Samaan

 Mira Maushi is the new domestic help we've enlisted to work with us in Samaan. She also works at one of the families in my residential complex and they too have encouraged her for this. I made a visit to the house where she works and gave her further details and ideas about what exactly my project is. She was very encouraged and motivated to be independent. When I asked her for basic information such as how much she earns and who does her family consist, etc she told me that she's the main breadwinner of the household and while her husband earns, he spends all of his earnings on alcohol. He also abuses her and refuses to share any money with them. So her 2 adolescent sons and her rely on what she gets after working in houses. It was a shocking issue for me to digest since it is the first time I heard about a case of domestic violence and substance abuse first-hand. We all know it happens around us, but actually hearing someone talk about it like their everyday reality or somet...

 Finally, we have 2 maushis who are willing to open their Recurring Deposit accounts. This is a small, but sure beginning and we are excited to work with them. Their names are Sunita Maushi and Kaushalya Maushi. I am very excited to work along with them and help them through the process. Here are their photos holding their very own forms for the RD :) This is Kaushalya Maushi. She has also agreed to open a bank account in a new bank. This is Sunita Maushi. She has been our help for the past 3 years. I am helping her with an RD and availing phone banking services.

As I work with women, I'm realizing the amount of follow up it requires to get work done. A simple thing from a procuring document to a signature. Everything requires me to remind them at least twice or thrice. I don't blame them for it, though. I realize that they still haven't seen any importance or benefit of this which is why they don't treat it as something on the top of their minds. They don't have smartphones either, making it difficult to keep in touch over text. As a result, even the smallest of communication requires me to wait to meet them or call them.  All of this results in the process being extended by weeks. Somewhere, I also know that my fears hold me back from going all out and doing everything to get in touch with them to not seem too pushy. But I know that only being very proactive will allow me to achieve results but that is one thing I really need to work on and be less hesitant in getting my work done. This is definitely going to be something ...