Its been almost five months since Torchbearers was launched and I was looking back and seeing how much progress have I made. The progress, well is not measurable enough at the moment but I have learnt many valuable lessons.
1) I have observed people are not very open to receive help at an individual level, they suspect some kind of a 'scheme' or a hidden interest and some ulterior motive, example I being paid commission from banks :). They question why do you want to help me ? This has happened on a few occassions.
2) I also observed that a lot of people at the grassroots are looking for security and the entrepreneurial spirit is a survival mechanism. Given a choice many from this group would opt for salaried clerical or class 3 jobs in private and public organizations. They have asked me to help them get jobs -- they want stable jobs not some crappy advice :). There were two painters from Satara, Ganesh and Gyaneshwar, very enterprising guys but wanted stable jobs.
3) I have also read that many people who are recepients of micro-finance use the money to meet their immediate needs rather than start a business. A study conducted on recipients of small loans from Grameen Bank has highlighted this fact.
Well, at this time all I have to say is - I am learning and my journey continues...and there is hope :)
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