Women (of Shanti Ashram) hold up half the sky

I met more amazing, empowering women within three weeks than I have met in my entire life. Just one of many examples is a woman named Kaplana. She is one of the women I interviewed during my time in India. Not only is Kaplana part of the tailoring business, but she teaches 16 other women how to stich. Kaplana and her team of women make these beautiful fabric folders from their leftover materials. The files are sold with the help of Shanti Ashram and Kaplana said that her business blesses the women and herself with an income that can support their families. She said she is fortunate enough to live a comfortable life, thanks to her business. But her work doesn't stop there. On top of her tailoring unit, she also runs a government-funded food security unit in which families can receive subsidized food to support their families. Each family can receive rice (portions depends on the family size/income but each family is eligible). The best part is that Kaplana's husband supports her in everything she does. He assists her in the shop and if it wasn't for him, she said, her work would not be possible. I found this to be so amazing because we saw/heard of women who were not even allowed to leave the house or speak for themselves. To see a woman that allows her to run two organizations single-handedly made me so very happy.

June 8, 2012

This is Kanaka Sabhai temple in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Youth volunteers from Shanti Ashram come here every Friday to clean (sweep) the temple floors. We had the honor of joining them last Friday and experienced the beauty of this temple. There is an elephant that is usually inside. He was "taking his lunch break" but we got to see him in his giant cage nearby. Mahatma Gandhi's ashes are also in this village, next to the dried up Noyyal river.

Last full day in Mango Land

Tomorrow I leave to go back to the States. My experience in India has been one of ups and downs, but mostly ups. It has been a trip that I will remember for the rest of my life and definitely not the last time I'll be visiting. The hospitality in this country is almost overwhelming... people are so nice and want to stuff your face with food always. Tiffany and I finished our wish list besides a few minor things. I will miss all my friends at the Ashram, Amma (Vinu's mother), and especially Vinu. We had to say farewell to Vinu yesterday morning because she left for a conference in Tanzania on child poverty. It was hard to say goodbye to someone that I admire so very much. To be honest, I was fighting back tears as we shared the longest hug and she drove away. She would really like me to come back next summer to write a book on the amazing women of Shanti Ashram/nearby villages (if you have read Half the Sky, it will be the Half the Sky of Shanti)!~ ~I'll keep this short so I can spend my last day enjoying Shanti with my new friends. See you all in the States soon!~ Peace and Love.~ p.s. I will continue writing old posts once I return, including a long one about Dr. Vinu's amazingness

...and then the greatest thing happened. The best memory I experienced in my (almost) 3 weeks in Coimbatore thus far. I have had some pretty unforgettable memories in India but this one surpasses them all by a landslide. I'll hold it close to my heart for eternity. We went out for our first fancy dinner since being in the country. The meal was expensive (for Coimbatore) and we had several leftovers. We asked the waiter to parcel the food (parcel=to go) and decided we wanted to give our food to someone who was hungry on the street.After much searching at 10pm as well as being stalked by a middle-aged man, we found an elderly woman selling flowers (for hair)still sitting on the edge of the curb. Hoping to make more sales as the night dragged on. She looked lonely. Very short and clearly malnourished. Dirty from living on the street. It is safe to assume that she knew none of my English but I knelt beside and said, "Excuse me ma'am, do you want this?" Holding the bag out to her. She didn't get it. Not even a little, but she half smiled a very sweet grin anyway. I tried again. "Are you hungry?" I moved the bag even closer to her frail, overworked hands. Instantly, I felt my heart melt of joy as the biggest, missing-teeth smile took over her face. I held my hands out in Namaste, the greatest sign of respect on her native land. I will go to bed with an equally large grin tonight knowing that she is feasting on tandoori vegetables/paneer, romali bread, and naan. It is exactly these kinds of moments that my late father lived for everyday of his life. I know wherever he is now, he is joyed at my simple act of kindness he taught me to embrace so well. xoxo Katie ** To find out what came before (a.k.a. the stalking story), you'll have to wait to hear it in person**

Wish list -- Volunteer in temple -- Learn about HIV situation -- Learn about healthcare system -- Visit a farm -- See a movie -- See a Hindi movie -- Weaving factory -- Assist with immunizations -- Sanitation project -- Learn about Hinduism -- Visit Tamil Temple(s) -- Find Indian music -- South Indian cooking tutorial -- Tie a saree -- Visit fabric store -- custom made clothing (salwaar kameez) -- See Shanti's tailoring class -- 3 interviews -- Night in village with Laura, Emma, and Josh (other American interns from BYU) -- Find church for Sunday -- Learn about ayruvedic medicine -- Learn about nutrition status -- Go to mountains -- Grant writing -- Watch the stars on the roof of Yoga Institute -- Find the cheapest meal in Coimbatore (14 rupees for dosa dinner) -- Find a new project for SAID (I have 2-3 actually!) --attend an Indian wedding -- participate in Indian wedding

Things they don't tell you when you visit Coimbatore: -- Don't waste space in your suitcase bringing sunscreen because the smog is so thick, you can't even catch a tan, let alone a sunburn -- Mosquito repellent doesn't work -- There WILL be feces infested waters as you cross bridges and you WILL be forced to smell it -- You are an alien life form and people will stare, even when you're in a dark movie theater (skin glows florescent) -- Do not sit on the roof of the yoga institute and be loud with the lights on at 11pm or you will get called out -- If you hang an Indian's laundry out to dry for them, they will be eternally grateful and bring you cookies and mangoes all the time to return the favor -- DO NOT DO NOT smile back at middle aged men in the mall or they will follow you up 6 escalators o.O -- Bring lots of cash because none of the banks will take your freakin' American debit cards -- Make sure you send mail AS SOON as you arrive in the country or family/friends will get you letters weeks after you return home -- If you have sensitive skin, pack a ton of anti-itch cream because apparently Indian people don't believe in it (especially with the crappy tap water, it's necessary) -- Never order chennna masala. You will get sick from the excessive amount of chick peas -- NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVERRRRRRRR go to a place called Seasons (or really anywhere that attempts to make western food. terrible... just terrible!) -- Get use to frequent power outages -- Beware of low-flying bats. There are some with a wing span of 2 feet, I sware -- There will be an intermission if you see a movie. And people will whistle through the entire movie, regardless of its relevance

Tiffany and Katie's list of different smells around Coimbatore: 1) Human feces~ 2) Burning of the garbage~ 3) Car exhaust~ 4) Curry~ 5) Animal feces~ 6) The smell of goat~ 7) Gutter smell~ 8) Under the bridge smell on the way to Shanti (a.k.a. more feces)~ 9)temple smell (awesome)~ 10) Body odor~ 11) Mehendi (good one)~ 12) the chocking out of bug spray that does nothing~ 13) Dried fish~ 14) Did we mention feces?~ 15) Tap water~ 16) Delicious food~ 17)