Shhh....

Shhh we have a lady training on the industrial sewing machine....I am trying not to burst with excitment and scare her off or freak out Papu-ji our workshop manager....he is smart enough to see the writing on the wall - as we grow we will be trying to employ more women.

We have just been having a big day picking up work, dropping it off...generally a fun time but moments that are less pleasant. For all our sakes work needs to be the best quality possible, we all understand people need time to practice and improve, but for all our sakes we have to be seriously working towards being consistant and quality, quality, quality handed in in a timely fashion.

Most people we work with have this attitiude, a few don't so a little winnowing of chaff becomes necessary...always disappointing.

This is Om Kanwar of Baseli village, a great worker and a big help to us and one of the warmest and sweetest people you could meet....her husband has some problem and doesn't seem to do much work and so she really needs as much as she can get...last week when doing the accounts I messed it up in her favour big way and this week she was onto me - fixing it up and not taking advantage of my mistake. I really appraciate her honesty.
She organizes the women of her village to meet us, gently reminds others to turn up, helps those who are new, makes us tea....trying to think of ways to increase her income.
Work is divided up equally- what we have goes out to all at that standard, so we can't give he more that way.
We are now paying a fee for her running the telephone tree, have strongly hinted at work at the workshop, unfortunately her caste take a very dim view of women out of the home....so we have asked if she can help us by coming in for a half day to train in a new idea and so then be our teacher in her village....
we will find a way to increase her involvemnet and income!!

See the young man sitting at the front? His name is Pelaaad. He is our trainee and workshop assistant. When I first met him I was concerned he was old enough to be out working full time, he is 17 now nearly 18. I know he worked for a number of years before coming to us in other workshops around,  chatting at lunch today he mentioned being a go-fer in a kitchen in Jaipur...he must have been so young and all alone his family are out in a village not far from us.
Just makes you wonder how hard some people do it, and again he is a person of an easy going pleasant nature, always smiling and polite, a little forgetful as you would expect of a young man his age, but very willing to work.

We are lucky to be surrounded by good people.

Thank you to all the warm wishes from you good people out in internet land as well, we appreciate hearing from you.
We wish an excting and adventurous New Year.