Wednesday, October 7th, 2015 // The Statement
8B
What took me seconds to swipe with
a green paintbrush on the world map I
painted for the literacy center took an hour
of a bumpy and at times terrifying ride from
the foothills of the Himalayas into the faces
of the mountains. We weren’t even close to
the top, but still at times I had the feeling
we were at the cusp of the world, and all
that was keeping me from a free fall to the
bottom was the balance I’d acquired from
our morning yoga sessions. The goats we
encountered on our drive up the mountain
seemed to be masters of this, as they
climbed up seemingly ninety-degree cliff
faces.
I have climbed the Sierra Nevadas of
Spain, the Appenninos of Italy, and just
this spring, the Appalachians of our home
country, but the stark monstrosity that is
the Himalayas was something I had never
experienced. A journey up one side of the
monster, and we seemed to be on top of the
world. The layer of smog and smoke over
the sprawling city of Dehra Dun looked
like a surreal mist nestled in a fold of the
foothills. The quick incline from the rolling
hills made it seem like we were just floating
in the clouds over the city. Even more
amazing than the view was the fact that
after a while we started to encounter the
villages in these mountains. Little homes
were perched just as precariously as the
goats on the edges of the cliffs. The purpose
of our excursion was to meet, speak with,
and bring supplies to the women working
for ANKURI that live in one of the mountain
villages, Rikholi.
ANKURI is an organization promoting
the long-term independence of village
women through craft-making. Through
V I S U A L S T A T E M E N T :
F O O T H I L L S O F T H E
H I M A L A Y A S
Students at a local government school present woven reeds to the guests of their annual school show.
The students presented skits of what they had learned and traditional dances.
Shushmita and her cousin are students at ANKURI’s Literacy Center to supplement their government
education.
Somrita sits with her daughter on their porch. In addition to keeping her kids warm, her talents can
provide them with a safety net. Her four children attend public school, and her husband works as a
pharmacy assistant in Missouri.
A forest fire makes its way across the foothills. Burning of trash is not well regulated, and as the tem-
peratures spike towards 120 degrees farenhight the fires were a common occurrence near Thikana.
Photo Essay by
Luna Anna Archey
financial independence, they are able
to gain agency in many other aspects
of their life. ANKURI is such an inviting
and accommodating experience for the
women. It allows them to dip their feet
into the workforce and see what financial
freedom tastes like. Many are inspired for
their children to succeed even further, and
it gives the kids the chance to see how their
mother is empowered by working. This
initiative will help to foster an environment
of independence in the village for the future
generations as well.
The isolation of the community makes
it even more difficult for women to hold a
job. Their husbands are already traveling a
distance to the tourist town of Missouri to
work, which leaves the women at home.
ANKURI is unique because the owner,
Rachna, understands the wool must be
brought to them. Barriers of transportation
already bar them from other work, so with
ANKURI they have one less challenge to
being a working woman and supporting a
family.
These women come from similar
backgrounds,
yet
they
are
diverse
individuals.
However,
many
of
the
environmental factors working against
them are similar. Abusive husbands, lack of
safe job availability, cultural norms, families
that have married them to husbands miles
and miles away, and the pressure of caring
for a family all impact the power they
possess over themselves and their family.
Knitting brings them together, and forms a
community of powerful women.