Pennies for Partnerships and Tibetan Organic Farmers Deliver to Basket Weaving Community:

Tashi Delek and Hello! I am happy to say that the delivery to the Indian basket weaving community in a village within Mundgod was very successful. The team consisted of a Tibetan Organic Farmer who drove the jeep, the representative for Organic Farmers of Mundgod from the Dalai Lama’s office, Tempa, an Indian laborer, and me.

The project took some time as there was much research needed to identify the community most in need. In addition I visited the basket weaving community and walked around to survey the area and meet the people. There is a great deal of support coming from the Tibetan officials as there is a dire need to find outlets for the farmer’s products; in addition I was informed that the farmers are the very poorest in the Tibetan community. The leaders of the community and all the people are very appreciative for the purchase of the rice and they are supportive of helping Indian communities as India has given so much to the Tibetans in providing them a new place to establish their culture. The Indian community was also very appreciative as the surprises and smiles on their faces are worth a million.

One woman told the driver of the jeep that the gift of 1 bag of rice saves her from the worries of a month rationing. Because they never know when they might sell a basket they ration until the sale of a another, often limiting their food intake. The woman was very thin and the look on her face was that which made me think she was going to cry.

So by the end of the delivery we had determined a new term for this type of giving…”guerilla giving”. Although it has a different meaning the reason this term was coined was because of the need to drop as many as possible then drive off as the crowds gather and then return a little while later or drive to a different road. This eliminates getting mobbed as there is more need than is possible to distribute. Hence the term “guerilla giving” as a very strong force of energy is put into the distribution to connect with the individuals but quickly move so to mange as many deliveries as possible. It is a force of giving that is unique but requires a positive term…so “guerilla giving” has a very positive connotation.

Suggestions have been made from the church manager and the Indian politician to do distribution in conjunction with an existing organization. The complication with this is in India you never know if the total amount being contributed is actually arriving to the people. Hence our way, Pennies for Partnerships, and the opportunity to bring a surprise smile and see firsthand the people who receive the gift. It is amazing and the Tibetan representative in the end told me that he had never been involved in anything like this and really enjoyed it. Also the Indian laborer told the Tibetan man to tell me “it was very nice to be involved in such a good project”.

Interesting enough as the last bag was distributed the people had started to come out and ask for their home to be served. This is always the most difficult time as there is never enough to give to all who are I need. During this crucial time our jeep would not start. This forced us to slow down and really interact with the community. All the men, including children that were close came to help push us up the small incline.

The women and other children gathered around as they smiled and offered tea and anything to show their gratitude. We found a wonderful way to celebrate the experience by taking group photos.

From what I can tell lives are being touched in many different ways through this project which would not be possible without you the donors and your generosity. I have included many photos for you to see the experiences although it is impossible to have a photo of every home served. We delivered a total of 26 bags on February 16th.

May I also give to each of you my sincerest gratitude for reaching out and helping those who are poor and hungry. You have also enriched my life by providing me this amazing experience to touch those who are often forgotten and slip through the cracks of society; especially in a culture that still practices the discriminatory caste system. The gift of a 55 pound bag of rice which costs approximately $14.00 is the equivalent of an entire weeks wage for the average laborer as the Indian politician explained that the men are guaranteed 100 days of work a year, working 8 hour days, and receiving a total days wage of 150 rupees ( approximately $3.00 a day). Oh yeah and women get 100 days a year at 80 rupees (less than $2.00 a day). An interesting comment made by the Indian Politician of a higher caste stated “we don’t really have people who live on less than a dollar a day because we have very good programs to assist with the 100 days of work”. SO if you do the math the men make about $300 a year which is less than $1.00 a day and the women well you can see the discrimination and inequality in the policy which provides a lower wage. Even more appalling was the Indian politician’s statement “now the women have it really good”. Sometimes we find the culture is unique and different and although there must be respect there also is need for change. Thank you for your gifts provided through the Pennies for Partnerships Rice Distribution; you are changing lives!!!!