The Working Poor of Kolkata

This morning I went with 'the Christians' to this workshop in one of Kolkata's slums. it was founded by a Swiss couple seven years ago and is a place where women form the slum come to be educated in English and the trade of sewing. The org -- called Connections -- takes used cotton saris and makes blankets, scarves and handbags. they also make greeting cards. It was so cool! This is a place where women can learn how to create an income for their families, while still staying close to their homes, chores, and children. There are approximately 30 women who come to the shop everyday, plus another 50 women who sew blankets from home (so they can care for small children as well). For a blanket, a woman receives 180 rupee in wages, which is roughly a day's hard labor for a man's day. Even two of the five managers are women who entered the program to learn sewing and have now advanced to management careers! One still lives on the outskirts of the slum even. We bought some of the beautiful creations; I got a blanket, three bags, two scarves, and 28 cards... all for approx. $52... I was really pleased to support such a cause, plus visiting the workshop was totally RAD!

Oh! We took a bicycle rickshaw from the Metro to the workshop.... a first time, and quite cool! The others found it rather terrifying, but I was loving it! It is the way of life here; and while it is a little like Cleopatra to be hanging out in a 'modern-day' chariot, being pulled by a man on a bicycle, it is better to put rupees in the hands of a struggling rickshaw diver than to fit the Western comfort-stereotype and take an "expensive" taxi.

It is rather funny, though, to realize that I am ready to fight with a cab driver over 20 or 30 rupee now. It is absolutely absurd to pay 50 rupee for a trip that with the meter should only cost 20. Just to give you a sense of what the exchange rate is here: 42 rupee equals one US dollar. 75 cents is not a lot, but the cabbies try to take advantage of people with white skin. You know you're adjusting to India when $1.25 is TOO MUCH for a taxi!