Australian Accents and Advocacy
There has been great excitement in Birtamod-for a variety of reasons. We are almost half way through our Newstart training program and it has been wonderful. The ladies haven’t let anything stop them from coming and to our absolute delight, we have had no one dropping out.And the other causes of our excitement? Well, in no particular order…
First
We have had our first “official” European order for our jewellery via ACP, the Association of Craft Producers. ACP marketers took our products to a Fair Trade Fair recently where they were greeted with great enthusiasm. Many samples were taken and one on the spot order to the Netherlands made. We are still trying to stockpile but this seems a somewhat elusive goal!
Second
We are having some special visitors. Next week, Rhonda and Geoff Coleman who have been wonderful supporters from Australia are arriving (strikes permitting!) and we are really looking forward to showing them around. We hope they will get to see the income generation training in action!Then, a couple of days after that, the Australian Ambassador, Susan Grace and Sanjana Pradhan, the DAP coordinator for the Embassy, along with Susan’s husband, are coming to visit. Like Rhonda and Geoff, they are braving the unpredictability of the east and we are delighted that they are making the effort. We’ll post photos and details of both visits next time!
Third
In the proposal form for the funding, one of the questions asked was “How do you think your project will impact on the wider community?” Based on our experience, we knew that women would be enthusiastic in sharing what they had learnt with others but still weren’t quite prepared for how powerfully that could happen. We already have a waiting list for our next training program, based on word of mouth recommendations from the ladies currently training and a life has been changed.
Kalpana is from a remote border community and is doing the tailoring and cutting training as well as the two day a week advocacy/ human rights etc training. She heard of a family in her village who have a blind daughter. Two men on a motorbike came to town and offered the parents NRs 50 000 and the promise of “treatment overseas”. All they had to do was sign a form allowing this girl to be adopted.Kalpana was suspicious as she had just learnt about the laws relating to adoptions and disability but decided to check things out rather than take them on immediately. She approached the two men and said that she was a poor woman with two children and that she was interested in having them adopted. She wanted to know about the process. “No process,” they answered. She just needed to sign the paper and take the money.She persisted. Surely there must be other paperwork? No they assured her. No paperwork. This confirmed for Kalpana that the whole thing was illegal and she told them they had better leave or she would call the police. Apparently they left before she finished the sentence!This little girl would most probably have been used as a beggar in India. Her parents were very grateful to Kalpana as they were suspicious too but torn at the thought that they may have been denying their daughter healing treatment.When Kalpana shared her story in the Conflict Resolution class, there was spontaneous clapping and cheering. Deservedly so!