SEWA: An All Women's Organization

SEWA is an all women's organization that helped women to overcome obstacles and discrimination and are now paving the way for future generations of women.  The SEWA women came together from a local village.  They saw a problem with having a lack of food and enough money to survive. They had to negotiate financing, demands from their husbands and the cultural norms. The women that work here have cultivated land that was considered infertile.  When they first started cultivating the land, people did not believe the land was worth anything or that it could be used.  There were scorpions and poisonous snakes that had taken over the land.  Now these women run self-sustaining projects. The SEWA women make almost double the per capital income for India which is $1,200 versus $600. Seedlings grow into lush fruit trees and vegetables are abundant.  We spent what felt like the perfect summer day under a grove of trees on this pristine farm.  We were treated to a very tasty lunch, especially maple sugar shortbread.  Ms. Dunbar and I had the chance to send a message from our group on the radio station that broadcasts from the property.

Everywhere we go we are greeted and welcomed with a bindi, song, and warm smiles.    

The ladies have planted birth trees.  We went on a scavenger hunt to find our birth tree.  This is the Bus Teak tree which is the birth tree for Leos.  

Live broadcast on their radio network.  Tushar Gandhi featured in the background to help interpret.

This young lady was so timid to talk to anyone or speak in front of a group before becoming a SEWA participant.  Now that she had the training for the radio equipment, she has come out of her shell and is charge of broadcasting live.