The amazing people - updated.

I am just back from a two day trip into a rural area of Gujarat. We accompanied the NGO Marag to 4 villages of pastoralists. These are the people, who for centuries, have raised cattle. They are called the Maldhavi people. These people are migrants, they raise their cattle on land that they do not and can not own Once their cattle have graised all of the available land around them, they migrate. These people are marginalized. They do not register their births, they do not own any land, they can not vote. The Marag organization is a grass roots organization that has helped the pastoralist communities advocate for their rights. Specifically, they focus on women and children's rights.

In all the villages we were welcomed like royalty. Many from the village came to greet us. The children had songs prepared for us, the women made us tea. Words do not do justice to explain these encounters. They have been life changing in too many ways to explain.

No longer am I blinded by the shock of the living conditions here in India, but rather I am awakened by the spirit of the indian people. In the villages, we sat together,  not understanding each other's language, but somehow understanding that in each other we saw similarities. The women held our hands, the children ran towards us waving hello.

A children's group in Gavana village

As we left the villages, the children would run behind the bus, waving, shouting, smiling. This deep human to human connection was awe-inspiring.
Also, seeing the interventions between the Marag staff and the villagers provided a perfect example of what community building and capacity building should be.

Villagers in Guydishan?