Final Impression, December 2009
Ms. Caitriona Keown


Our time in Setrawa is up and we are back in Jodhpur getting ready to head home to Canada. The last week was a strange way to end our experience in Setrawa but eye opening to see what some women face in their private lives at home. Upon our return to the village last week we were welcomed by Usha’s father who had arrived home from working in Jodhpur, our first encounter with him. The entire household fell into a very deep silence, with a language barrier we had to wait for a few days to understand what was actually happening. After four heavy and dark days, we discovered that Usha’s father was drinking and angry with Usha for working at Sambhali as the full time teacher, it is unacceptable for daughters to be working in the village rather they should be at home taking care of the household and not in contact with men. In the end Usha was brave enough to move into her grandmother’s house, probably until the father leaves again, and we decided to head back to Jodhpur one day early. We witnessed Usha’s household transform into a quiet, sad and angry place from a happy, vibrant, loud, social and warm environment all because of the presence of their father, a tiny man. I don’t know what will happen with Usha, as this has been happening for many years but I do sincerely hope with the help of Govindh that the situation will improve for the best. This experience did not ruin our time in Setrawa, nor would it prevent me from returning to the village.

Our relationships with the girls and our routine quickly developed from the first week onwards. The girls, well accustomed to volunteers now were confident and open with us, and full of energy. They were quick to let us know if they were comfortable with the material of our lesson and ready to learn something new. As well, it amazed me how the older and more frequent students looked out for the younger and newer students. The girls were competitive, in a healthy way, and would fight with each other for a front row seat ready with the books open and a sharpened pencil in hand. As our time was short, we decided to choose a weekly topic and teach it via various daily activities. For example, if we were teaching about the body, we would teach an intro class with a vocab review, an arts and crafts class, a games day and have a test. It worked well, perhaps a little boring for the older ones but a great review for them.

The arts and crafts class we attended for two hours a day in the afternoon was very interesting, this is where the young women taught me how to sew and embroider for the first time, proving to be very difficult to do such detailed and precise work but I managed to complete a bag. The women are extremely gifted with their creative abilities, what seems to be very easy while watching them is in fact, very challenging when I attempt even a simple technique. This time provides a social space for whoever shows up and allows them to create clothes, projects for themselves, family or for selling purposes. Unfortunately, not many women or girls showed up for this class but from what I can see with the materials that already exist and sewing machines, if inspired to create or learn specific skills with an enthusiastic Setrawa teacher, I can imagine more women will attend and on a regular basis.

While not attending classes there was plenty of time to go with the flow, everyday unfolded differently, many days we were invited to people’s homes for dinner, celebrating the ending of a fasting period for the wives , the purchase of a new home or just to drink chai and eat biscuits. People were curious by the only foreigners in town and some were enthusiastic to practice their English, or just sit and enjoy each other s company. At night, the children from the neighbourhood and some students from Sambhali would stop by the house to play games, dance in the living room or go up onto the roof to talk. All of these experiences and interactions with the villagers helped us integrate easier into the village life rather than always feeling like strangers, even though, you never forget that you are a foreigner in a small village.

In the end, I am so thankful to have found Sambhali and experienced teaching and living with the girls and women in Setrawa, as it is difficult to interact with women as a tourist in India in my experience. The project is young in Setrawa and already I see these girls with such strong and vibrant personalities that I hope continue to be nurtured and encouraged to reach beyond their limits to have the ability and awareness to make the right decisions according to them. I encourage anyone who is reading this at the moment to come and share whatever gifts you have and to learn some very valuable gifts from the Setrawa girls and women. I am already missing the quiet and simple life in the village and the roaming cows, donkeys and goats.