Homeward bound

So I wound up my Kutch visit today. My bus leaves back to Ahmedabad tonight. I spent time understanding the livelihood interventions for the unorganised craft industry in Kutch, the environmental disaster rehab programs ( they have worked in Kutch post the earthquake, in Indonesia and Tamil Nadu post the Tsunami and in Kashmir post the earthquake). They also have an initiative going which combines indigenous building techniques & modern scientific studies to build affordable, low cost housing.

The visit to the Kutch Mahila Vikas Sanghatan (Kutch women's empowerment movement) was in one word mind blowing. I cannot begin to write about the things they are doing because the post would turn into a mini paper on models for women empowerment.

I was hard sold a job opportunity here to work on the unorganised livelihoods initiative. A tremendous opportunity but moving to Bhuj...? Not a decision to be made lightly.

I'm exhausted. I've learnt more than I could ever have hoped for. I'm a little wiser too. My "development tour" as the most recent Bangalore convert terms it, is over. Now its decision time. But first lets get home.

Learnings will come later with more reflection...will also be duly documented but one thing I already know which I was curious to find out when I embarked on this journey was the question, "Will there be a sense of home in Gujarat?" As I told a group of people I met today when asked if I was Gujarati, " I speak Gujarati but no I wouldn't necessarily call myself that". Eretz Bangalore it surely is.