Investor trip to India

Courage, Fearless Action and Results - the name of the game "I was afraid when I was elected to the panchayat, but since I have taken the Women's Leadership Workshop, I am fearless. I promise to do everything I can for the 7 villages in my panchayat, and intend to stand for the next panchayat elections." Nagmani, Panchayat President from Gauribidanur Block (Taluka) of Kolar District, Karnataka

In November, a team of 11 investors from Australia and the United States journeyed to Karnataka, India to express our partnership and solidarity with the women who serve on the panchayats (local village councils) in India. Our experience exceeded our wildest expectations. Max Hart from Melbourne, Australia said, "I am taking away a lot more than I came to get."

While in Karnataka, we participated in The Hunger Project's Women's Leadership Workshop (WLW) along with 40 women panchayat leaders, at the training center of one of our partner non-governmental organizations - Women's Liberation and Rehabilitation Society. Over two days we observed the transformation from shy, tongue-tied women to women who spoke fearlessly in front of the Minister of Higher Education. Jayalakshmi, a panchayat leader who took the WLW 18 months ago said to the Minister, "I intend to work hard to accomplish everything that I have taken on, and some day I aspire to sit in the same chair that you are sitting on."

The women expressed their struggles through plays, songs and their personal stories. They learned about their roles as panchayat leaders and created and presented plans of action for their villages in a professional manner. For those women who could not write, they displayed their action plans as beautiful illustrations of their vision for their villages.

We also had the incredible opportunity to visit 4 villages where the women leaders who have taken the WLW have accomplished an amazing amount of work - bringing to their villages clean drinking water, electricity, proper roads, sanitation and the list goes on. All of what we saw gave us a glimpse of a new future for India

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Margaret Wilson, one of the investors from Australia shared, "The spirit of the Indian woman has touched me deeply. That sense of connection with others; it is merely an accident of birth that I am an Australian. I see myself in the Indian women. To have had the opportunity to connect with them has been wonderful. Once someone's spirit is unleashed, anything is possible."

On behalf of the women, men and children of India, I thank you - all the investors of The Hunger Project - for investing your love, commitment and financial resources in us. We will not let you down.

Supriya Banavalikar, Program Associate - South Asia

Hear the recording of the investors speaking on a global conference call after witnessing the Women's Leadership Workshop.

(If you haven't already downloaded and installed a free copy of RealPlayer or RealOne, click here for instructions.)