Learning and Earning at the Life Education Center (LEC)

As LEC Coordinator Devi Namasivayam explains, the educational expectations of young women have changed in recent years, and this has brought about a change in the profile of women attending LEC. “Previously, parents thought that 8th grade was enough education for girls who were going to get married and to stay at home and look after cows, children and in-laws. And those girls came here to learn some skills and to receive emotional support. Times have changed. Mothers now don’t want their daughters to go through the same lives with alcoholic husbands and getting beaten and not being able to stand on their own feet without education. So now they borrow money to send daughters to school and college. This is a positive change in society, and it’s brought about change at LEC because fewer adolescents are coming to the centre.”

The centre now attracts married women with young children. “15 years ago, these women would have been told to stay at home,” says Devi. “Now there is a need for women to earn. They have school fees to pay for their children. This shift in the profile and needs of attendees created the need for reflection about the reasons for LEC’s existence.” As the team began to redefine the deeper purpose and goals of LEC, they were also forced to take into account their funding situation. LEC received some support from SAIIER for educational activities and individual well-wishers, yet operational costs were consuming most of the funding. “At one point, we thought we might have to close down. The realities had to be taken into account. These women wanted to earn, and we needed to provide livelihood opportunities. But we also didn’t want to steer away from providing opportunities to discover oneself and expand. So we realised we needed to integrate learning and earning.”

In order to meet the women’s need for income, the centre launched a new social enterprise in 2018. It consists of a range of products under the brand-name Sakhi, meaning female friend in many Indian languages, in order to emphasize the friendship amongst the women who attend the centre. “Earlier, they would receive tailoring training, but the quality of the work depended on the individual’s ability,” says Devi. “Now, much attention is paid to the training and the quality, and the products are sold so that they can get an income. So, they take some responsibility for generating the stipend. ”The products include garments, home décor items, accessories and stationery. The items are sold at the new Anjali store at the Visitors’ Centre, a vibrant shop made from mud bricks and stocked with products from LEC, Village Action Group and Kolamandala. The income from the sales goes to the women and in the long run could help in making the Centre self-sufficient.

The new model is proving to be viable for LEC, and Devi is optimistic about its future. “We now provide the opportunity to earn, as well as the opportunity to grow inwardly and collectively. Life and work are not separate, so it is important to provide opportunities in work places to share, grow and integrate as a community. So we also have regular time for activities – learning, unlearning, art, group discussions, bodywork, and role plays – some of which LEC has done for many years, where women can express their emotions and receive understanding. The women are able to directly benefit from activities like Aviva and yoga, healthcare and traditional herbal medicines that impact the physical body, and activities like group discussions that impact the mental and emotional being. Other subtler activities like yoga nidra, meditative art, work with the twelve qualities given by the Mother that impact the vital and the spiritual parts of the individual take time to penetrate. Many people experience medical conditions that were not present in the previous generations. The women really appreciate the value of health care and nutrition education as they can see immediate benefits in not only applying the new knowledge, but also reverting to some of the traditional food practices. Many women have the support of their husbands, but some men don’t care.”

LEC has also focussed on collective events in the past year, such as a quilting event that involved 25 people who worked together to stitch a quilt for Auroville’s 50th birthday. This quilt is now on display in the LEC’s main hall, and a smaller quilt made by six LEC women hangs in the Anjali store. “We like to focus on what people can do together, and not just have women doing their own thing on sewing machines,” says Devi. “The public quilting event will be held annually, as an opportunity for people from outside to interact with the women here, and for the women here to communicate more. We are thinking about how we can open ourselves to receive, and not only about how to provide for the villages.”