Uttarakhand – Day 20
Monday, February 24, 2025
Shop of colors
After breakfast we went to meet the cooperative, passing on the way, a group of locals cutting and cleaning tree branches on the wayside. The road was full of Mahindras and on one sharp curve stood a small temple, built because of a serious accident there. It didn’t take long to reach the town, where we parked near a set of astoundingly tall steps. These steps ascended to a small shop which was permeated with the scent of lemongrass and bright with the rich colors of its products. Its shelves were lined with fruit juices of gooseberry, lime, and orange, numerous varieties of cooking oils, jars of honey and pickled vegetables, and sacks brimming with spices and beans of all shapes and sizes. They also had mountain ghee, an especially nutritious ghee, made from the milk of a local cow called a Badri that feeds on the mountain herbs. Just in case you don’t know, ghee is similar to buttermilk, and a staple of Indian cuisine. This store is the central point for women to sell the fruits of their labors and it had the aura of prosperity.
Co-operatives gathering
Two women welcomed us and showed us around while we waited for the others. In the back room were a rice husker, oil presses, and several grinders for millet, coriander, turmeric, and wheat. They buy produce from the co-op members as well as other villagers and then clean, process, and package it. Processing whole foods immediately increases the sale value. Did you know you can make juice from Rhododendron? I didn’t, but now I do. This is part of the value chain which Harish teaches about. From the harvest to the point of sale, how can you add value to attract markets and profits? These days there is much talk of over-processed foods, and how they are damaging our health, but that is what happens in laboratories of big companies. Here we are talking about simple things like milling and pressing. This co-operative is called Malam Ekata and it holds 430 members from 73 panchayats. It was formed in 2018, but started as a Self-Help Group three years before that. Harish’s job during his seven-month JICA project was to provide them business training. He had them create their own business models and then sit down together to review those models and offer advice. He also designed 25 business models as templates and shared them online.
Soon, other women arrived, some coming from 40 or 50 kilometers away. These are the Board Members of Malam Ekata, and another co-op I didn’t get the name of, from a place called Kanau Ghati. Or maybe Kanau Ghati is the name of the co-op. It’s easy to get confused when lots of people are talking at once, and you don’t speak the language. Thank you, Harish and Poonam, for your translations! This other co-op has 446 members from 62 panchayets.
How have you changed?
Harish opened the discussion by asking, from the start until now, how have you changed as a result of this co-op? Faces lit up and answers came rapidly. A woman in orange said she became more confident and self-reliant. “I can go out of the home, see the world, and interact with people.” She had learned how to make her own jewelry, some of which is displayed at the shop. A powerful looking lady in pink said she started her own business, a homestay and a coffee shop. Now she can go to the bank alone! She also learned how to dry herbs to sell, like rosemary, chamomile, turmeric, and garlic, and even teaches others how to do it. Another woman said she can go to the district office (government office) to see what services they have on offer. For example, they sometimes give away seeds, or provide deworming for their livestock and offer advice on how to increase milk production. Often, women are afraid to go to these offices on their own. Suddenly someone mentioned March 8th, International Women’s Day, and they all agreed that it has become a day of special meaning for them.
Harish spoke of how hard it is to build a group like this. In the beginning the women have no confidence and it takes time to build trust. He starts a new group by taking a survey to learn who is who in the villages, and what they are doing, such as what crops they are growing and animals they are rearing. Then he makes a proposal to form a group and sees who comes forward. His method of teaching is also unique, with role plays proving to be the most effective. He prefers taking a backseat role, giving a lot of space for the women to talk with each other and share their own experiences. Once the group is established, he links it with banks for loans and government programs for resources.
Harish described one hiccup he observed in this particular group wherein the board members were not properly monitoring the group finances and credit had been allowed to swell too high. He devised a system by which three Board Members would visit each local co-op office twice a week to review the books. For this they would be paid 500 rupees per person per visit plus transportation, which was a great motivator, and makes perfect sense – payment for services. The money first came from JICA, but after the practice was standardized, it came from their own funds.
In five years…
I asked the ladies what I would see if I came back here in five years and the reply was “growth.” The shop would be bigger and with more products and the number of managers needed to run it would increase from two to five. I then asked what their husbands thought of these activities and Harish chuckled and said that was a bombshell question. After a bit of nervous laughter, the women said their husbands are mostly supportive, but there are obviously underlying cultural and family issues. I can imagine what some of these might be, especially after they went on to explain that they had organized marches against alcoholism and smoking, and in the schools, they do programs to teach the kids about the harmful effects of these things.
When the discussion wound to a close, Poonam and I were presented with small bouquets of local flowers and everyone crowded together for the obligatory group photos. Then it came time to shop. Harish, Poonam, and I filled our bags with precious teas and spices. I purchased a bottle of locally made shampoo which boldly claimed to “prevent hair fall.” I’m banking on it!
Respect as a human being
One woman picked up a heavy bag of millet like it was a feather pillow and carried it down the steep steps to the car. Another, Rashmi, joined us for the ride down the mountain to the co-op office. In the car, she said she was grateful to Harish and JICA. Her involvement in this program has gained her respect as a human being and she was even able to take a trip away from her home for ten days. It has also brought money to the household. Harish responded by explaining that one of the most important messages he always shares with these groups comes directly from ARI – That We May Live Together.
After dropping off Rashmi, talk of the co-op continued as we started the drive home. Overall, JICA is financing the project and the state government is supporting it with materials and marketing. From what I saw, it is going well and will handle the transition to independence remarkably. Poonam is involved too, buying their products and selling them in Dehradun. She tells her customers all about the women in the mountains, what their lives are like, how hard they work, how a field of flowering Chamomile looks. Then she brings feedback from the buyers to the co-op members. Prices are naturally appreciating as quality and demand increase.
Ganga water
Monkey sightings along the way were plentiful as we descended the river road. The sugar cane laden tractors were still moving about and as we drew closer to the Ganges, we encountered the Maha Shivarati festival revelers once again, with their booming music trucks. These folks really know how to celebrate! This time I saw some carrying pots swinging from yokes across their shoulders, as many as four on each side. I learned it to be Ganga water – Holy water from the Ganges. Poonam spotted a roadside veggie stand, so we stopped and loaded up. On the other side of the street was a fellow selling fresh sugar cane juice and I suggested having some. Harish, however, cautioned that it may not be sanitary, but when Poonam expressed interest as well, he gave in and we all partook. It’s the limes they squeeze in with the cane that makes the flavor come out.
A few kilometers later we encountered Parvati and Shiva once again, still on opposite sides of the Ganges. Then we crossed the holy river and sped off toward home. Billboards along the highway advertised Burger Singh, together with a mascot of a fellow in a turban and a huge beard. I wondered if the meals they served were veg or non-veg.
Badri and dinner
Harish talked of various things, such as that he was active in the 2004 tsunami relief effort and if you happen to be walking around in Afghanistan, follow the white stone markers. If there are no white stones, there could be land mines. Though he was at ARI more than 40 years ago, vivid memories are still with him, for example, visiting local peach and pear farmers and learning how to smoke duck. His roommate at ARI was a fellow from Taiwan, but he has lost touch with him. From his teachers, Takami sensei and Kikuchi sensei, he learned that not even one grain of rice should remain on your plate after eating, such is the importance of food. You should use your chopsticks to pick up every last grain.
When we got back to the cottage, we were greeted with great excitement by Badri. You may remember that Badri is the name of the type of cattle that live up in the Uttarakhand mountains – strong and hearty beasts. This Badri, however, was not a cow, but their strong and hearty dog. Humans and dog alike were glad to be reunited after two days. Being a dog person myself, I could completely identify. Our dog, Mochi, even has his own Instagram, (I know, I know.) and when I showed it to Poonam she started following.
In a remarkably short amount of time, the table was laid with rice, dal, and freshly cooked vegetables and we took supper together with the long-haired university student who had been watching the house, and Badri, while everyone was away.
