Met Asha’s pet mouse (see Dick’s post) earlier in the day, when it ran behind my netbook and along the worktop/desk on the Asha Office. Seems a friendly soul, and not the least interested in computer wiring.
We also find that if you leave Pizza on the desk for more that 10 minutes (still in its box) then a trail of (very small red ones) Ants develops as they start to devour it. They also itch and bite!
Yesterday morning was spent visiting another Slum with Raneesh, and meeting more of the beneficiaries of the Loan Scheme. Plenty of examples where employment is being generated through the scheme which is excellent. One lady now employs 26 women, instead of 8 previously, in a catering business that provides food for weddings, birthdays and parties.
On a walk into the heart of the slum we found ourselves walking along a “High Street” of open shops, all piled high with fresh fish in all sizes, with furious bargaining going on as we passed. A “wealthy” slum where the living conditions are by far the biggest challenge.
The slum occupants are generally all Bengali, and most have the same surname “Mandel”. Bit like Smith at home. Lanes tended to be closed in above, up to three storeys high. Visited a home Screen Printing (Stationery) business which was carried out on the roof (covered over with plastic). You could easily walk across the top of all the buildings, and avoid the lanes below.
Met with Anil Aggarwal at Asha in the afternoon. Anil is Chief Manager (Marketing) for Punjab National Bank, and the Lead representative for the Asha Micro Finance Scheme. Really supportive, and very keen to see the scheme grow. Very happy with how it works at present, and appreciative of the way Asha select borrowers. More to follow.
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