This
assessment took part on various levels: In ISPWDK's programme
Support and Management Unit PSMU, in SAMUHA's central office
in Bangalore, in SAMUHA's beautiful farm in Tavargera where
the Kanakanala Watershed Project team operates from, in MUNJAVU's
Tavargera office, and most importantly in the fields,
Meeting
with Non SHG Members,Kilarhatti Village Temple
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houses,
temples and under the Neem trees of the villages of Kanakanala
Watershed.
A small introduction workshop on livelihoods with MUNJAVU
was organized. Scope and objectives were introduced and
adapted according to MUNJAVU's expectations (their main
interest lies in the question why people are difficult
to motivate for livelihood activities and group membership).
Discussions with MUNJAVU organizers and leaders were held
during the three weeks (Nov. 8 - Nov. 28, 2003) in the
field, which helped to gain an understanding of their
work. The author and Renuka, field research assistant
and translator, formed the field team. Field work was
kept simple and flexible, in order to take opportunities
as they were presented. Villages were selected after ongoing |
livelihood
activities, number of SHG and whether or not home-shopping
was introduced in the villages. The previous days the MUNJAVU
staff was consulted, in order to find out about the villages
and possible interviewees. Once in the villages, the village
animators helped to find these people, or to gather a group
together. The Nine Square Mandala gave constant frame and
inspiration, but was not actually carried to the field, since
the author sees its use more in preparation and analysis of
field data: When talking to the villagers the nine squares
were kept in mind, and when the discussion ebbed down, the
Mandala encouraged to venture into another square, or another
aspect of the lives of the people, and these facets of their
livelihood systems ultimately helped to draw a picture and
apply it to any decision people take or not take, or any activity
they start or not.
The
questionnaires that were designed and improved during
these three weeks also drew on the Mandala's framework. But
deviations from the questionnaires were more the rule than
the exception, which allowed to venture into topics the women
and men we sat with found interesting. All the following stories
and accounts are a result of visiting the villages, identifying
discussion partners and asking questions. Often the less "scientific"
and planned the visit was, the more interesting information
was collected, leading to an understanding of the options,
choices and decisions of the people.
A
more comprehensive questionnaire was used for In-Depth-Interviews
with all the "home-shopping volunteers" (description
follows). Further, group discussions were held with
non-SHG members and with some SHG member women in various
villages. All questionnaires are found in the annex of this
report. Before analysing these in chapter 6, some experiences
from the field work will be added:
·
Normally the talks were held in the houses of the women,
or in their shops.
· Often we gathered
under the Neem tree (also Banyan, Tamarind) in the villages,
a common meeting place. The temples or mosques were also
used quite regularly, irrespective of the women's religion!
(Such communal secularity would surprise some outsiders
who cover only mass media on India).
· Some discussions (e.g.
on groundwater) were spontaneously held in the fields, when
passing by.
· We never felt like
intruders, since the local women and men were always ready
to chat and share their knowledge. Of course, sometimes
time was taken to answer their questions about my Swiss
culture. I felt this was quite important as well, since
they were particularly curious about the Swiss farming systems.
· There were challengers
to our presence, though. The Lambani Thandas were more outspoken,
and these women would criticize our research or MUNJAVU's
presence in general. The main issue was that their expectations
were not met. They often claimed things were promised to
them and never delivered.
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