as i see it

I attended the Rang De Conclave '10 at Mahabalipuram, Chennai over the weekend. The conclave is the time of the year when the entire Rang De ecosystem consisting of the Rang De team, field partners & volunteers from across India come together to evaluate their plans, learn from each other and plan ahead.

"Its time for scheduling a field trip", was the subject of the mail, that made me quickly drop my work and take notice . It was Diksha from the Rang De Chennai office, planning the an evaluation field trips to one of the Rang De field partners. I always look forward to Rang De field trips as an opportunity to interact with small entrepreneurs bringing about a change in rural India, their unending enthusiasm and the difference a small social investment can make.

It was my second field trip with Rang De , this time to Pusad where the Rang De field partner SAGRAS is based. After a long and delayed train journey 7 of us fieldtrippers reached Akola on friday afternoon, only to take on another bumpy but enjoyable bus ride to Pusad. As we reached the SAGRAS office late evening, 7 hours later than we were expected, we were surprised to find their entire team patiently waiting to welcome us. Over a cup of tea the entire team introduced themselves and gave us all the latest updates on their work and the various projects they work on.

Early next morning we were all excited as we set off to visit each of the borrowers individually. We would enquire about their business, get updates on how the loan was utilized and also get their feedback on the entire loan process. Each of the borrowers has an interesting story to tell.

As we saw the working of a cycle shop, I couldn't stop doing some calculations in my mind. With a loan of a mere 3000 Rs, the woman bought two new cycles that she now rents out, getting a fixed income of 50 a day. And i don't think twice before spending 3000 Rs on a single dinner at a fancy restaurant !

The next lady we met runs a tailoring business. She had not only expanded her business with the loan but now manages to support her daughter in doing a diploma is fashion technology. And you'd think only people in cities dream big !!

As we went on with these visits we were struck by the optimism of the women folk. Each one had big dreams for their families and their business, and surprisingly educating their kids was the foremost on their agenda. It is only when they get stuck in the cycle of debt and in the fight to make ends meet that they lose track of their priorities. They just need a hand in kick starting their journey, someone who would trust them and guide them.

Mentoring is another area where Rang De's field partner SAGRAS is making a huge difference. At the core of SAGRAS are people who have been working in the area for more than 20 years and have a very good reputation with the local people. Apart from arranging funds for the businesses with help from Rang De, SAGRAS also arranges mentoring sessions that train the women in business basics.

Now thats a real change from all the controversial micro credit firms that have recently been in the spotlight. It great to know that Rang De associates itself with organisations like SAGRAS.

As we started our long journey back home, we had a lot of thoughts to discuss & experiences to share. I seemed to have met more entrepreneurs in a day than in my entire life !

This field trip had once again reminded us how a small gesture from our side can make a world of a difference to someones life. And Rang De was doing the job of connecting us to these deserving folk. Keep it up Rang De.