Trade As One

During our visit with Handmade Expressions’ Saathi Group (of which I gave an overview in the previous post), we requested to hear one or two individuals’ stories. We explained that for ourselves, our friends, and our customers at Trade as One, hearing specific stories is one of the best ways to enable comprehension of issues that are foreign to us. Mum, Amy and I sat with our open notebooks on our folded legs, and Minal translated for us.

We asked about a typical working day and also went with specific questions like “what would life be like without this job?” and “how does your job make you feel?” And we found the boys’ responses encouraging and honest.

We began by talking to a lanky twenty year-old with a scholarly appearance and a shy smile behind his large glasses. Ramish was originally from Northern India, had run away from home to look for a better life in Mumbai, but ended up working thirteen hours a day at a hotel for minimum wage (next to nothing). He found himself at literally a dead end with his lifelong dream of being a runner falling farther and farther out of reach. With the help of Saathi Group, he got into an apartment, developed some basic life skills and then vocational training, and began working to create newspaper bags.

He told us that he loves how he has seen his life change, discovering the freedom to create and to pursue his dreams. To our incredulity, given how sluggish we felt in the Mumbai heat, he now trains twice a day for his marathon running (once before and once after work), and hopes to run for India in the 2016 Olympics. Though Ramish seemed fairly sober and serious, when he spoke of running, he exuded a palpable joy. The eyes behind his glasses lit up, and he looked us directly in the face, laughing at our amazement over his prowess.

Though he hid shyly from our camera for most of our visit, we managed to snap a picture of him. What struck me about our conversations with these young men was that they were my age, and yet our paths had so sharply diverged. I was reminded of how fortunate I am to have my family, opportunities to be creative, and chances to dream. I was encouraged to see how Saathi group and Handmade Expressions enable these boys to do the same.