It's off to work we go!

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9/14 to 9/18
Because I finished most of the office work I needed to do I was able to be in the field every day this week. Still I felt some apprehensions because most of the CSP (people who go into the field) don’t speak very much English meaning even if I go on the field visits, I don’t know exactly what is going. Going on the visits was reviving though and have been the best part of the internship thus far although it is so stinking hot every day I am constantly perspiring.

The first day I went with two women who were doing marketing and meeting with potential clients. We had one introductory meeting with some women and many questions were asked about me, why I was there and what we were there for. I’m not sure if I made people more standoffish to HMPL or more inclined because I was a foreigner.

Tuesday is collection day where the weekly installments of the amount borrowed are repaid. I walked around with one of the woman from the day before and we collected money. We collected all the payments which is good and didn’t have delinquent accounts so it was very successful. Most of HMPL clients live in chawl’s, a living situations with blocks of 20 or 40 10x12 houses all connected. The kitchen, living area and bedroom are commonly one in the same however some are larger and are two stories. The roofs are normally made out of sheet metal and there are only communal bathrooms which have quite a stench.

Wednesday I went to a new area of town and Aarti, the branch manager of where I work (HMPL has 4 branches total), came with me and translated what was happening to the best of her ability. We went to collect delinquent or late accounts which were a new side of the business. Some people owed a lot of payments and others just one from the day before. In the group loans, there is a group leader that is responsible for collection and they have to recover the funds from the member that didn’t pay. A few arguments ensued but most was peaceful because the group leaders know their responsibility and are doing the best of their ability to collect the money.

For the second part of the day I went with Villas who was doing a group training. Group trainings are mandatory before taking a loan or even being considered for a loan. They explain who Hindusthan is, what the loan details are, how the group function works, collection times, the amount desired and purpose for the loan and collect the appropriate documents. The afternoon was one of the hottest yet so when one of the groups assembled late, I wasn’t complaining sitting under a fan in the house waiting. We were behind schedule but it was the fastest pace one can work in such a sweltering day.

On Thursday I went on the day after group training where the information learned from the group trainings are tested and the documents collected are verified. There are case handlers (the CSPs) that have done the group training and collected the documents but a third party, people called a Field Officer or FO, verify the documents and make sure everything is in line so the group’s loan can be reviewed and decided on. Thus it goes:

3 day group trainings with CSP → verification of documents and facts by FO → approval/rejection of loan

This week was exceptionally good. I started eating lunch with other staff members and interacting with them more. During lunch everybody get outs what they’ve been packed, puts it in a circle and you eat out of each other’s containers. At first, I was just reading during lunch because I didn’t really understand the whole community lunch aspect but when I was invited to join it was really pleasurable. I can’t communicate great with the other workers still but I love watching them laugh and joke with each other and sharing whatever we have.

Friday was all new breakthrough as I became friends with one of the girls, Aaliyah, at HMPL. She’s the internal auditor of the branch and has always had a great smile and been very kind. She and I started talking as there was a large staff meeting going on for the CSPs and FOs and she invited me to her house for dinner. Her family is Muslim, she’s the only Muslim in the office actually, and they’re currently observing Ramadan, a month long time of fasting during the day and other requirements.

My field work for the day was going to a different branch in Dharavi area where the large slum is. We met with a large group not located in the slum and verified their documents so they could be appraised for the loan and then had a great communal lunch. One thing here is if I say no to something such as tea or food or a chair, nobody listens. Giving me a chair is always a sign of respect but I don’t deserve it. I’m a lowly intern, it’s the people at HMPL that deserve a seat with their hard work. Indian hospitality is something that’s really hard to get used to. So even though I said I had brought a lunch I was given part of the huge take out order.

The office was located in what looked like a huge apartment building on the outskirts of the slum but was actually an office building. Sewers and leather makers and many other trade craftsmen were working away in their little workshops housed in the nine story apartment building. Very few were offices and the office was very small compared to the one I work in (which is the company’s headquarters). They are a relatively new branch as well so it was enlightening to see their projections for new clients and the differences between the personnel.

We were returning in an hour after lunch but had nothing to do so I asked to be taken to the Dharavi slum so I could see it. I was really, really shocked. I’ve been reading this book called Shantaram, which I highly suggest although it’s 1000 pages. It’s a memoir I believe about a man who escapes from an Australian prison and comes to live in Bombay (Mumbai) in the 80s. He gets into the underground scene dealing in black markets and lives in a slum for awhile. He casts a whole new light on Mumbai (which I haven’t seen so don’t be afraid for my safety) and helped me to acquaint myself with many places I’ve heard of. He also describes the slum as made of structures that can be smashed within a couple minutes. The Dharavi slum has been around for 20 to 30 years and has a lot of permanent structures, a drainage system (more blocked with a filmy bluesh, grey water mixture and garbage than actually doing its job), and cement and stone walkways. There were also shops selling market food and other products and structures similar to the apartment building with workshops crammed with people and materials.

There is a developer currently proposing the demolishment of it and building low rent apartments for the occupants. There are many issues that have actually changed the "rehabilitation program" proposed as you can findvout in the following article:

http://infochangeindia.org/Urban-India/Cityscapes/A-reprieve-for-Dharavi.html

When we returned to our branch Aaliyah and I went to her house which is about 3 minutes from work. She lives in the Muslim area in Jari Mari with her brother, father and grandma in a chawl. The walls are lime green and it’s really big for a chawl. They were so hospitable and forced me to eat too many sweets (honestly, they wouldn’t let me stop). I sat (in a chair because guests don’t sit on the floor) and waited until 6:30 when people fasting for Ramadan (said Ramazan here) can start eating after their day of fasting (the time is variable). While we were waiting for food the grandma and dad were cutting all sorts of fruit- pineapples, watermelon, apples, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and papaya. They were also stuffing large chilli’s with coconut and deepfrying them to make a smorgasbord of deepfried food. The food continued until I could barely move. The grandma had my cover my hair for dinner and gave me multiple blessings throughout dinner and before I left. It was one of the best experiences of my time in India.

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