Saurashtra Trail day - 1

The inaugural session of the Saurashtra trail of the Lok Awaas Yatra was at SEWA’s Kamla Sadan campus in Radhanpur. It was attended by Neetaben and Savitaben of Sewa, and a number of other people involved in the different activities of SEWA, especially from SEWA Nirman. The session started with a prayer and an introduction of the participants of the yatra. This was followed by an introduction of the work of SEWA by Savitaben. Then Mumtazben from the Kamla sadan campus, talked about how SEWA penetrated into the Radhanpur area, and the various difficulties they faced. The process was gradual, as the village women did not trust the organization. Today, the gradual process has led to an organization of 12 lakh women all over Gujarat and seven other states of India.

Post this brief of the organization, Neetaben told us about the SEWA Nirman company, which has been set up as a profit making organization, having 5000 masons as shareholders. The company was set up to empower the construction workers and subsequently sell their skills for a profit. It is made up of 40% women, which is a great achievement for the organization.

Once we got an introduction on the company, which is closely related to the objectives of the yatra, as the company tries to work with low energy technology, Mona Anand, gave the participants a presentation on the yatra, to enable them to understand what is the yatra aiming for, and why SEWA in the Saurashtra region is such a big part of the yatra. This was followed by a brief on the Nayaghar initiative of SEWA by Sairaben, as the first village we were going to visit was one where this initiative played a big part, that is the Bhandhwad village.

During the session we also got to hear the story of Gauriben, and the adversity they faced at home, when they joined SEWA and started earning. The villagers mistrusted their work and taunted them all the time. It is only when SEWA intervened  and brought them to see where the women work and what do they do that the villagers understood the greatness of the work being done by women and the fact that they are gainfully employed.

After the session was over, we got a tour of the Kamla Sadan campus, where we saw the tools and equipments library where villagers from that district can borrow what they need for a small rent. Moreover, the equipment held by the library is also that which the villagers ha decided themselves according to their need. Models of the houses being made under the SEWA Nirman Company and the Nayaghar initiative were also shown.

Bandhwad Village

Day 1 on the Saurastra trail took us to Bandhwad village in Patan district of Gujarat.  This village is a witness to the growing empowerment of rural women in India. After the Gujarat earthquake of 2001 the banjara community of the village decided to take the habitat reconstruction process in their own hands. Led by the women members they fought for their land rights and with support from the SEWA they constructed the nayaghar , or the ‘new house’ which had been a collective dream for  generations.   50 houses were constructed, each brick laid, a testimonial to the struggle this community had to undertake for basic shelter. Every new house was earthquake proof, had a kitchen and a  toilet and even a rain water collection system.

Our visit today was welcomed by a delegation of the same women.  A community discussion followed where participants from various parts of India learnt about the reconstruction process. The women also told us about the cement brick making unit which they had set up.   Amid the traditional welcome songs and the consequent discussions with the community, what stood out was the spirit of these people – a spirit for change, for the right to live with dignity.