We've spent our afternoons travelling to parts of the rural villages near the school. These villages are very poor, but they have such a strong sense of community it is inspiring. Some of the women in one village micro-finance each other; if one woman in a family needs a goat, 5 or 6 of them pool their money together to purchase one for everyone's good. Oftentimes their husbands are of no help, so they take it upon themselves to care for one another.

Another women's organization is working to end child labor in factories where silk is produced. This is especially problematic because in the poor villages, factory owners will buy children from parents who need the money. Those children then are unable to go to school because they are forced to work in the factory. The teachers are supposed to make sure this doesn't happen, but it is safe to assume they benefit from pay offs to keep their mouths shut. Although it is very dangerous for them, the women in the organization bring attention to child labor practices and get the government involved. Also, they do not purchase silk saris; their BEAUTIFUL uniforms were made of cotton. At the presentation we met one young girl who had been rescued from a factory. Since she was too old for school these women taught her to be a tailor so that she could work. Seeing this girl in front of me made me really want to pay attention to fair trade practices - it's really important that people aren't taken advantage of. This girl and three others performed a dance for us - it was so great and I loved to watch it!