Greetings from the Land of the Holi Cows.

Right now am in Daramsala (home in Exile of the Dalai Lama in the Himalayas). I must say I am enjoying the crisp air, the snowy mountains and the lovely warm sun of the day. This morning, as the bus was winding its way along the hillsides through the small mountain villages to Daramsala from Rakkar (village where I am staying): I thought of the busy months past, all that has been accomplished and all those loose ends to be tied up in the 3 weeks left here. Has it ever been a whirlwind of learning, sharing, teaching, traveling and connecting to so many amazing sisters…

Tomorrow is IW day. There will be a cultural program in Rakkar, and I hear the village women will come in their traditional dresses that one doesn’t see much anymore. I might even get to do some games with them.

The 2 following days D and S from Delhi are coming to teach a basic Wenlido workshop to local women of different casts and 2 Tibetan women. How fun!

Then I return with them to Delhi for a basic (supervised) workshop there before the 2 day Follow-up Workshop on the 15th and 16th for the instructors. This is a great opportunity to meet each other from the 2 trainings to network, clarify some confusions around the basic workshop, share their experiences from teaching, and hopefully we get to do some advanced work as well (I never give up hope on that one…). Many made the effort to come to Delhi for this from all those different parts of India. We should be close to 20.

Did I tell you that many of them do the Wenlido Kata every morning? It is a real hit here!

I managed to extend my plane ticket another 10 days so that I can still assist the remaining women in their first workshops. It will take me down to Goa as well, a beautiful small coastal province on the west coast.

The second instructor training took place in January in the southern tribal area of Gujarat. Nandigram is a (low key) spiritual retreat center that was started by 5 people from Bombay in the 80s. They were one surgeon, a poet, artists, and writers with a Ghandian philosophy following their vision and even though they were in their 60ties started with a cheep piece of raw land and a hut on it! So encouraging for me to see that, as I still hold a vision of a land based community. Nandigram has gorgeous gardens, little cabins and a clinic for the local people (upstairs was our training hall) and a building where tribal women learn to sew. One of the founders, Kandanika, an author in her 70ties who published a feminist book years back called “seven steps to the sky” (translated in 7 languages) was very fond of us doing our work here, as they all were. Her husband is very revered Gujarati poet, people from all over to pay him respect and be in his presence.

13 women came to the training from Delhi, Gujarat and Goa. Again we worked 15 to 17 hours a day. This time dealing with the extra challenge of translating into 3 languages. D. from Delhi who had assisted 8 basic workshops with me last year was a participant as well, which I was so glad about. She has been struggling with the effects of typhoid after one of our workshops in Lucknow last year.

The basic workshop the group conducted at the end was to the tribal women of the sewing class. Extremely moving discussions, since the Gujarati women even were not so familiar with their tribal customs and the type of problems around violence they are facing. The non-Gujarati speaking women tried to involve themselves as assistants. A bit challenging as well, but in the end we all learned lots.

The elder women of Nandigram gave us a moving farewell with thank-you’s, gifts and a welcome to return.

The Pune TOT did not happen due to organizational problems. It was just as well since I barely keep up with supporting the present ‘instructors in training’. Right after Gujarat TOT went to central India where S. from the first training had a basic workshop organized. She is one of the few who did not come as a team and it does make it more challenging. Her workshop was to social activist from village to urban level. The location was in an open hall, which was part of a temple complex in the country. Once we found some colorful cloth to give us some privacy all women appreciated this peaceful place very much and the energy was very high. 3 Muslim women attended as well. They were encouraged by a male member of their family, who is an activist. They rarely ever get out of the house and one of them did not return unfortunately.

Next I had a week break in Auroville with my ‘white skinned friends’. Felt so great to be welcomed by my friend A. and her 2 daughters. For 3 years in a row now I happen to be there for the youngest Birthday. Rekindling my connection with B. who has been more than supportive to this project. I even managed to find the courage to swim in the ocean (with A. encouragement).

The last 2 days there my friend S. from Central India joined me. Never having been to this ‘international city’ she was up for an adventure. Her family is Tamil and speaks Tamil at home even though she grew up in Maharashtra. It was so nice having her as a translator and being able to communicate more with some of the local women I’ve been knowing for a couple of years now. Like the basket weaver on the side of the street I spent a couple hours with one time, helping her processing and her showing me her techniques of bamboo basket weaving. Only our hands and laughter were part of the communication then. How much I enjoyed stopping in her hut and thanking her and exchanging some niceties.

Inside the gates of Auroville my friend S stuck out about as much as I do outside of the gates. For me it being a break from being “the foreigner”, she laughingly called it visiting little Europe. Initially one of her questions was: “why are all these people coming HERE? Where we’re struggling so much?” We all had interesting exchanges of thoughts and ideas with different women I know there. Unfortunately some of my back problems returned there (this is where they started 2 years back, as some of you know), therefore couldn’t show S. around on the moped on those bumpy country roads there as much as I wanted.

Me being on schedule to return to Gujarat for Basic workshops and S. having to be back at work we could travel together 2/3 of the way. We stopped in the small village of Sewagram, where Ghandi used to live. It is an ashram now where everything is preserved as it was and Ghandian philosophy is practiced. It is very peaceful, simple and inexpensive. People who stay there do physical work early in the morning and need to do spinning an hour a day. So I ate in the humble mud hut on the stone floor where Ghandi used to eat. There is also a very simple hall that could be rented at very low cost for all India Wenlido meetings next time. This is another reason why S wanted me to see it. Since this is so central it is same distance for everyone from east to west, north and south. Next day we both went our own ways.

In the small town to Bhavnagar in Gujarat P. and N. gave their 2 Basics. They work in an organization "Shaishav" which means childhood in Gujarati and works for under

Privileged children particularly child labor and non-school going children

Living in urban slum settlements. If anyone is specializing in groups with girls (10, 12 and up) we like to hear from you. Right now am connecting her to some instructors in Europe doing this work.

The basics now were to their staff and they did real well. They both are from different casts and there is 18 years age difference. I like how they attempt to model equal power sharing with all these odds. P.’s husband would like to do work with boys and we are working on setting him up in this as well.

One evening when we came home to P.’s apartment building, this little 5-year-old boy saw me screamed as if he had seen a ghost!! I was terrified as well! His mother came rushing up and explaining he always freaks out like this seeing a foreigner…. Wow, I never even thought I looked that different! Strange feeling. Downstairs in the parking I always saw this older woman slouched over. It was explained to me then that she was a child widow (she was married as a child and he died as a child). Therefore she was not allowed to remarry, get education or anything. She is fed on the porch and sort of kept by different members of the family a few months at a time. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her….

Then another basic in Surrendranagar in Gujarat. K. and V. prepared for the workshop so well. They organized a translator for me. So again after 9 hours of basic we would sit for a few more hours doing feedback and preparing for next day. This group also works with girls taken out of child labor and put in residential school to get them ready for mainstream schools. 56 girls from the poorest circumstances and we had our workshop to some of their staff in their space. I wove them little birds and things and made real good friends that way!!!

Next I was taken to Ahmedabad (anniversary date of the riots, but fortunately it stayed quiet), where we stayed at Pa. sister’s house. Her driver then took me to the airport the next morning and off I went flying to Calcutta. Great views of east to west India, the dry lands, the dams, and the more fertile areas. 2.5 hours later landed, and was picked up by a driver and taken to the Swayam Office. Swayam is an organization assisting women dealing with violence. They also do trainings, accompany women to court, etc. I found 12 women working in the office. 2 of them came to the first training. Their workshop the next day was to survivors of domestic violence. A challenging workshop to say the least, that went real well though. This time the language was Bengali, but both instructors speak English and makes things much easier for me.

From there I was on the train for 45 hours, then 7 hours on buses to get to where I am now in Dharamsala.

I have many great pictures and look forward to sharing them with those of you I will cross paths with. Many stories that cannot be recounted here.

War talk is on. Change is in the air. I keep visualizing getting home safely. I will arrive in Canada on April 25 or 26th if all goes as planned.

As always am glad to hear from you!

In strength and sisterhood and never ending hope for peace and women’s empowerment globally!

Gitta