Placement - week 7

Myself, Vadi (kneeling) and Jack at the Temple

Livelihoods has begun..................

Monday - the Vellore team set forth to meet with our first group..... up a mountain! So wedged into a rickshaw we twisted and turned round and round until we reached our village. It really was very remote and very beautiful. After a small discussion we tried to gather what it was the young people wanted from our sessions but they encouraged to come back at the weekend as that was when more of the young people would be around.... so that was our plan! On the way down the mountain we stopped at a lead factory - the smell was quiet something and we even got a sneaky peak in to see the furnaces. It was interesting to see some of the jobs on offer for the young people in this area.

Tuesday was spent with all of the local volunteers as we spent most of the day going through the top-up training we had in Chennai last week. The local volunteers were unable to come to this because quiet simply they don't speak much English. We therefore relayed the information that was given to us and it was kindly translated by our nation volunteers.

For much of the rest of the week, myself and Will set about the task of compiling the information into a workable form. Basically we have been constructing a programme guide much like the one that was prepared for us in the civic participation module. Its been a fairly interesting process. Friday we were also joined in the office by Katy who also works for Restless, she was about helping Vadi sort the finances for Vellore. She also joined us for dinner that evening. It was so refreshing to talk to someone new, as much as I love both Will and Jack, they have been the majority of my company for the past 9 weeks. It also made me realise how secluded your world is when your living in a community where you don't speak the language. I am so unaware of what's going on around me which in turn makes for quiet a lonely time, you are often the observer yet you can't always comprehend what it is your observing. Its a strange experience but for example back home, (not that I often listening in on people's conversations) when your on a train or at a restaurant or in a shop you can understand what people are saying to each other all the time..... here I quiet often don't have a clue.

The weekend brought with a delightful trip to one of the local volunteers houses for lunch. It was quiet an expedition to say the least as it involved a long walk in the mid-day sun through much farming land, it was so beautiful though to go as rural as we did, we also visited a temple that was even further out in the wilderness but again most definitely worth it. A highlight of the day was drinking fresh coconuts that were obtained by a young lad from the village climbing to the top of a coconut tree - it was amazing to watch.

on route to the Nesamani's house

Sunday - Mothers day! We spent the morning at another volunteers house for lunch (they love to feed is here) and after full tummy's we headed back to the village we visited earlier in the week. We attempted to run our first session but we encountered quiet a few initial problems. Basically the whole village turned out for the meeting so there was very small children right up to the elders. The problem arose when we were trying to deliver some of the module to the young people in the village the elders were constantly interject with (at times) irrelevant points..... it got extremely frustrating. Our task now is going to have to be to work with the young people separately from the entire village as whole. A frustrating session but one that we've definitely learnt a lot from. It also became apparent they they don't seem to be interested in many of the sessions that we have prepared such as CV writing/ interviews skills ect....... so the contents of the module is also going to have to be tweaked too. A long and tiring end to week...... but I've only three weeks left in India, time really is flying!