Varanasi

Hey Everyone!

So I am back from my workshop in Varanasi and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! The workshop component of my program is basically to prepare us for our independent study project (ISP) by putting us in a new city where we observe and work in a non-government organization. My assignment was with Varanasi Weavers (VW), an organization that is only 3 years old and has just 6 staff members. Varanasi silk weaving is a skill that has been passed down for at least 1,000 years, and at one time this was a very popular profession because it was a stable job that provided plenty of income. These days however, because of imitations, modernization, and the rising cost of silk and gold thread, hand-woven silk is becoming a dying art and those weavers who remain are living in extreme poverty (some on as little as 32 cents U.S. a day). The organization was founded due to the increasing number of suicides among these weavers. The suicides were a result of feeling shame for not being able to provide for their family. The main goal of VW is to increase the livelihood of these weavers, while supporting them and their families until that happens. They give the weavers marketing training, provide them with basic education so they will not be taken advantage of in the market, and stress the importance of quality and value in their garments. They also will buy the garments from the weavers for a fair price and sell them, or negotiate contracts with companies for the weavers. Besides the initiative for decent wages, the organization starts its own initiatives, works with other organizations, and uses government programs to support the community and improve the quality of life there. These programs include eye and health care, education, electricity, blankets, food, and women’s empowerment. To get to Varanasi, we left by train on Tuesday afternoon and arrived Wednesday morning. This of course meant taking a sleeper train, and let me tell you…it was definitely an “authentic” Indian experience. The compartments are initially set up as two benches facing each other, with a bed high above each bench. Three people sit on each bench, and after you have been served dinner, the compartment is transformed into a “bedroom”. You are provided blankets, pillows, and sheets, and the back of the benches flip up to create a middle bed. I know it sounds confusing, but basically you have 6 beds in an area the size of a pantry...check out the pictures for a better idea. It was fun chatting with the other girls from my program who were also going to Varanasi, and getting to know one of my teachers a little better, but I didn’t sleep very soundly…oh well! After we arrived, we had about an hour to shower and eat breakfast at our guest house before heading to our respective organizations. When I arrived at the office, I was able to meet with Dipti- a petite, feisty, thirty something woman who has been the head of the organization since the beginning. She basically provided myself and Kim (the other student in my program assigned to the office) with all of the background information I provided you, and then asked us to edit a survey they were conducting that weekend in the villages. She also asked us to put together a presentation on the importance of surveys for the college students who were conducting the survey. That night, we met up with the other girls in the city and took a nighttime boat ride on the Ganges River. This river as well as the city is considered holy by many different religions, so people often bath in it, and along the banks there are two areas where cremation ceremonies take place as well as several prayer spots where you can witness daily puja (prayer) in the early morning and at night. Varanasi is known as one of the oldest continuously occupied cities, and is believed to be at least 3,000 years old, so it is literally magical. You can see the banks with all of the old brick buildings and narrow alley ways, people praying, people singing, people shopping…it was amazing.

The next day (Thursday) Kim and I gave our presentation to the college volunteers, collected some surveys, and drove about an hour outside of the city to survey weavers in a village with our Hindi instructor, Archana. That day, we were able to interview 3 weavers and each story was difficult to hear; one man was living with his wife and 5 children on $5 U.S. a month. They talked about how unappreciated their work was, and all decided that they do not want their children to learn this skill because it can not support a family. Everywhere you looked there was poverty...children without proper shoes or clothing, unhygienic living conditions, lack of clean water and food, and so much more. But they were extremely kind, and even tried to offer us what little food they had.

We also spent Friday in a village, but it was a little smaller a more rural. They set up a bed outside for us in the shade, and adults and children alike gathered around us while we surveyed the weavers. This village was also incredibly welcoming…I got to play with and hold an 8 month old baby for quite a while! We also had the additional opportunity to interview women in the community and hear their perspectives. Unfortunately, in weaving there is quite a gender bias. Women are very rarely taught to work the loom; rather they are given the small and difficult tasks like winding the thread or embroidering. And even though they contribute just like their husband, they receive no recognition and no wages. They are also living in difficult conditions, with little electricity, no fridge, no gas stove, no water pumps (meaning they have to walk to the river and carry it back), and no bathrooms (meaning they can only relieve themselves after dusk or before dawn, causing infections). One thing we found out was that some of the women were making beaded necklaces to help support their families, but they were only receiving 1 rupee a necklace, while the trader was probably making at least 20 rupees a necklace. In one of the best moments so far, I was able to purchase about 9 necklaces from 3 women and pay them 50 rupees ($1 U.S.) per necklace, giving them each the equivalent of a month’s income. They were so grateful, and it made me so happy because during this trip we often are expected to observe and learn, but there is rarely an opportunity for us to do something in that moment. Therefore, this experience was exceptional in my eyes, and every time I look at one of those necklaces I will think of those women and how I was able to help them in some small way.

Saturday and Monday, Kim and I were in the office helping to create reports on the different challenges and programs of the organization. While this is not the most exciting task in the world, it really helped that we had already been in the field; this way we were able to picture the people these reports could help.

Sunday was our day off so we had the chance to visit Sarnath, which is described as “the buried Buddhist city”. It is the site of Buddha’s first sermon, and is rumored one of the buildings hold some ashes of Buddha. It was really interesting to see the remains and hear the history behind them, especially since I am not really familiar with Buddhism.

Tuesday it was time to leave, so I woke up at 5 am to see the sunrise over the river and take a few more pictures.Then we said goodbye to Varanasi and boarded the train back to Jaipur. Everything is moving superfast now…I only have one week left in Jaipur before I head to Delhi for a month to complete my ISP…after that it’s a week of wrap-up activities back in Jaipur, then returning to the U.S.!