Settled into the new place just fine and it has been a full on two days, all good. I am assisting at the woman's vocational centre, well more like a basement really. They women learn the Bihari local  painting on cloth and pottery, knitting, embroidery, sewing and dress making as well as computer and hairdressing. It is a busy basement with each corner allocated to a different activity with two to four classes per day depending on the activity. I will be mentoring the computer and the hairdressing. Hair is not exactly what I wanted to help with but they are so happy to learn as this can be a good source of income working in the neighbouring town's beauty parlours, so I agreed coz I cannot for the life of me knit.
The women are of mixed age groups but mostly late teens and early 20's and unmarried. Learning a skill that they can earn them rupees will stave off marriage for a while and give then a lot more confidence. The older women are of course married and need a job they can do at home so they fill up the dressmaking and sewing classes. The NGO also provides micro credit for the women who have been through the vocational program. It is great that they can provide the next step for these women to get financially independent. and apparently they have 100% pay back rate. The women in the computer classes have grand plans of working in government office or a bank,which is big dream for this town, but so great they they have this chance. In the afternoon I work in the main office, boaring data entry at the moment but I also help the office girl learn some office skills. Luckily she speaks a wee bit English and we laugh a lot at my poor attempts at Hindi. Today a woman health worker came in to report to the director on her class on aids awareness in the village. I will be going with her and a doctor next week to another village to see how that AIDs awareness program is doing. I will be learning so much in this next while and look forward to getting to know the women more.