First week in Hyderabad ...

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  Hyderabad, India
Saturday, September 16, 2006

I arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday from Delhi. My first night was spent at a hotel and I was delivered to my permanent residence on Sunday afternoon. My accommodations are more then sufficient. I have a kitchenette, a private bath, and a small balcony where I have made a habit of having my morning tea. I am a ten minute auto-rickshaw ride away from work and the cost for the ride is a mere 20 rupees (about $0.45).
On Monday I met Shanta Sinha (the founder of MVF) for the first time. I was also introduced to Venkat who will be my mentor for my time at MVF. Venkat has been working for MVF since its inception and is a coordinator. MVF is a non-governmental organization based in Hyderabad. Its goals are to eradicate child labour and mainstream all children into full time school. MVF works at the grassroots level to garner real social change in villages - change peoples minds about child labour one family at a time. Since 1992 MVF has been running "bridge camps" which are 12-18 month programmes that prepare former child labourers to go to formal school. MVF also provides support to community organizations and runs training programs for grassroots volunteers who work in their own villages on ending child labour and lobbying government for better schools.
I am here to perform research on a topic of my choice. I will use MVF resources and they will arrange for field visits etc. depending on what I need. I am still forming my research question, but it will have to do with the challenges girl children face.
The most surprising aspect for me was the extent of MVF's operations.

Another rainy ride home after work ...

The Hyderabad office has some 30 employees and I was told the total number of employees is roughly 1000. They have reached thousands of children and what is most amazing is they expressed that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
After the introduction I traveled to the Ranga Reddy district; first to the Chevella Training Center and then to a bridge camp in a village named Alur. In Chevalla I met the "core group" comprised of assistant coordinator and mandal in-charge level personnel. They were meeting to discuss training programs for field employees. A mandal is a group of villages. I learned about how they see their role in accomplishing their goals. They expressed that it is a process of "walking a thin line" and practicing a policy of inclusion. They must involve all parties; the government, the teachers, the parents, the former employers, and the children. It is a process of transformation for the entire community. When I asked how they deal with issues of discrimination on basis of caste or religion they replied that they approach everything from a human rights perspective. That is to say they consciously frame their goals in the language of the right of a child to an education. They do not discuss race, religion or caste.
In the afternoon I visited one of four MVF bridge camps in Ranga Reddy. The camp in-charge, Manjula, served as a guide. She is just 25 years old and is a true leader. This was an all-girl bridge camp with 145 students. The girls eat, sleep, and learn at this camp for 12-18 months. At the end of their stay they are mainstreamed into government schools at the appropriate level and live in government hostels or with family. Most of the girls I met were between the ages of 12 and 14 and were primarily former agricultural and domestic workers.
Initially, I looked at the girls as if I was reading a story about them in the newspaper. They were abstract people whose experiences I could not begin to fathom. I went from class to class and introduced myself. We practiced some spoken and written English, we sang, we danced, and learned from each other. Finally, in one classroom the instructor had the girls individually announce their name, age, and former work. With each introduction I felt myself steep deeper and deeper into a reality that was not so full of smiles. I suddenly remembered that these girls are not typical, they are extraordinary, and that I am privileged to meet them and hear their stories.
My first day was full of learning and when the work day ended at 8pm I told Venkat that I am on information overload! I headed back to my flat and crashed. Today I am at the Hyderabad office. I am not so sure where I should be sitting, when I should go for lunch, where to buy water, what anyone is saying, or who is who, but I am not worried! The office is quite chaotic, but I'd rather it be that then dull and quiet. This place is so alive.

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Core group meeting in Chevalla	Girls at the bridge camp with their teacher	Me with Shantha at my temporary "desk"	Singing (and reading!) a beautful song

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