: Reflections from facilitating our Partner Workshops
Written by - Anantvijay Singh
July 2023
Written by - Anantvijay Singh
July 2023
A reflection by Anantvijay Singh, Rebuild India Fund, on the evolution of our introductory partner workshops since the first workshop that was held at Neembadi, Ahmedabad in November 2022 to our most recent in Bengaluru.
Over the past year, our partner workshops have evolved with a conscious effort on our part to focus on the needs of the group, and to incorporate feedback from previous sessions.
Thinking back to the first one we did at Neembadi in Ahmedabad in November’22 with the first cohort of Rebuild leaders, we had started with just a broader sense that we wanted to bring people together and add value to them from insights that Dasra has built over the past two decades.
We organized the second one in Mumbai during March this year, trying to leverage the location and proximity to Dasra Philanthropy Week to build access for portfolio members to the wider ecosystem, leading to a few very intensely packed days of conversation and interaction.
This time, we aimed to find a balance and create a space that enabled sharing and reflection, while ensuring sessions on capacity building had concrete takeaways and actionable insights. A major step forward was the increased participation of existing portfolio members and extended the Dasra network, leaning into the idea that expertise rests among the larger community of organizations.
In these large workshops, it is often the smaller things that stick with us— the incredibly green and peaceful venue at The School of Ancient Wisdom; the sight of leaders reconnecting after years; the enthusiasm of the team at Westbridge Capital to learn more about the sector; the use of the word ‘family’ that participants used to describe the peer group. We eagerly look forward to the next one.
About our partner workshops - from Neembadi to the Ancient School of Wisdom, finding balance while building a community:
Our recently concluded partner workshop for the newest members of the Rebuild portfolio ran from 11th to 14th of July. This was the third iteration of our quarterly partner workshops, the first deep engagement that organizations have after entering the Rebuild fund, kicking off their 5 year journey as partners.
This time around, we had 21 leaders from 19 organizations join us from across 9 states. We also saw participation from 10+ organisations from our previous cohorts and funders all engaging with our new cohort as facilitators and observers.
Over the past year, our partner workshops have evolved with a conscious effort on our part to focus on the needs of the group, and to incorporate feedback from previous sessions.
Thinking back to the first one we did at Neembadi in Ahmedabad in November’22 with the first cohort of Rebuild leaders, we had started with just a broader sense that we wanted to bring people together and add value to them from insights that Dasra has built over the past two decades.
We organized the second one in Mumbai during March this year, trying to leverage the location and proximity to Dasra Philanthropy Week to build access for portfolio members to the wider ecosystem, leading to a few very intensely packed days of conversation and interaction.
This time, we aimed to find a balance and create a space that enabled sharing and reflection, while ensuring sessions on capacity building had concrete takeaways and actionable insights. A major step forward was the increased participation of existing portfolio members and extended the Dasra network, leaning into the idea that expertise rests among the larger community of organizations.
In these large workshops, it is often the smaller things that stick with us— the incredibly green and peaceful venue at The School of Ancient Wisdom; the sight of leaders reconnecting after years; the enthusiasm of the team at Westbridge Capital to learn more about the sector; the use of the word ‘family’ that participants used to describe the peer group. We eagerly look forward to the next one.
About our partner workshops - from Neembadi to the Ancient School of Wisdom, finding balance while building a community:
Our recently concluded partner workshop for the newest members of the Rebuild portfolio ran from 11th to 14th of July. This was the third iteration of our quarterly partner workshops, the first deep engagement that organizations have after entering the Rebuild fund, kicking off their 5 year journey as partners.
This time around, we had 21 leaders from 19 organizations join us from across 9 states. We also saw participation from 10+ organisations from our previous cohorts and funders all engaging with our new cohort as facilitators and observers.
The focus of this workshop was to (Re) build three key elements--
1) A sense of community, helping portfolio organizations and their leaders learn about each other and build the foundations for stronger connections in the future. In addition, we aimed to help them start to build relationships with other members of the ecosystem including non-portfolio organizations and the funding community.
2) A shared understanding of the Rebuild India fund, the power of flexible funding, and some critical themes such as compliance and safety at the workplace (Rebuild has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment).
3) Capacity of leaders to engage with funders and other ecosystem stakeholders on equal terms, via conversations with the team on storytelling and communication, and by leveraging the collective wisdom of the group.
Through focusing on these elements we hope to be able to create a safe space for our partners to thrive and build resilience through their 5-year journeys with us.
1) A sense of community, helping portfolio organizations and their leaders learn about each other and build the foundations for stronger connections in the future. In addition, we aimed to help them start to build relationships with other members of the ecosystem including non-portfolio organizations and the funding community.
2) A shared understanding of the Rebuild India fund, the power of flexible funding, and some critical themes such as compliance and safety at the workplace (Rebuild has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment).
3) Capacity of leaders to engage with funders and other ecosystem stakeholders on equal terms, via conversations with the team on storytelling and communication, and by leveraging the collective wisdom of the group.
Through focusing on these elements we hope to be able to create a safe space for our partners to thrive and build resilience through their 5-year journeys with us.
Dasra Philanthropy Forum | Rebuilding India
Written by - Mahasweta
May 2023
May 2023
The 10th edition of Dasra Philanthropy Forum, titled "Dasra Philanthropy Forum | Rebuilding India," hosted on May 18, 2023, brought together over 80 non-profit leaders, philanthropists, corporates, and sector experts to join us in our mission of #EmpoweringGrassroots.
The Forum served as a platform to delve into critical and thought-provoking discussions around trust-based philanthropy, power dynamics in giving, climate and resilience, and much more, while keeping communities at the center of discussions.
The Forum served as a platform to delve into critical and thought-provoking discussions around trust-based philanthropy, power dynamics in giving, climate and resilience, and much more, while keeping communities at the center of discussions.
Here are some key takeaways from the session:
1. Reflecting on the power of Proximate Leadership
2. Rebuild's Portfolio in Numbers | May 2023
- Amplifying Proximate Voices: Trusting and actively listening to leaders with lived experiences is essential as they possess unique knowledge of their community issues and solutions. Such leaders, despite having the ability to mobilize sustainable change in their communities, lack the resources and network accessibility to make it happen.
- Building an Inclusive Climate Agenda: Climate change funding is disproportionately low, and indigenous communities, despite their stewardship of natural resources, receive less than 1% of global climate philanthropic funding. Taking action against climate change requires fostering political agencies, defending tribal leaders, and promoting traditional community-based practices of environmental conservation.
- Trust-based Giving in India: For building sector resilience, it is crucial to prioritize trust in community leaders and encourage social sector leaders to take risks. Funders play a vital role in creating the necessary space for innovation and providing support that empowers leaders to embrace risks and drive meaningful impact.
- Giving back the power: Power dynamics are inherent in philanthropy, but funders can make a conscious effort to mitigate them by refraining from meddling and interfering with the organizations they support. Minimizing reporting requirements, promoting well-being, and actively engaging in empathetic and collaborative conversations with proximate leaders can empower them.
- Inclusive Measurement, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL): Encouraging NGOs to actively participate in defining success and impact based on their own priorities is essential. Trust-based funding can support organizations in investing in capabilities and rigorous evaluation processes that align with their goals and values, ensuring a more inclusive and meaningful approach to MEL.
1. Reflecting on the power of Proximate Leadership
2. Rebuild's Portfolio in Numbers | May 2023
Shining a spotlight on the Mising community
Written by - Pallavi
May 2023
May 2023
Scores of ethnic groups, traditional tribals and languages, the land of seven sisters - Northeast India is land of scenic beauty and diversities. It is a collection of eight states – Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Sikkim.
The Mising people of Assam, known as "river people," are among the most vulnerable to climate change impact. With a deep connection to the river, they have developed their own ways of adapting to its behaviour. However, with climate change projections indicating an increase in extreme rainfall events and floods in Assam, the resilience of the Mising community is being tested to its limits.
The Mising people of Assam, known as "river people," are among the most vulnerable to climate change impact. With a deep connection to the river, they have developed their own ways of adapting to its behaviour. However, with climate change projections indicating an increase in extreme rainfall events and floods in Assam, the resilience of the Mising community is being tested to its limits.
The photo used is not the best representation of the community or their location
Due to its location, socio-economic conflicts and transboundary river basins, the northeast region is highly vulnerable to climate change. This has resulted in timely floods, droughts, heatwaves, soil erosions, loss of livelihoods, and migration.
In Assam, most people depend on agriculture for livelihood purposes. Assam is one of the most impacted state by climate change. Not only it’s the floods and erosion that creates disrupts the people there, but Assam also suffers from Brahmaputra’s annual overflow. This has further impacted various wellbeing of certain communities in these regions. For eg: Mising communities. Mising are the second largest, making up 17.8 per cent of Assam’s population. The Mising are river people—their name comes from ‘mi’ (man) and ‘asi’ (water)—and they live on the banks of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. Thus, becoming the worst affected by the river’s annual flooding. The houses of the missing communities are made out of bamboo, wood and cane, which is locally available in the marker, in the region. They are fully aware of the level at which the water rose the previous year, since they very carefully read the behaviours of the river, and they also have a way to estimate up to what maximum extent it may rise. This estimation helps them in deciding the height of their base floor. Climate change projections for Assam indicate an increase in extreme rainfall events by 5%-38% and floods by more than 25% by the mid-century.
Sources:
- https://environmentandforest.assam.gov.in/
- https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/heritage/living-on-the-edge-assam-mising-tribe-brahmaputra/article65428930.ece
Partners of Rebuild | Nirmal Chandel
Written by - Mahasweta
April 2023
April 2023
Life came to a standstill for Nirmal Chandel, when she was widowed at the age of only 23, two years after her marriage in the interior village of Sarkaghat in rural Himachal Pradesh. She was socially excluded as if she was responsible for the ‘misfortune’ of her husband's death.
Nirmal dared to break the shackles of ‘taboo ridden’ society and escaped to work independently with Social Uplift through Rural Action (SUTRA), in Jagjitnagar in Solan district as an accountant. Little did she know that it was her first step towards her journey for empowerment of single women, mainly poor, jobless widows, divorcee and deserted women, who are often cursed, harassed and abandoned as part of social norms in the Himalayan region. Coming across several single women from villages, she felt that every widow or deserted woman shares the same story of distress. Most of them were denied access and rights to property once they lost their husband and they were made to struggle for survival alone with their children. They neither had the backing, nor money to fight even divorce cases.
Nirmal dared to break the shackles of ‘taboo ridden’ society and escaped to work independently with Social Uplift through Rural Action (SUTRA), in Jagjitnagar in Solan district as an accountant. Little did she know that it was her first step towards her journey for empowerment of single women, mainly poor, jobless widows, divorcee and deserted women, who are often cursed, harassed and abandoned as part of social norms in the Himalayan region. Coming across several single women from villages, she felt that every widow or deserted woman shares the same story of distress. Most of them were denied access and rights to property once they lost their husband and they were made to struggle for survival alone with their children. They neither had the backing, nor money to fight even divorce cases.
In 2005, she led 3538 widows, divorcees and deserted women drawn from the state. The rural women, including 70-80 year old women, walked for 45 kilometers over three days with their baggage on their head to the state headquarters Shimla. The effort virtually shook the system and instilled confidence in single women to take up the fight for their dignity and rights, while preparing them for leadership roles in society. With Nirmal Ji's march, for the first time, the political and institutional leadership in Himachal recognized the challenges of single women in accessing social protection schemes.
At Rebuild, we are celebrate single women leaders like Nirmal Chandel who have fought against a patriarchal society and are a source of inspiration for women in the remote hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh. Rebuild India is proud to partner with Sutra.
At Rebuild, we are celebrate single women leaders like Nirmal Chandel who have fought against a patriarchal society and are a source of inspiration for women in the remote hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh. Rebuild India is proud to partner with Sutra.
The story of the Loktak
Written by - Gagan
April 2023
April 2023
A small village, based on the banks of an inland freshwater wetland in Imphal, continues to thrive on the fish resources of the lake for their living. What we observe from afar; these fisherman living a quaint, simple life near a lake, is far from the reality of it.
The intervention of developmental projects such as dam construction, road development owing to the G20 summit, etc. have tremendously impacted the lives of these folks. An abrupt decline in fish population, destruction of their property (fishing nets, tools, utensils), and displacement without any support plan form just the top layer of the challenges these folks deal with on a day to day. This topped with child trafficking, child labor, exploitation make it difficult to fathom how this indigenous fishing population summons the courage to continue.
The intervention of developmental projects such as dam construction, road development owing to the G20 summit, etc. have tremendously impacted the lives of these folks. An abrupt decline in fish population, destruction of their property (fishing nets, tools, utensils), and displacement without any support plan form just the top layer of the challenges these folks deal with on a day to day. This topped with child trafficking, child labor, exploitation make it difficult to fathom how this indigenous fishing population summons the courage to continue.
Working with organizations such as the New Life foundation, this population has been able to challenge the govt. on these developments, moved professions from fishing to farming, and hustled funds to support their child’s nutrition and education.
I was left with complete awe in their strength, grit, and dedication to improve their living conditions even at the face of such dire atrocities. It also gave me hope in our work, in the core principles of Rebuild, and in the importance of our role in bringing these stories to the fore.
I was left with complete awe in their strength, grit, and dedication to improve their living conditions even at the face of such dire atrocities. It also gave me hope in our work, in the core principles of Rebuild, and in the importance of our role in bringing these stories to the fore.
Visiting MFF’s ‘Swabhiman Kendra’, a safe space for domestic workers
Written by - Shinjini
June 2022
June 2022
We were very fortunate to visit Martha Farrell Foundation's (MFF) ‘Swabhiman Kendra’ or ‘Self Respect Centre’ for domestic workers in Gurugram. At the centre, we met some inspiring women who had migrated from Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, relying on domestic work to supplement their family incomes. The centre is located in ‘Harijan Colony’, a slum area located adjacent to some of Gurugram’s most expensive residential societies. We also had the opportunity to meet and interact with adolescent girl champions, some of whom are daughters of domestic workers associated with MFF in Delhi and Gurugram.
How the pandemic emboldened Sarita and her team
While COVID has been hard for all of us, speaking to the centre's head Sarita, a domestic worker herself, who migrated to Delhi in 2008 from Bihar, we saw an unstoppable force of energy who helped thousands of domestic workers and their families cope with this unfolding disaster. These domestic workers, most who live hand to mouth, had limited access to food and basic necessities and were shut out of the homes that they spent years working in. From looking after their employers' families better than they look after their own, these hardworking women were treated worse than prisoners, locked into their homes. This did not stop Sunita, in fact, she became even more emboldened to support her sisters in this time of need by creating customized care packages which provided medicines for pregnant women, rice and atta flour for communities depending upon their regional dietary preferences, and hygiene essentials including sanitary napkins. As one girl mentioned in our meeting, COVID did not stop periods.
While COVID has been hard for all of us, speaking to the centre's head Sarita, a domestic worker herself, who migrated to Delhi in 2008 from Bihar, we saw an unstoppable force of energy who helped thousands of domestic workers and their families cope with this unfolding disaster. These domestic workers, most who live hand to mouth, had limited access to food and basic necessities and were shut out of the homes that they spent years working in. From looking after their employers' families better than they look after their own, these hardworking women were treated worse than prisoners, locked into their homes. This did not stop Sunita, in fact, she became even more emboldened to support her sisters in this time of need by creating customized care packages which provided medicines for pregnant women, rice and atta flour for communities depending upon their regional dietary preferences, and hygiene essentials including sanitary napkins. As one girl mentioned in our meeting, COVID did not stop periods.
Infected employers don’t keep their masks on, endangering workers and their families
Sarita and others literally risked their lives during Delhi's deadly second COVID wave to help communities in their time of need. If it was not for their timely intervention, many more would have died during this time. Over the last 2 years, domestic workers’ incomes have been cut by 20-40%. They are asked to do many more tasks than they were previously paid for and are expected to work even if their employers have COVID. They are constantly putting themselves and their families at risk for wages lower than the set minimum. When one worker asked her infected employer to wear a mask, she was told not to come back. With COVID, household abuse has increased, daughters of domestic workers are forced to leave school and work at home and outside while continuous sexual harassment occurs at building societies, with watchmen and police.
Despite all these hardships, these amazing women spoke about the need to support other migrant domestic workers, ensure their daughters are given greater opportunities and did not speak about quitting but rather bringing more equity and dignity to the workplace. MFF is working closely with the Delhi government create a new legal structure to provide domestic workers the same protection against sexual harassment at the workplace as all other working men and women across India.
Sharing dreams with ‘KBC champions’ and BTS fans
After meeting the women and hearing their stories of struggle and hope, we spent time with their daughters who are champions of the program for adolescents, ‘Kadam Badhate Chalo’ or ‘Keep Walking Forward’. The girls, with great confidence and enthusiasm, showed us their new Instagram page ‘Chalo_Sawal_Uthaye’ which means ‘come let’s ask questions’. The page features content related to safety, gender norms, menstruation and rights. They walked us through a creatively represented, hand drawn ‘problem tree’ that was prepared using participatory methods to identify, prioritise and highlight critical issues and challenges being faced by them. Along with the problems, the tree also featured possible solutions.
We spoke about gender identity, not being able to wear certain clothes in public and how the aunties were worse than the uncles at passing rude remarks perpetuating gender norms and discrimination. When we went around asking girls what they wanted to be, one girl said her goal was to move to Mumbai, Dubai or Korea and work there. We were curious on how Korea made the list and she quickly replied that it was her love for BTS.
Martha Farrell, a women's rights crusader who worked across India and globally, was killed in a terrorist attack on May 2015 in Kabul, Afghanistan while running a gender training program. The Martha Farrell Foundation was set up in her name to continue her work in supporting women and focusing on the most marginalized of groups including migrant domestic workers. Not only have many of them fled unstable situations from across India to move to Delhi, many did not speak the language, had no family connects or support systems, they are looked down upon by local domestic workers and receive limited support from the police when they file cases of abuse and harassment. Their vulnerabilities are multi-faceted, but together, they feel stronger and abler.
Sarita and others literally risked their lives during Delhi's deadly second COVID wave to help communities in their time of need. If it was not for their timely intervention, many more would have died during this time. Over the last 2 years, domestic workers’ incomes have been cut by 20-40%. They are asked to do many more tasks than they were previously paid for and are expected to work even if their employers have COVID. They are constantly putting themselves and their families at risk for wages lower than the set minimum. When one worker asked her infected employer to wear a mask, she was told not to come back. With COVID, household abuse has increased, daughters of domestic workers are forced to leave school and work at home and outside while continuous sexual harassment occurs at building societies, with watchmen and police.
Despite all these hardships, these amazing women spoke about the need to support other migrant domestic workers, ensure their daughters are given greater opportunities and did not speak about quitting but rather bringing more equity and dignity to the workplace. MFF is working closely with the Delhi government create a new legal structure to provide domestic workers the same protection against sexual harassment at the workplace as all other working men and women across India.
Sharing dreams with ‘KBC champions’ and BTS fans
After meeting the women and hearing their stories of struggle and hope, we spent time with their daughters who are champions of the program for adolescents, ‘Kadam Badhate Chalo’ or ‘Keep Walking Forward’. The girls, with great confidence and enthusiasm, showed us their new Instagram page ‘Chalo_Sawal_Uthaye’ which means ‘come let’s ask questions’. The page features content related to safety, gender norms, menstruation and rights. They walked us through a creatively represented, hand drawn ‘problem tree’ that was prepared using participatory methods to identify, prioritise and highlight critical issues and challenges being faced by them. Along with the problems, the tree also featured possible solutions.
We spoke about gender identity, not being able to wear certain clothes in public and how the aunties were worse than the uncles at passing rude remarks perpetuating gender norms and discrimination. When we went around asking girls what they wanted to be, one girl said her goal was to move to Mumbai, Dubai or Korea and work there. We were curious on how Korea made the list and she quickly replied that it was her love for BTS.
Martha Farrell, a women's rights crusader who worked across India and globally, was killed in a terrorist attack on May 2015 in Kabul, Afghanistan while running a gender training program. The Martha Farrell Foundation was set up in her name to continue her work in supporting women and focusing on the most marginalized of groups including migrant domestic workers. Not only have many of them fled unstable situations from across India to move to Delhi, many did not speak the language, had no family connects or support systems, they are looked down upon by local domestic workers and receive limited support from the police when they file cases of abuse and harassment. Their vulnerabilities are multi-faceted, but together, they feel stronger and abler.
Interacting with DEHAT’s leaders
Written by - Ustati, Tushaar and Shinjini
July 2022
July 2022
The moment we walked into DEHAT’s main office, it was clear that Jitendraji (the founder of DEHAT, who had passed away last year) still had a commanding influence and presence on the organisation and the communities they serve. Left to pick up the reins are Devyani and Devyanshu (pictured leftmost) in their late 20s – who have been involved with the organisation through their childhood and youth, but were initially reluctant to lead DEHAT, hoping to chase their own aspirations instead. With advice (and firm lecturing) from Gagan Sethi, they have seemingly settled into their leadership roles within the organisation.
However, their journey comes with it’s own challenges. Even one year after Jitendraji’s passing away – Devyani and Devyanshu still admit to challenges of building trust with the communities their father had served for decades, who now are still slightly reluctant to follow their leadership. In similar fashion, they have also experienced the lack of trust from their own team questioning their ability to lead the organization (in some cases leading to exits), specially Devyani’s who was expected to take a back seat and let her brother take on her father’s role. Within the funding community, they have experienced a trust deficit due to an age bias, with funders backing out, after resonating with DEHAT’s work, only to question the ability of “young leaders”.
However, their journey comes with it’s own challenges. Even one year after Jitendraji’s passing away – Devyani and Devyanshu still admit to challenges of building trust with the communities their father had served for decades, who now are still slightly reluctant to follow their leadership. In similar fashion, they have also experienced the lack of trust from their own team questioning their ability to lead the organization (in some cases leading to exits), specially Devyani’s who was expected to take a back seat and let her brother take on her father’s role. Within the funding community, they have experienced a trust deficit due to an age bias, with funders backing out, after resonating with DEHAT’s work, only to question the ability of “young leaders”.
What we realised is that this was merely a perception and trust building issue – after having spent over 12 hours in constant conversation with them – gauging their passion, knowledge and drive to support their communities in eastern UP – expanding all the way to the Nepal border. Devyani and Devyanshu are determined to continue working for the communities, just as their father did decades ago. Their main focus right now is to build an effective second-in-line leadership – one they can enable to lead their own programs/verticals (like we have at Dasra) – enabling them to spend more time with the communities and work in collaboration with them.
Bhanmati runs a roadside tea shop in village kediya, a President medal awardee , she has galvanised over 3000 women to participate in the OFTD people’s movement . She expresses her pain and the realities of exclusion, being a Dalit woman with no formal proof of identity through her songs. While sitting by the roadside, she broke into one her songs to explain what is different between us “humra” and bhai ji “the others/the wealthy/those with knowledge and power”. Between the sounds of cars passing, goats bleating, cows returning from the field and children playing, she counts the ways in which her community is excluded ‘bade log chote log se baat nahi karna chaahte’, ‘powerful/wealthy or big people do not want to talk to small/dalit/marginalised people’..
A few lines translated from her song-
Your son studies and goes to ‘vilaayat’ (abroad) bhai ji
Our children don’t see books, they try to find them but they are unable to…
There is no question about your rules (your governance) bhai ji
Your house has ‘bijli’ (electricity)
Our thatched roof does not have kerosene oil (to burn a lantern)..
Your old lady puts cream on her face
My grandchild has nothing to eat
There is no limit to my torture and sadness bhai ji
There is no question about your rules (your governance) bhai ji
Bhanmati runs a roadside tea shop in village kediya, a President medal awardee , she has galvanised over 3000 women to participate in the OFTD people’s movement . She expresses her pain and the realities of exclusion, being a Dalit woman with no formal proof of identity through her songs. While sitting by the roadside, she broke into one her songs to explain what is different between us “humra” and bhai ji “the others/the wealthy/those with knowledge and power”. Between the sounds of cars passing, goats bleating, cows returning from the field and children playing, she counts the ways in which her community is excluded ‘bade log chote log se baat nahi karna chaahte’, ‘powerful/wealthy or big people do not want to talk to small/dalit/marginalised people’..
A few lines translated from her song-
Your son studies and goes to ‘vilaayat’ (abroad) bhai ji
Our children don’t see books, they try to find them but they are unable to…
There is no question about your rules (your governance) bhai ji
Your house has ‘bijli’ (electricity)
Our thatched roof does not have kerosene oil (to burn a lantern)..
Your old lady puts cream on her face
My grandchild has nothing to eat
There is no limit to my torture and sadness bhai ji
There is no question about your rules (your governance) bhai ji
Meeting Digital Champions at Sadbhavana Trust
Written by - Ustati, Tushaar and Shinjini
July 2022
July 2022
Watching women and children express themselves in safe spaces is deeply inspiring and rewarding. We interacted with digital trainers- confident young Bushra and Samreen, who were once students at the computer and ‘perspective’ training classes at Sadbhavna for building leadership. We were amazed by the creativity and fervour with which they were creating content for Sadbhavana’s Lucknow Leaders instagram page and more recently, consulting for and training other NGOs (Jan Sahas, Sahajani Shiksha Kendra, Point of View) and young women’s collectives on using social media for communication, designing campaigns, photography and videography. Every quarter the duo organise competitions or ‘pratiyogta’ for women to express themselves through poetry, art, songs and food- a recent competition on recipes using minimal ingredients was an effort to collect recipes from limited kitchen rations in the lockdown.
What struck the most was the patience and warmth of Samreen (someone who was only ‘known’ in her class when she confirmed ‘present’ on her attendance register). Her digital trainees, often middle aged women, have learnt how to change their phone settings for privacy, share their location, use type with your voice features (for those who can’t type), created e-mail addresses and will soon help them explore other tools on a smartphone. The thrill of learning these basics by her enthusiastic learners who are often traumatised survivors of domestic violence, single mothers and other women in difficult circumstances, also means Samreen receives several WhatsApps and emails from her students every day, each of which she cheerfully acknowledges and remembers.
What struck the most was the patience and warmth of Samreen (someone who was only ‘known’ in her class when she confirmed ‘present’ on her attendance register). Her digital trainees, often middle aged women, have learnt how to change their phone settings for privacy, share their location, use type with your voice features (for those who can’t type), created e-mail addresses and will soon help them explore other tools on a smartphone. The thrill of learning these basics by her enthusiastic learners who are often traumatised survivors of domestic violence, single mothers and other women in difficult circumstances, also means Samreen receives several WhatsApps and emails from her students every day, each of which she cheerfully acknowledges and remembers.
In one of Sadbhavana’s community centres, we got a chance to witness the confidence and determination of young adolescent girls, attending various free classes set up by Sadbhavana (digital photography, English language, computer training, perspective building), to keep fighting their daily fight of changing the mind-set of their family members (parents, brothers and relatives) towards the expectation from a girl child which in many cases is driven by the path set out by a girl’s family- completion of primary schooling, early marriage and running households as a “bahu”. Their rigour and patience to focus on learning how to command their own space within their house without threatening anybody else’s authority- a key element of each program of Sadbhavana- was truly inspiring and pushed us to reflect on the need and importance of such a skill in any environment.
A Visit to Anubhuti Trust
Written by - Anantvijay and Ami
July 2022
July 2022
Location: The centre is located in the Bouddha Wada in Kolegaon, a largely Agri-community dominated peri-urban area, without facilities like a city but more developed than a village
“Leadership for marginalized youth is a process where they occupy space, gain freedoms, and claim their rights.”
- We meet Amrita at Katai Naka. Amrita, a founding team member of the organization, heads fundraising and several other functions at Anubhuti, and she takes us to the Kolegaon youth centre where 15-20 boys and girls are having an animated discussion. They are planning for a rally on the 15th of August, for which there are songs and slogans being prepared. The energy is infectious, and the language isn’t a barrier.
- We sit down in the nearby room and are being given tea and breakfast, when Deepa arrives as well. This is the first time either of us are meeting her in person, after many online conversations. This doesn’t feel like the first time.
- We spend about an hour talking to her, Amrita and two centre facilitators— Darshana and Reshma. They talk about the challenges of nomadic and tribal communities of the region and the criticality of providing spaces for the youth, physical and otherwise. They offer some sharp commentary on the importance of context in every single activity they do, and about being careful not to criminalize the already marginalized by taking blanket actions even when speaking about women’s issues and domestic violence. She acknowledges the intrusion of heteronormative and patriarchal structures within Adivasi and Bahujan communities but reiterates the importance of providing recourse which is contextual.
- Thus, often Anubhuti Trust has had to develop new modules, ways of teaching, and counselling, for the communities they work with. This is when Deepa lays out her vision for the work they do, while the youth group in the background bursts into song dedicated to Savitribai Phule.
- Deepa asks: How do we enable youth with lived experiences from marginalized communities to build leadership, and find spaces in the constitutional framework to participate and claim their rights?
- Anubhuti Trust focuses on mental justice, sexual and reproductive health and agency, cultural mobilization, career leadership, and access to higher education, as a means to support youth in breaking free from inter-generational cycles of discrimination, marginalization, and vulnerabilities.
- Deepa then begins facilitating a session with the youth group on gender norms and claiming spaces in public events such as Independence Day and the upcoming Vimukta Jati Day on 31st August. She speaks to the youth about respecting boundaries and ensuring that they create safe spaces when both genders are interacting with one another. The way she conducts the conversation is friendly and insightful, she touches upon topics relevant to adolescence with sensitivity.
“Leadership for marginalized youth is a process where they occupy space, gain freedoms, and claim their rights.”
Location: We are in a prime area close to Badlapur station, where 500+ families from various marginalized communities are relocated to a marshy land, with no sanitation or basic amenities
- Deepa introduces us to Ingoli Dada. He is a member of a nomadic tribe community with about 530 families in the area and speaks about spending the past 25 years fighting to get the community land rights. Anubhuti was introduced to him via their relief work during the pandemic and have been supporting him since. The families are from a number of different Nomadic and Denotified tribes— Nathpanthi Davari Gosavi, Banjara, Paradhi, Madari among others. The area is unique in having a mixed crowd.
- We have another tea, while Ingoli Dada tells us about how they were forced to vacate the better pieces of land they were living on after the lockdown was announced and to move into a much smaller and marshy area. Here, the government supported about half of them put up asbestos (patri) houses, while the rest had to fend for themselves. They have had to fight for access to some electricity, still have no access to sanitation and waste management services.
- Despite occupying this land, they are under constant stress of eviction and are harassed by local authorities. Part of the land is given away for the construction of a cinema hall – a case of the development versus displacement. Most of the communities here are still into their traditional livelihoods and have not been able to find a means to more dignified work or sustainable livelihood options.
- Over the past few decades, Dada himself has been helping the community get ration cards and Aadhaar Cards. The ration cards they have don’t provide them with any food or essential supplies. These efforts are Dada’s way for establishing some legitimacy to the community. The land does not still belong to them.
- There is a deeply emotional moment as Ingoli Dada and Deepa discuss the precarity of their living situation, while breaking down briefly. Then, a few quiet moments later, Deepa reflects that communities who are wrongly implicated by the socio-legal system still remain committed to constitutional frameworks while fighting their battles. This hits hard.
Location: Number 6 in the Rahatoli Swabhiman Chawl is a place that Deepa used to rent for living earlier – this has now turned into a youth centre over the years
“Cultural immersion and change are very important to mobilize youth. This will inspire them to take action and feel confident.”
- Our last stop is at Anubhuti’s centre at Rahatoli village. Here, young children are practicing their singing and dancing while playing the Lezim. We hear more of Deepa’s philosophy as she tells the children that they should know the meaning of each word of the songs they are singing, since people will hear them at public events and take notice. The children are very enthusiastically being guided by Saif and Yogita, who later hitch a ride back to the station with us. She also reminds her field facilitators that the children should be reminded that the songs are written by a Mumbra-based organization called Aawaaz-e-Niswan.
- We end up eating a delicious late lunch made on order by one of the community members, while Deepa and Amrita talk about how they work with a CA to remain up to date on compliances. They tell us how the Guidestar certification process last year (initiated during BTF) threw up a few details they were not aware of. They then prepare to get on a Zoom call and there is a bustle to ensure that the Jio dongle is working, while we say our goodbyes.
- Guided by Saif and Yogita, we are shown the various locations where they undertake community outreach, en route Badlapur station. They show us a forest area where the youth are brought for nature walks guided by experts who tell them about the flora and fauna. Saif remarks how the landscape of the area has changed over the last decade, with greenery replacing concrete.
“Cultural immersion and change are very important to mobilize youth. This will inspire them to take action and feel confident.”
A Visit to Mahila Abhivrudhi Mattu Samrakshana Samsthe
“ಮುಂದಿಟ್ಟ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ ಹಿಂದೆ ಇಡಬಾರದು”
Written by - Saleha, Kasturi and Ustati
August 2022
August 2022
Arriving at MASS HQ, Ghataprabha Village
Over 70 kilometres from Belgaum’s city centre is the office from which MASS operates; as of today, MASS is in its 25th year, is 3000+ members strong, and is managed by a diverse group of exemplary women – all ex-Devadasi women in Belgaum who’ve rallied for the past two decades to put an end to the Devadasi custom in their district – and they’ve succeeded!
As they welcomed us into their office, we realised that nine out of the ten women there spoke only Kannada, which meant that Saberaji, Head of Finance and Accounts at MASS (and the only one there who spoke Hindi + Kannada), would be relaying questions and answers between us for the rest of the day. The language barrier soon dissolved, and each of the women present shared their stories, challenges, and needs generously.
Over 70 kilometres from Belgaum’s city centre is the office from which MASS operates; as of today, MASS is in its 25th year, is 3000+ members strong, and is managed by a diverse group of exemplary women – all ex-Devadasi women in Belgaum who’ve rallied for the past two decades to put an end to the Devadasi custom in their district – and they’ve succeeded!
As they welcomed us into their office, we realised that nine out of the ten women there spoke only Kannada, which meant that Saberaji, Head of Finance and Accounts at MASS (and the only one there who spoke Hindi + Kannada), would be relaying questions and answers between us for the rest of the day. The language barrier soon dissolved, and each of the women present shared their stories, challenges, and needs generously.
Hearing MASS’s Origin Story
Devadasi, meaning a “servant of god”, is an old custom of dedicating young girls (mainly from the Dalit community) to the Goddess Yellamma – a local Hindu deity in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. What had typically followed for the women of MASS once they were dedicated as Devadasis years ago was a cycle of poverty, hard labour, social exclusion, and sex trafficking.
Devadasi, meaning a “servant of god”, is an old custom of dedicating young girls (mainly from the Dalit community) to the Goddess Yellamma – a local Hindu deity in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. What had typically followed for the women of MASS once they were dedicated as Devadasis years ago was a cycle of poverty, hard labour, social exclusion, and sex trafficking.
The roots of MASS can be traced to a large-scale survey by The Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC) and the organisation MYRADA in 1991, an exercise which not only captured the incidence, causes of, and issues created by the Devadasi custom (which despite being outlawed was still prevalent), but also gave strength to young Devadasi women to break away from its shackles.
One of those young women was Smt. Sitavvaji, who started the movement that culminated into the formation of MASS in 1997. What was most striking, as she spoke to us 25 years later, was that she and her sisters at MASS had experienced the darkest of life’s circumstances and yet embraced and enabled change so readily over their lifetimes.
Since then, Sitaavaji has been awarded the Padmashree and won several other accolades, but her greatest reward is the fact that generations that have followed hers haven’t fallen prey to the Devadasi custom. Her optimism and drive to keep working till this custom is ended, wherever it exists, is infectious and inspiring!
One of those young women was Smt. Sitavvaji, who started the movement that culminated into the formation of MASS in 1997. What was most striking, as she spoke to us 25 years later, was that she and her sisters at MASS had experienced the darkest of life’s circumstances and yet embraced and enabled change so readily over their lifetimes.
Since then, Sitaavaji has been awarded the Padmashree and won several other accolades, but her greatest reward is the fact that generations that have followed hers haven’t fallen prey to the Devadasi custom. Her optimism and drive to keep working till this custom is ended, wherever it exists, is infectious and inspiring!
Articulating our emotions
“During the community interactions, one thing that really stood out and impressed me was that though majority of the women/children were shy to interact, there were a few that made their asks very clear. With the children it was requests for books, stationery, computer classes and the underlying message of better opportunities. Similarly, the women asked for better sources of livelihoods, better prospects for their children – access to scholarships, higher degrees and employment, and a realistic pension that could support them. This to me was amazing, their asks were not apologetic but a mere basic expectation that should be available to them. Although there are miles to go before we can talk about equity, but what was impressive is the massive leap in dignity. The caste barriers although not shattered, were definitely cracked and gave room for air to pass through and life to breathe. Resilience for these women was not something they think about, since the adversities they faced as a Devadasi, transcends every other challenge they face.” –– Saleha
“Through the day, as various members of the organization- the founder, the Directors, the SHG group members, children of ex-devadasis and other Dalit families, recounted their lived experiences and vulnerabilities linked with those, we couldn’t help ourselves from asking them why MASS, alone, had been successful in ending this practice in the district given KSWDC’s years of support and focus, through multiple partners, on this issue across districts in Karnataka. What we heard was a simple notion that the degree of success of such efforts, especially those fighting historically suppressing social structures, is directly linked with the degree of participation, leadership, ownership and implementation of and by different generations of the negatively impacted communities- all of which MASS has embraced beautifully in all its work. Organizations in other districts have failed to sow the seeds of a community movement to end this practice and hence, have been left behind.” –– Ustati
“To me, the most striking aspect of the exploitative Devadasi custom was how deeply connected it was to geography, climate and natural resources. Every origin story narrated during our visit began with a mention of floods, droughts, sickness and poverty, and how the women’s parents had been confident that if they devoted their daughter to Goddess Yellamma, they would be spared the harshest impacts of those calamities. The women recalled how, even as child labourers on private farms, they were paid just half a paisa per day (on the days they showed up). If, however, they weren’t able to make it to work, or the harvest had been poor – they wouldn’t be compensated. Income lost that way set them back significantly. This connection really helped contextualize 1) how marginalized rural communities over the decades have fallen deeper into poverty (because land and produce are controlled by upper class/caste communities), 2) what it means when we say “climate change will hit the most marginalized of us the hardest” and 3) how communities pushed to the brink cope with the resulting crises (by turning to extreme spirituality). This takeaway helps one think of how, moving forward, such circumstances need to inform talks about climate change – which for India will have a huge bearing on natural resource loss, distribution, access, and poverty.” –– Kasturi
“During the community interactions, one thing that really stood out and impressed me was that though majority of the women/children were shy to interact, there were a few that made their asks very clear. With the children it was requests for books, stationery, computer classes and the underlying message of better opportunities. Similarly, the women asked for better sources of livelihoods, better prospects for their children – access to scholarships, higher degrees and employment, and a realistic pension that could support them. This to me was amazing, their asks were not apologetic but a mere basic expectation that should be available to them. Although there are miles to go before we can talk about equity, but what was impressive is the massive leap in dignity. The caste barriers although not shattered, were definitely cracked and gave room for air to pass through and life to breathe. Resilience for these women was not something they think about, since the adversities they faced as a Devadasi, transcends every other challenge they face.” –– Saleha
“Through the day, as various members of the organization- the founder, the Directors, the SHG group members, children of ex-devadasis and other Dalit families, recounted their lived experiences and vulnerabilities linked with those, we couldn’t help ourselves from asking them why MASS, alone, had been successful in ending this practice in the district given KSWDC’s years of support and focus, through multiple partners, on this issue across districts in Karnataka. What we heard was a simple notion that the degree of success of such efforts, especially those fighting historically suppressing social structures, is directly linked with the degree of participation, leadership, ownership and implementation of and by different generations of the negatively impacted communities- all of which MASS has embraced beautifully in all its work. Organizations in other districts have failed to sow the seeds of a community movement to end this practice and hence, have been left behind.” –– Ustati
“To me, the most striking aspect of the exploitative Devadasi custom was how deeply connected it was to geography, climate and natural resources. Every origin story narrated during our visit began with a mention of floods, droughts, sickness and poverty, and how the women’s parents had been confident that if they devoted their daughter to Goddess Yellamma, they would be spared the harshest impacts of those calamities. The women recalled how, even as child labourers on private farms, they were paid just half a paisa per day (on the days they showed up). If, however, they weren’t able to make it to work, or the harvest had been poor – they wouldn’t be compensated. Income lost that way set them back significantly. This connection really helped contextualize 1) how marginalized rural communities over the decades have fallen deeper into poverty (because land and produce are controlled by upper class/caste communities), 2) what it means when we say “climate change will hit the most marginalized of us the hardest” and 3) how communities pushed to the brink cope with the resulting crises (by turning to extreme spirituality). This takeaway helps one think of how, moving forward, such circumstances need to inform talks about climate change – which for India will have a huge bearing on natural resource loss, distribution, access, and poverty.” –– Kasturi
Witnessing ‘Participation’ in its true essence
MASS’s programs, much like its structure, are inherently participatory; thanks to that, each program we visited through the day brought us face to face with each of MASS’s stakeholder groups – ex-Devadasi women, their children, and economically disadvantaged Dalit families.
MASS Health Camp, Hukkeri Taluka
At the Taluka’s public hospital, MASS facilitates free routine health camps for ex-Devadasi women, their families, and economically weak Dalit families from villages across the district. This health camp brings together village doctors and health specialists, who’ve been sensitised to issues visiting patients face, and serve hundreds of people through the day. Patients can get tests done at this camp for HIV-AIDS, Diabetes, Blood Pressure and Eye-sight.
Community Centre, Raxi Village
The Raxi Youth Centre is one of 7 community centres operated by MASS in collaboration with the State Government. These centres serve as a safe space for village youth and elders alike. Here, MASS has set up daily tuition classes for primary and secondary level school children, as well as high school children with specialisations. The centre also hosts trainings for elders in the village - these trainings are livelihood interventions by MASS for women who have no means to earn a living. By providing them with training and technical aid in stitching, MASS has ensured that the community centres become means of relief, succour, and progress for the community. In fact, the residents enjoy the space so much that they also use it as a venue for weddings and other celebrations.
Legal Aid Centre, Raibag Village
Having been left out of official systems for so long, the women of MASS understood the need to have institutions that could be approached for counselling and dispute resolution, especially by those who could not afford all the costs that would come with a court case. The centre we visited was situated at the heart of a residential block in Raibag village. The centre is run by a lawyer who is commissioned by MASS to deliver resolutions, and an ex-Devadasi woman and MASS beneficiary who assists him.
Self Help Group + Child Activity Centre, Bekkeri Village
One of MASS’s core models is the Self-Help Group (SHG) model – which runs on women’s membership and a membership fee, which in turn opens up easy access to financial and moral support. For the past twenty years, MASS has operated one such SHG at Bekkeri village for women who are ex-Devadasis and also resident women from poor families.
Translating Resilience
Towards the end of the day, during our interactions with the Self-Help Group, we tried (to the best of our ability) to translate our question - “what does ‘resilience’ mean to you?” The answer moved us immeasurably, and was steeped in the words of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar – the words and voice note are both attached to this email and are best absorbed directly:
MASS’s programs, much like its structure, are inherently participatory; thanks to that, each program we visited through the day brought us face to face with each of MASS’s stakeholder groups – ex-Devadasi women, their children, and economically disadvantaged Dalit families.
MASS Health Camp, Hukkeri Taluka
At the Taluka’s public hospital, MASS facilitates free routine health camps for ex-Devadasi women, their families, and economically weak Dalit families from villages across the district. This health camp brings together village doctors and health specialists, who’ve been sensitised to issues visiting patients face, and serve hundreds of people through the day. Patients can get tests done at this camp for HIV-AIDS, Diabetes, Blood Pressure and Eye-sight.
Community Centre, Raxi Village
The Raxi Youth Centre is one of 7 community centres operated by MASS in collaboration with the State Government. These centres serve as a safe space for village youth and elders alike. Here, MASS has set up daily tuition classes for primary and secondary level school children, as well as high school children with specialisations. The centre also hosts trainings for elders in the village - these trainings are livelihood interventions by MASS for women who have no means to earn a living. By providing them with training and technical aid in stitching, MASS has ensured that the community centres become means of relief, succour, and progress for the community. In fact, the residents enjoy the space so much that they also use it as a venue for weddings and other celebrations.
Legal Aid Centre, Raibag Village
Having been left out of official systems for so long, the women of MASS understood the need to have institutions that could be approached for counselling and dispute resolution, especially by those who could not afford all the costs that would come with a court case. The centre we visited was situated at the heart of a residential block in Raibag village. The centre is run by a lawyer who is commissioned by MASS to deliver resolutions, and an ex-Devadasi woman and MASS beneficiary who assists him.
Self Help Group + Child Activity Centre, Bekkeri Village
One of MASS’s core models is the Self-Help Group (SHG) model – which runs on women’s membership and a membership fee, which in turn opens up easy access to financial and moral support. For the past twenty years, MASS has operated one such SHG at Bekkeri village for women who are ex-Devadasis and also resident women from poor families.
Translating Resilience
Towards the end of the day, during our interactions with the Self-Help Group, we tried (to the best of our ability) to translate our question - “what does ‘resilience’ mean to you?” The answer moved us immeasurably, and was steeped in the words of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar – the words and voice note are both attached to this email and are best absorbed directly:
