These are some of the women and girls I got to know at the centre. Anju-ji, Bhagwati, Santosh Mundela, Santosh Baroti and Leela-ji are women (ie they are married); Nithu, Rajini, Ravina, Kiran, Chandrakanta, Nisha and Usha are girls. I'm sure I spelled some of their names incorrectly but that's how they're spelled in my head.
"Ji" is respectful term that is used at the end of one's name. I initially tried to use "ji" when addressing every woman, but for some reason that didn't work out. Bhagwati, for example, I can't bring myself to call "ji" because she's the same age as me. Santosh Baroti I don't call "ji" because she's so headstrong and modern that using such a traditional term doesn't befit her. The girls don't call all the women "ji" either; sometimes they use the more informal term "didi", which means sister.
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| Celebrating stitching teacher Shama's birthday at the centre. Shama is in pink on the extreme right. |
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Women (married) students from right: Santosh Mundela, Bhagwati, Anju-ji
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| Santosh Baroti with her daughter. Santosh is the unofficial spokesperson of the women and girls from the Meghwal Basti community. |
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| Leela-ji and me at her home. Leela-ji is Santosh's husband's brother's wife. |
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| Nithu |
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| Rajini |
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| Left: Ravinia; right: Kiran |
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| Left: Chandrakanta; right: Nisha. |
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| Usha |
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