Final Impressions, April 2009
Ms. Pinky Shah


After volunteering at the Sambhali Trust for two months, I left behind a lot of friends that I had made during my time there: Govind and his family and staff, the other volunteers, Tamanna, and of course, the girls from the Jodhpur Project. Everyone worked together as a team, and new volunteers were quickly made to feel a part of the team, discussing new ideas for developing the project and working together to raise awareness of both the Trust and its aims to empower women from the Dalit community.

I had known even before my arrival, that it was my responsibility to produce the 2008 Annual Report for the Trust. I started off thinking it would be an easy job of just updating the information from the previous annual report. In this I was wrong. Govind soon explained that he wanted everything to be changed – nothing at all was to be duplicated. When I asked him what he didn’t like about the previous report (so I could figure out what changes to make) he said that there was nothing he didn’t like about the report and that it was perfect! I didn’t quite know where to go from there, so I made some tentative notes, talked to the other volunteers and interviewed a few of the project participants and their teacher Tamanna (which gave me really useful firsthand insight into their backgrounds).

However, whilst doing this background research, I became quite involved in other (non-annual report related!) Project activities. Although Govind has firm ideas about where the Trust is headed, he is generally open to suggestions and ideas. He is quite easy-going and not at all a task master. So when I deviated a little from my remit, he didn’t tell me just to concentrate on the annual report but accepted and welcomed my involvement with the participants. I do think there were times that he thought the annual report would never be finished! Corinne (who was so helpful during my first few days and throughout the rest of my stay) and I organized a Sports Day for the Jodhpur participants and planned and coordinated a one week Pillowcase Project (see separate report), which noticeably improved teamwork between the older and newer participants. Following on from this, we held a market stall at the Clock Tower (main market in Jodhpur) for one week, selling items that the participants had made during their time at the Project. This was very successful and it clearly improved the participants’ confidence, social skills and general morale. Though it was tiring, at the end of the week, once we had assessed our success, we (Govind, Tamanna, Corinne, myself) were all very pleased. In addition to the fact that tourists and locals were more aware of the Trust and its work, a lot of the items had sold, and the girls saw a monetary return on their work, which helped them and their families considerably. Seeing their success, the participants were encouraged to produce new designs and items for another possible market stall, thus instilling in them a sense of ambition and pride in their work.

It wasn’t until my last week and a half (despite my assurances to Govind over the previous two months!) that I finally sat down at the computer and started typing up the annual report. It was surprising how all that I had learned about the three Projects, while interacting with the different people involved (other volunteers, the participants, the teacher, board members etc) came together and made writing the report that much easier. The words seemed to flow and fortunately Corinne had taken a lot of very good photos which I ‘borrowed’ and used in the report. It was sometimes frustrating to work at the computer (amid all the power cuts), and I had many late nights, but I had essentially finished the report by the time I left. I think Govind couldn’t quite believe that I had finished it!

Overall, I learned a lot about the Trust and its three projects through my research and personal involvement. Though I haven’t mentioned it so far, some of the stories I heard about the participants’ home lives were quite distressing. It is hard to believe that they are treated the way they are by other ‘castes’ and sometimes, by members of their own caste. I found that volunteering at the Jodhpur Project was an eye-opening and rewarding experience. Although I know that I did not have a direct effect on improving the participants’ lives in a significant way, I know that I was able to help raise the profile of the Trust and its work by producing the 2008 Annual Report. By including photos of the participants, their stories and their achievements, I hoped to convey what I saw firsthand: that the Trust gives these participants opportunities to improve their lives, through vocational and educational training, development of a social network, and assisting them once they have graduated by establishing them in employment. I wish the Trust every success for the future.