It was day 6… which means our tribal experiences are gettin to an end

We were accompanied by Rekha, a volunteer from Adivasimitra as well as a couple of their  project coordinators to Gonduru, a village less than ten kilometres from Paderu where we  were staying. Though the place was not far, and the journey was not uneventful (can it ever  be!), but it took us sometime, since the village was uphill, and the bus was apsrtc.

Gonduru is one of these cute lil villages tucked away in the beauty of eastern ghats, with  simple people and scenic beauty, that is simply breathtaking.  We were supposed to discuss and discover the organisation of the self-help groups, initiated by Adivasimitra, which again is a flagship of Samata.

After reaching there we realised that the villagers were not yet home from their fields and that we’ll have to wait for a while. But it was sunday, and the kids found us odd enough in their surroundings to make us an object of their attention, and we reciprocated with equal if not more interest. Sunset before your eyes, laughter of kids in the air, and a cup of steaming tea made on chulha - a more perfect or more serene evening, is a treat that’s quite rare. And there was more to come…

When many people had arrived back from their work, we decided to start the SHG interaction. The head of the group was unsurprisingly a woman, and as we discovered woman empowerment was one area that was strengthened by the success of SHGs. A contribution of  just 5 rupees per month that had helped many a people setup successful small scale  businesses, get kids into schools, or pay for medicines, at nominal interest rates. But it was  the smiles on their faces that said it all…that was a sign of prosperity, of dignity achieved  through united efforts, of satisfaction at having done and not asked, and of a hope that had  been answered by the discovery that they can do it on their own.

Later, while taking more photos with the people, and waiting for our bus to come, we were made to meet another lady who had come out of her sheltered life, to run a lil shop in the village. And in the bus i had the first experience of hearing a female voice ask me for a ticket. I guess it might not be that uncommon otherwise, but for me it was a first experience of meeting a woman bus conductor, and yeah it was one of those moments - the one that makes your eyebrows raise, and your face turn into a smile…that slowly spreads to your heart…