He connected on FB one day. Just like that. An initial friend request on FB. A visit to the village.
And the beginnings of a lasting friendship, for us, for the village.
And that day. The story of the bags took a turn. Up a steep slope.
The screen printing that the women have mastered is their acheivement alone. And yet, behind the beginnings. Is their friend.
The women were coming to Chennai to learn screen printing, I was caught up with some other commitments. I just called Vignesh on an impulse and asked if he could give two three days to be with them and guide them through the training. Which Narasimhan Sesh had organized for them with his student at no cost. I did not even think about Vignesh's own professional commitments. This was a need and I asked.
He went. And then took complete charge. Through the training. Through their needs post training. Buying all their supplies on his expense, parcelling to them. Going to the village, a 7 hour journey from Chennai, when they were doing their first screen prints to be with them and sort out issues. To figure out details on what to do when the sun played truant and work out a cheap high watt lighting.
The communication between him and the women was perfect though neither did he know Telugu, nor they Tamil.
Many trips later. He and they together mastered the art. Which led the group to a far higher level of performance. As they were able to give customers the logos they needed. In perfection of print and colours.
Now he and the village have their own relationship. They call him and Lavanya up. They go and stay there with them. The women have learnt some Tamil and he and Lavanya have learnt some Telugu.
... there are many more facets to his story.
Eashwaramma, our neighbour in the village, for instance, has her personal bond with Vignesh. The time we were trying to place Sasi, her grandson, somewhere after he dropped out of school, again I asked him if he could go to Dharmapuri with him. He went without a question. And Sasi and his rebellions and the roller coaster ride he took him and everyone else on is another story. A very long story. For which Eashwaramma is eternally grateful to him.
The village has drawn by its own goodness, the best of people to it. Vignesh was the first !
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