Selfhelp groups against violence in Indian villages

  “The  violence against women and children  in the villages is high, up to 60, 70 % of all families are affected”, says a woman selfhelp (SHG) group leader when I meet her during an annual celebration in the surroundings of Mangalore. “Since the women are organized in the SHGs (a project set up by…

From India’s mountain of waste to fashion

  When I went the first time to India I was shocked by all the plastic waste on the streets, in front of the houses, in the Indian Ocean… Plastic bags, a thousands and thousands of plastic bottles, often combined with a bad smell. It does not just look ugly, but is the source for disease…

7weeks in India – The tribal cooking invitation

Arnattokadu, Kalekkadu – these are the names of two small villages in Tamil Nadu, South India I have visited in the last weeks.  During the visits these women showed me their houses, told me about their lives, their self-help groups and how they want to create their own future. I learnt also about their challenges, poverty…

The beauty of old tribal women 

The beauty of old tribal women – and their role as change agents Isn’t it amazing? In many big cities, with the ongoing globalization and higher education, huge changes of family structures are taking place – also in India. Young families need to go for work in other areas and personal independence gets higher rated…

7 weeks in India – From woman to woman, part 3

Teatime Here, in India, the faces and colors are fascinating, maybe because of the diversity, maybe because of the cultural differences or just because behind every face, there is another life. Have you ever thought if it? How many different, unique lives are there? So, taking photos of people, of their expressions and movements is…

7weeks in India – Momos in Ooty

I see them and can hardly resist: momos, veg balls in garlic sauce, boiled in water. One my preferred foods in India. I spend the weekend in Ooty, a hill town in the Nilgiri mountains at 2.240m. Talking with the momo lady The lady is preparing momos at a cooking stand when I pass by….