Abhayaranya Report on the Test Programme facilitated at Kalyan District Prison in August 2018

An inmate carries aloe vera saplings to be planted in Plot 6 This plot was not part of our original design but one of the inmates enthusiastically prepared the soil by herself and we simply couldnrsquot refuse Aloe vera is has antifungal antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties Women will use it as a natural cure for skin ailments a common occurrence in the prison A report on Abhayaranya - a short programme run for women inmates at Kalyan District prison Abhyaranya was delivered in August 2018 across 7 sessions of roughly 15 - 25 hours each It was attended by 12 regular participants and around 12-15 non-regulars

Important Documents Abhayaranya Plan for Kalyan District Prison (Women inmates) Schedule and material list in Marathi Objectives Report This is the first time Prayas has supported a programme like Abhayaranya which combines elements of environmental skills health awareness and self-work to aim at a wholesome rehabilitation Limitations of the programme The programme is limited in potential impact as far as rehabilitation is concerned Being a short programme of 7 sessions it is impractical to aim for full or even partial rehabilitation of inmates The idea was to test inmates and the prison departmentrsquos response to such a programme The programme is diverse in its offering with sessions on a variety of topics such as reflexology naturopathy and natural remedies healthy soil etc This would be best delivered by subject matter experts however owing to restrictions on number of facilitators and anticipated difficulty in acquiring permissions we limited the number of facilitators to two Another significant limitation affecting the types of activities we could plan was items and materials permitted inside the barracks Fro example we could not carry small sweets or chikki to give as prizes for active participation Given that the facilitators were both women the programme could only be run in the female barracks

The first lesson delivered at Abhayaranya was reconnecting with soil realising our dependence on this resource and the scientifically established benefits of working with soil

Important Documents Abhayaranya Plan for Kalyan District Prison (Women inmates) Schedule and material list in Marathi Objectives Report This is the first time Prayas has supported a programme like Abhayaranya which combines elements of environmental skills health awareness and self-work to aim at a wholesome rehabilitation Limitations of the programme The programme is limited in potential impact as far as rehabilitation is concerned Being a short programme of 7 sessions it is impractical to aim for full or even partial rehabilitation of inmates The idea was to test inmates and the prison departmentrsquos response to such a programme The programme is diverse in its offering with sessions on a variety of topics such as reflexology naturopathy and natural remedies healthy soil etc This would be best delivered by subject matter experts however owing to restrictions on number of facilitators and anticipated difficulty in acquiring permissions we limited the number of facilitators to two Another significant limitation affecting the types of activities we could plan was items and materials permitted inside the barracks Fro example we could not carry small sweets or chikki to give as prizes for active participation Given that the facilitators were both women the programme could only be run in the female barracks

The first lesson delivered at Abhayaranya was reconnecting with soil realising our dependence on this resource and the scientifically established benefits of working with soil

Women add dried cow dung to garden beds to increase soil fertility The programme touched upon a few techniques in organic farming Given more time participants could be more solidly groomed in understanding the need for organic farming and opportunities in the farming sector Objectives To estimate interest of inmates in gardening and environmental related pursuits

Of the approximate 120 inmates in the female barracks around 10-12 regularly attended the programme and were present for in-class sessions as well as practical work in the garden Some of them are women with prior experience in farming We saw greater participation in energizer action songs and garden work or when materials were being distributed

On 3 occasions inmates were given homework which they made an attempt to complete

While we were planting the saplings one of the inmates was called out for her court visit She had to be pried away from the garden where she was hellbent on planting a lime tree

On most days there are competing tasks and sessions - tailoring computer classes prayer sessions lunch being served or court dates When sessions overlapped inmates would become confused over where to go We reasoned that not all inmates saw gardeningfarming as a livelihood option the way they perceived tailoring or computer work

Objective To study the participation of inmates in the three aspects of the programme ie environmental knowledge and skills health awareness and self work Environmental knowledge and skills This was the aspect we focussed on the most Several of the inmates had basic knowledge of farming They knew the practices but lacked the science or reasoning which supported the various ways of doing things For example we focussed strongly on soil in our initial two sessions They are aware that farming can only take place in soil In the sessions the learnt the importance of soil as a resource the health benefits of working with soil and identification of healthy soil Most of them have used DAP or urea in their fields and also chemical pesticides While we were able to introduce them to some techniques in organic agriculture time constraints difficulty in showing short films and limited attention span of the inmates prevented us from going in depth and having debates around non-organic and organic farming We trained the women in composting for instance however they were instructed not to make compost by the jailer who fears it will smell Similarly their ability to carry the garden forward might be limited as they do not have access to garden tools on the inside Being a jail for undertrials means a regular rotation of inmates leaving and new ones arriving This might disturb the cohesiveness of the original group Health awareness This module focussed on natural remedies especially for skin ailments and alternative techniques in health which reduce stress aid bodily functions and improve general mental health and outlook Many of the older women already possessed knowledge of indigenous medicines and the younger women were keen to learn They asked us for copies of the written information on natural remedies including the women who are illiterate who would find others to read it to them The mindful eating exercise was an eye-opener and received strong participation although it is unlikely that they will follow this as most inmates are fed up from eating the same food over and over in prison Although new techniques like basic reflexology was covered and the women enjoyed learning this we have not heard that they are practicing this much Same goes for the mudras These are not entirely new concepts for inmates although they have not regularly practiced this in their lives They have mostly resorted to curative measures for health mostly allopathy and some home remedies It will take a longer and more sustained effort to convince them to adopt preventive measures and practice healthy living

Self-work Of the three feature segments in Abhayaranya self-work was the most interesting to study for the facilitators It is quite likely that the participants have never in the course of their entire life explored their individual identity They may never have been asked for their opinion how they feel or given the space for self-expression Owing to this they were clueless at the start on how to even connect with themselves All feelings for example get grouped under lsquogood feelingrsquo or lsquobad feelingrsquo They are unable to describe any further how an incident or action towards them or something they witness makes them feel In the very first self activity many of them struggled to close their eyes and enjoy a hand massage Being attuned to and owning onersquos most inner pleasures seems difficult as there is no value placed on their feelings From Session 3 onwards we struggled to find the time and space to engage participants The self component took a hit although we still managed a few activities Eventually women became more open about their stories A growing sense of trust and bonding with the facilitators led women to walk up to us and tell us their problems circumstances and yet never be able to say something as concretely as ldquoI have not seen my children in three years I miss them terribly and it makes me wonder if they think about me at allrdquo This kind of articulation of feelings and needs will take sustained well-facilitated self-work in a separate setting We did notice that the participants we worked with seemed to have a general air of cheerfulness by the last session There is enough observation to indicate that an effort in this direction could bring positive changes in the attitudes decision making ability and coping abilities of inmates

Self work and health awareness are key components of the Abhayaranya programme Here women participate in a mindful eating activity that sends an important message home Itrsquos not only what we eat but also how we eat that matters

Objective To occupy inmates in their spare time in a useful pursuit with livelihood possibilities

Result The inmates are generally confined to their barracks for 15 hours a day Due to tailoring classes they had a 3 hour lease We were glad that participating inmates were kept occupied in our session however we felt there was an overload of option as the computer and tailoring classes were running on the same days as our programme We donrsquot know much about inmates spending time in confinement They seemed happy about the initial soil sampling pots and kept these with them in their cells We felt there needed to be more buy-in from prison authorities and Prayas on farming as a livelihood option This will not be established automatically On our part we should have brought in some videos or stories of successful women agri-entrepreneurs A more solid way to establish this conviction is if inmates could for instance grow microgreens which could be marketed during the cycle of the programme We intentionally planted saplings which are useful in treating skin problems as there was a nasty outbreak of fungal infection among the prisoners Objective To assess the attitude of the prison department towards an environmental programme for inmates Result The prison authorities were supportive in allowing us to take in various materials and even garden tools for the programme (running the risk of these being used as weapons) This stands testament to their trust in Prayas as an NGO which has been working in the barracks for years We were allowed to take a laptop in for a session While they supported us by way of permissions allowing us to identify areas for gardening in the compound and supplying us with dry leaves none of the police constables or superintendent took an active interest in the programme They did not visit the garden or proactively ask if any further support is needed We came to accept that the stringent material checks signing in and out of multiple registers and permission process for seemingly minute requirements is simply authorities doing their jobs A general observation is that prison authorities limit their work to functioning of the prison ensuring the safety of prisoners themselves and that all processes are in order The authorities by and large do not consider prison to be an institution for rehabilitation There is more separate effort required in this area There is room for a solid programme in which

Authorities play a more participative role With greater opportunity for sensitization for all stakeholders Which demonstrably connects rehabilitation efforts to lower rates

of recidivism improved health of inmates or any other outcome which supports the working of the criminal justice system

If we were to redesign Abhayaranya it would create more room for involvement of prison authorities Objecutive To estimate the potential and requirements for running a long term programme on eco-based rehabilitation in prison Result In just 7 sessions we are in a much more informed space for redesigning Abhayaranya We have more clarity on partnering prison authorities engaging inmates holding their attention building relations with multiple stakeholders material planning support that can be expected and budgets Abhayaranya has only been run in Kalyan District Prison so far Given that prison superintendents rules inmate profile and attitudes towards programmes for inmates could vary across prisons it is possible that one design may not fit every prison group Planting lemongrass with tulsi (Holy Basil) as companion plants Both herbs can be used for detoxifying the body from within supplementing the plants grown for external application on skin Inmates in open prisons in India are often involved in agriculture In other countries prison gardening programmes such as Insight Garden Programme in Northern California have shown lower recidivism rates Fundraising (An unexpected show of support)

Objective To study the participation of inmates in the three aspects of the programme ie environmental knowledge and skills health awareness and self work Environmental knowledge and skills This was the aspect we focussed on the most Several of the inmates had basic knowledge of farming They knew the practices but lacked the science or reasoning which supported the various ways of doing things For example we focussed strongly on soil in our initial two sessions They are aware that farming can only take place in soil In the sessions the learnt the importance of soil as a resource the health benefits of working with soil and identification of healthy soil Most of them have used DAP or urea in their fields and also chemical pesticides While we were able to introduce them to some techniques in organic agriculture time constraints difficulty in showing short films and limited attention span of the inmates prevented us from going in depth and having debates around non-organic and organic farming We trained the women in composting for instance however they were instructed not to make compost by the jailer who fears it will smell Similarly their ability to carry the garden forward might be limited as they do not have access to garden tools on the inside Being a jail for undertrials means a regular rotation of inmates leaving and new ones arriving This might disturb the cohesiveness of the original group Health awareness This module focussed on natural remedies especially for skin ailments and alternative techniques in health which reduce stress aid bodily functions and improve general mental health and outlook Many of the older women already possessed knowledge of indigenous medicines and the younger women were keen to learn They asked us for copies of the written information on natural remedies including the women who are illiterate who would find others to read it to them The mindful eating exercise was an eye-opener and received strong participation although it is unlikely that they will follow this as most inmates are fed up from eating the same food over and over in prison Although new techniques like basic reflexology was covered and the women enjoyed learning this we have not heard that they are practicing this much Same goes for the mudras These are not entirely new concepts for inmates although they have not regularly practiced this in their lives They have mostly resorted to curative measures for health mostly allopathy and some home remedies It will take a longer and more sustained effort to convince them to adopt preventive measures and practice healthy living

Self-work Of the three feature segments in Abhayaranya self-work was the most interesting to study for the facilitators It is quite likely that the participants have never in the course of their entire life explored their individual identity They may never have been asked for their opinion how they feel or given the space for self-expression Owing to this they were clueless at the start on how to even connect with themselves All feelings for example get grouped under lsquogood feelingrsquo or lsquobad feelingrsquo They are unable to describe any further how an incident or action towards them or something they witness makes them feel In the very first self activity many of them struggled to close their eyes and enjoy a hand massage Being attuned to and owning onersquos most inner pleasures seems difficult as there is no value placed on their feelings From Session 3 onwards we struggled to find the time and space to engage participants The self component took a hit although we still managed a few activities Eventually women became more open about their stories A growing sense of trust and bonding with the facilitators led women to walk up to us and tell us their problems circumstances and yet never be able to say something as concretely as ldquoI have not seen my children in three years I miss them terribly and it makes me wonder if they think about me at allrdquo This kind of articulation of feelings and needs will take sustained well-facilitated self-work in a separate setting We did notice that the participants we worked with seemed to have a general air of cheerfulness by the last session There is enough observation to indicate that an effort in this direction could bring positive changes in the attitudes decision making ability and coping abilities of inmates

Self work and health awareness are key components of the Abhayaranya programme Here women participate in a mindful eating activity that sends an important message home Itrsquos not only what we eat but also how we eat that matters

Objective To occupy inmates in their spare time in a useful pursuit with livelihood possibilities

Result The inmates are generally confined to their barracks for 15 hours a day Due to tailoring classes they had a 3 hour lease We were glad that participating inmates were kept occupied in our session however we felt there was an overload of option as the computer and tailoring classes were running on the same days as our programme We donrsquot know much about inmates spending time in confinement They seemed happy about the initial soil sampling pots and kept these with them in their cells We felt there needed to be more buy-in from prison authorities and Prayas on farming as a livelihood option This will not be established automatically On our part we should have brought in some videos or stories of successful women agri-entrepreneurs A more solid way to establish this conviction is if inmates could for instance grow microgreens which could be marketed during the cycle of the programme We intentionally planted saplings which are useful in treating skin problems as there was a nasty outbreak of fungal infection among the prisoners Objective To assess the attitude of the prison department towards an environmental programme for inmates Result The prison authorities were supportive in allowing us to take in various materials and even garden tools for the programme (running the risk of these being used as weapons) This stands testament to their trust in Prayas as an NGO which has been working in the barracks for years We were allowed to take a laptop in for a session While they supported us by way of permissions allowing us to identify areas for gardening in the compound and supplying us with dry leaves none of the police constables or superintendent took an active interest in the programme They did not visit the garden or proactively ask if any further support is needed We came to accept that the stringent material checks signing in and out of multiple registers and permission process for seemingly minute requirements is simply authorities doing their jobs A general observation is that prison authorities limit their work to functioning of the prison ensuring the safety of prisoners themselves and that all processes are in order The authorities by and large do not consider prison to be an institution for rehabilitation There is more separate effort required in this area There is room for a solid programme in which

Authorities play a more participative role With greater opportunity for sensitization for all stakeholders Which demonstrably connects rehabilitation efforts to lower rates

of recidivism improved health of inmates or any other outcome which supports the working of the criminal justice system

If we were to redesign Abhayaranya it would create more room for involvement of prison authorities Objecutive To estimate the potential and requirements for running a long term programme on eco-based rehabilitation in prison Result In just 7 sessions we are in a much more informed space for redesigning Abhayaranya We have more clarity on partnering prison authorities engaging inmates holding their attention building relations with multiple stakeholders material planning support that can be expected and budgets Abhayaranya has only been run in Kalyan District Prison so far Given that prison superintendents rules inmate profile and attitudes towards programmes for inmates could vary across prisons it is possible that one design may not fit every prison group Planting lemongrass with tulsi (Holy Basil) as companion plants Both herbs can be used for detoxifying the body from within supplementing the plants grown for external application on skin Inmates in open prisons in India are often involved in agriculture In other countries prison gardening programmes such as Insight Garden Programme in Northern California have shown lower recidivism rates Fundraising (An unexpected show of support)

Self-work Of the three feature segments in Abhayaranya self-work was the most interesting to study for the facilitators It is quite likely that the participants have never in the course of their entire life explored their individual identity They may never have been asked for their opinion how they feel or given the space for self-expression Owing to this they were clueless at the start on how to even connect with themselves All feelings for example get grouped under lsquogood feelingrsquo or lsquobad feelingrsquo They are unable to describe any further how an incident or action towards them or something they witness makes them feel In the very first self activity many of them struggled to close their eyes and enjoy a hand massage Being attuned to and owning onersquos most inner pleasures seems difficult as there is no value placed on their feelings From Session 3 onwards we struggled to find the time and space to engage participants The self component took a hit although we still managed a few activities Eventually women became more open about their stories A growing sense of trust and bonding with the facilitators led women to walk up to us and tell us their problems circumstances and yet never be able to say something as concretely as ldquoI have not seen my children in three years I miss them terribly and it makes me wonder if they think about me at allrdquo This kind of articulation of feelings and needs will take sustained well-facilitated self-work in a separate setting We did notice that the participants we worked with seemed to have a general air of cheerfulness by the last session There is enough observation to indicate that an effort in this direction could bring positive changes in the attitudes decision making ability and coping abilities of inmates

Self work and health awareness are key components of the Abhayaranya programme Here women participate in a mindful eating activity that sends an important message home Itrsquos not only what we eat but also how we eat that matters

Objective To occupy inmates in their spare time in a useful pursuit with livelihood possibilities

Result The inmates are generally confined to their barracks for 15 hours a day Due to tailoring classes they had a 3 hour lease We were glad that participating inmates were kept occupied in our session however we felt there was an overload of option as the computer and tailoring classes were running on the same days as our programme We donrsquot know much about inmates spending time in confinement They seemed happy about the initial soil sampling pots and kept these with them in their cells We felt there needed to be more buy-in from prison authorities and Prayas on farming as a livelihood option This will not be established automatically On our part we should have brought in some videos or stories of successful women agri-entrepreneurs A more solid way to establish this conviction is if inmates could for instance grow microgreens which could be marketed during the cycle of the programme We intentionally planted saplings which are useful in treating skin problems as there was a nasty outbreak of fungal infection among the prisoners Objective To assess the attitude of the prison department towards an environmental programme for inmates Result The prison authorities were supportive in allowing us to take in various materials and even garden tools for the programme (running the risk of these being used as weapons) This stands testament to their trust in Prayas as an NGO which has been working in the barracks for years We were allowed to take a laptop in for a session While they supported us by way of permissions allowing us to identify areas for gardening in the compound and supplying us with dry leaves none of the police constables or superintendent took an active interest in the programme They did not visit the garden or proactively ask if any further support is needed We came to accept that the stringent material checks signing in and out of multiple registers and permission process for seemingly minute requirements is simply authorities doing their jobs A general observation is that prison authorities limit their work to functioning of the prison ensuring the safety of prisoners themselves and that all processes are in order The authorities by and large do not consider prison to be an institution for rehabilitation There is more separate effort required in this area There is room for a solid programme in which

Authorities play a more participative role With greater opportunity for sensitization for all stakeholders Which demonstrably connects rehabilitation efforts to lower rates

of recidivism improved health of inmates or any other outcome which supports the working of the criminal justice system

If we were to redesign Abhayaranya it would create more room for involvement of prison authorities Objecutive To estimate the potential and requirements for running a long term programme on eco-based rehabilitation in prison Result In just 7 sessions we are in a much more informed space for redesigning Abhayaranya We have more clarity on partnering prison authorities engaging inmates holding their attention building relations with multiple stakeholders material planning support that can be expected and budgets Abhayaranya has only been run in Kalyan District Prison so far Given that prison superintendents rules inmate profile and attitudes towards programmes for inmates could vary across prisons it is possible that one design may not fit every prison group Planting lemongrass with tulsi (Holy Basil) as companion plants Both herbs can be used for detoxifying the body from within supplementing the plants grown for external application on skin Inmates in open prisons in India are often involved in agriculture In other countries prison gardening programmes such as Insight Garden Programme in Northern California have shown lower recidivism rates Fundraising (An unexpected show of support)

Result The inmates are generally confined to their barracks for 15 hours a day Due to tailoring classes they had a 3 hour lease We were glad that participating inmates were kept occupied in our session however we felt there was an overload of option as the computer and tailoring classes were running on the same days as our programme We donrsquot know much about inmates spending time in confinement They seemed happy about the initial soil sampling pots and kept these with them in their cells We felt there needed to be more buy-in from prison authorities and Prayas on farming as a livelihood option This will not be established automatically On our part we should have brought in some videos or stories of successful women agri-entrepreneurs A more solid way to establish this conviction is if inmates could for instance grow microgreens which could be marketed during the cycle of the programme We intentionally planted saplings which are useful in treating skin problems as there was a nasty outbreak of fungal infection among the prisoners Objective To assess the attitude of the prison department towards an environmental programme for inmates Result The prison authorities were supportive in allowing us to take in various materials and even garden tools for the programme (running the risk of these being used as weapons) This stands testament to their trust in Prayas as an NGO which has been working in the barracks for years We were allowed to take a laptop in for a session While they supported us by way of permissions allowing us to identify areas for gardening in the compound and supplying us with dry leaves none of the police constables or superintendent took an active interest in the programme They did not visit the garden or proactively ask if any further support is needed We came to accept that the stringent material checks signing in and out of multiple registers and permission process for seemingly minute requirements is simply authorities doing their jobs A general observation is that prison authorities limit their work to functioning of the prison ensuring the safety of prisoners themselves and that all processes are in order The authorities by and large do not consider prison to be an institution for rehabilitation There is more separate effort required in this area There is room for a solid programme in which

Authorities play a more participative role With greater opportunity for sensitization for all stakeholders Which demonstrably connects rehabilitation efforts to lower rates

of recidivism improved health of inmates or any other outcome which supports the working of the criminal justice system

If we were to redesign Abhayaranya it would create more room for involvement of prison authorities Objecutive To estimate the potential and requirements for running a long term programme on eco-based rehabilitation in prison Result In just 7 sessions we are in a much more informed space for redesigning Abhayaranya We have more clarity on partnering prison authorities engaging inmates holding their attention building relations with multiple stakeholders material planning support that can be expected and budgets Abhayaranya has only been run in Kalyan District Prison so far Given that prison superintendents rules inmate profile and attitudes towards programmes for inmates could vary across prisons it is possible that one design may not fit every prison group Planting lemongrass with tulsi (Holy Basil) as companion plants Both herbs can be used for detoxifying the body from within supplementing the plants grown for external application on skin Inmates in open prisons in India are often involved in agriculture In other countries prison gardening programmes such as Insight Garden Programme in Northern California have shown lower recidivism rates Fundraising (An unexpected show of support)

Authorities play a more participative role With greater opportunity for sensitization for all stakeholders Which demonstrably connects rehabilitation efforts to lower rates

of recidivism improved health of inmates or any other outcome which supports the working of the criminal justice system

If we were to redesign Abhayaranya it would create more room for involvement of prison authorities Objecutive To estimate the potential and requirements for running a long term programme on eco-based rehabilitation in prison Result In just 7 sessions we are in a much more informed space for redesigning Abhayaranya We have more clarity on partnering prison authorities engaging inmates holding their attention building relations with multiple stakeholders material planning support that can be expected and budgets Abhayaranya has only been run in Kalyan District Prison so far Given that prison superintendents rules inmate profile and attitudes towards programmes for inmates could vary across prisons it is possible that one design may not fit every prison group Planting lemongrass with tulsi (Holy Basil) as companion plants Both herbs can be used for detoxifying the body from within supplementing the plants grown for external application on skin Inmates in open prisons in India are often involved in agriculture In other countries prison gardening programmes such as Insight Garden Programme in Northern California have shown lower recidivism rates Fundraising (An unexpected show of support)

By default we were able to witness a good deal of support both financial ideas and encouragement for the programme This came about from a Facebook post we put up calling for funds It received 84 likes 15 shares and a number of comments Subsequent posts with updates on the programme saw at least 30 likes each Our original post reached a number of people who made contributions in the range of Rs200 to Rs1000 In all we received Rs13800 (Thirteen thousand eight hundred only) from 24 donors Our original ask was for Rs7290- We had to turn down a request to donate from abroad as neither Prayas nor we are FCRA registered The excess funding will be used towards subsequent programmes

For a Session-wise Report which reads like the facilitatorrsquos diary see Annexure 1 Stakeholder Impact

Stakeholder Impact

Inmates - Time spent in new learning amp self exploration - Exploring oneself as a new experience - Enjoyed working in the garden - Sense of achievement and self-fulfillment - Growing their own remedies for skin ailments

Prison Dept - Womenrsquos barrack has a new garden - Natural remedies to supplement allopathic interventions - Jailors seem eager to showcase the photos and garden to Superintendent

Prayas - Pioneered the testing of a new approach in rehabilitation - Got to witness well-planned facilitation of a multi-aspect programme - First crowdfunded programme

Vendors - Vendors include Pathare Nursery seed paper supplier (21 Fools) tempo delivery person - Pathare Nursery was shown (not given) photos of the women working They were moved and donated some radish seeds

Donors - Donors were moved to know about the programme and willingly gave amounts in the range of Rs200-1000 Many wrote positive messages and shared our Facebook post - They indicated that they were proud to give for a unique cause and through our updates they were learning new information about the criminal justice system which they had not pondered before

Facilitators - Able to experience facilitation for a unique group - Have a better understanding about the prison system and inmate profiles than before - Encouraged and enthusiastic to run the next pilot for post-release women undertrials and convicts - Feel positive that the test programme was received well by inmates and Prayas

Participants hold up soil sampling results tested with wheat grains and a trial of methi grown in composted soil These pots were treated no less than children They were kept safely indoors at night played in the sun and rain and brought smiles to the group We asked the inmates to consume the wheat grass and methi shoots It is the only part of the programme where they did not comply Thrive a UK based organization working on a horticultural programme in Her Majestyrsquos Prison Hewell claims that gardening activities can improve overall mental health raise self esteem and instill a sense of responsibility in inmates

Participants hold up soil sampling results tested with wheat grains and a trial of methi grown in composted soil These pots were treated no less than children They were kept safely indoors at night played in the sun and rain and brought smiles to the group We asked the inmates to consume the wheat grass and methi shoots It is the only part of the programme where they did not comply Thrive a UK based organization working on a horticultural programme in Her Majestyrsquos Prison Hewell claims that gardening activities can improve overall mental health raise self esteem and instill a sense of responsibility in inmates

Lessons and Adaptations for Subsequent Cohorts

We were allotted 2 hours per session and 7 sessions in all If the programme could be designed with more sessions or longer duration of sessions we would not need to rush through activities could offer more in-depth and immersive activities and absorb any small unavoidable disruptions to the schedule (such as a lock-down inspection medical check ups etc)

Having seen the change in participantrsquos general mood and increasing openness through a 7 session programme we hypothesise that running Abhayaranya as an ongoing or sustained programme in prison could show better measurable results The programme could be run for convicts first followed by a train the trainer (TOT) after the convict has acquired adequate experience and co-facilitated sessions Abhayaranya trained convicts could be placed in undertrial prisons to run the programme

It took 2-3 sessions for participants and facilitators to build mutuality and trust There could be 2-3 pre-programme ice breaking and bonding sessions between facilitators and participants

A meeting could be organized between participants facilitators and jailors to identify roles in maintaining the garden and support that is feasible

A designated space even a prison cell will do for hosting in-class sessions For the garden a space must be allocated by the prison authorities and should be fenced off to prevent children non-participating inmates and others from entering the garden

Abhayaranya if run over a longer period (12-48 weeks) has a true value for rehabilitation through nature based pursuits The programme should find equality in importance to other prison programmes offering livelihood connect such as tailoring and computer training

Feedback sessions after each programme day and recap and orientation sessions at the start of the day are a must They hold the power to strengthen the offering of the programme

Programme redesign should consider involvement of jailors and senior prison authorities We could organize a group discussion with jailors to understand challenges faced in operating their blocks their issuesconcerns related to Abhayaranya and willingness to support There may emerge ways to address these through the programme

Facilitators as participants in activities

More audio visual material is needed as it has greater potential for teaching by showing building outside world connect and showing success stories as opposed to telling them

Even while the accused are undertrial inmates there is potential for gainful employment through Abhayaranya for example growing and supplying microgreens to nearby stores or restaurants

At the facilitator end there is more research needed on the job opportunities potential salaries etc in sustainable ventures

ldquoYou think the walls closed around these women the day they came to prison But no Many of them have lived repressed lives The walls around them have always been there keeping them from seeing their power in the world Keeping from them the realization that the world resides in them The women I worked with were naturals in the garden Itrsquos no surprise Women are like soil - absorbing nourishing giving birth to life I ask the system give this woman a spade and a sapling She will grow higher than these wallsrdquo

- Ruth Joanne DrsquoCosta Intern at Prayas

Annexure 1 Session-wise ReportThe Facilitators Diary Session 0 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 28th July 2018 Saturday Focus Getting to know the participant group Today was the trial session of Abhayaranya in Kalyan District Prison Overall I would say it went off well with around 10 women sitting through the entire session Kids joined in the song Bajra A few of the women who had originally gathered backed out for this energizer understandably they werenrsquot comfortable dancing A few others joined in and we began with a group of around 20+ women They listened carefully to the benefits of soil and I could tell their interest grew with the reflexology session Reflexology is simple Do-it-Yourself healthcare which might have added to the appeal

Around 10 women partook in the the mud hand massage They seemed to enjoy it Observations which will influence future session planning

Attention span for sitting and listening is low Activities work better

Skin ailments impact a significant number of inmates and also a few children They showed us the affected areas on their skin and seemed desperate in seeking cures Inmates claimed that the medicines they were receiving was not enough or powerful enough to fight off the fungal infections Inmates and Saakshi suspect that tank which has not been cleaned regularly or impure water might be the culprit A hawaldar mentioned that the overcrowding is the reason however the doctor mentioned that the fungal infection is not contagious and better hygiene and personal care could help the situation

Women flow in and out during the session It has to be interesting enough to appeal to them

We could include children wherever possible especially in games and energizers

It is mildly challenging to encourage women to do reflective exercises These will need to be basic short but power packed to encourage them to build emotional strength and seek peace

Dynamics exist within the larger group but these are not very visible at this stage and it is not negatively influencing the programme

One young girl came to me after the session to express gratitude and say she will come to future sessions Others also said they look forward to the 6 upcoming sessions

Some of the women draw beautifully even if they are copying pictures they see in newspapers There is a leaning towards art We can incorporate this into the session

At least 30 of the group has done farming at varying levels of hands on work before

Both lady jailors are pregnant and do not want to move around the inmates too closely especially with the skin problems looming They seem amicable although not very interested in rehabilitation efforts The superintendent was hard to catch hold off

There was a medical camp on the same day as our session We were not informed of this although the health worker Saakshi warned me this is not uncommon and we should be ready for any sort of developments when we arrive to run our session

I have made some basic observations about the space available for gardening in the prison

Being in the prison for a few hours made me question the value I place on freedom The place with its dingy cell blocks grey dilapidated watchtower and high moss covered walls gave off a feeling of depression desolation and hopelessness It is clear that the only intended purpose behind the existence of this jail could be to keep up the process of justice and stow away those who are deemed a threat to society A glimmer of hope for rehabilitation is seen in the few tailoring machines and balwadiactivity shed Session 1 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 03rd August 2018 Monday The first day of the our 6 day workshop went well We did all the activities as per the plan We started off with around 15-17 women but towards the end it was clear that 8-10 women showed keen interest They were eager to learn and also share their knowledge with others The women liked the quiz on home remedies and around 8 women came up

willingly to answer questions Even the ice breaker was fun for them and told up that they are simple people with simple tastes They seem to enjoy activities hence we have accordingly incorporated more lsquodoingrsquo and lsquohands onrsquo elements in our session plan Instructions have to be simple They struggle to process complex details and do not remember much information which is dished out verbally I am not sure how much they will remember but they were keen to learn Madhavi found it difficult to analyze participants level of concentration At times they appeared lost and we asked a few revision questions to gauge their understanding

Activities involving reflection and meditation which are under self component initially seemed like a challenge but around 4 women participated with in a wholesome way a few tried but could not connect entirely or follow all instructions and a sprinkling of participants found it difficult to stay focussed In the end many of them were even said they would go out and practice farming that was very positive They readily volunteered for observer roles in the soil sampling test

We are really looking forward to future sessions as we feel they will come out of their shell more after getting to know us and we need to further our connect with them especially if they are to surrender themselves in the self directed activities We will create more space for Madhavi to interact with participants

The session was held in the shed at the same time that the Balwadi was in class This lead to a clash in the sound from both sessions and created distractions for both groups Next time we can consider running the session in the large hall if possible In preparation for the next session we have mapped out the plots for gardening We spoke with a male officer for tools such as hoes and large shovels which are available although in use for some construction work behind the main barrack We made inquiries at the nursery for tools soil mix plants and transport of materials

Session 2 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 11th August 2018 Saturday Our session was rescheduled on account of the expected bandh on 9th August and word of another programme at the jail on 10th August We saw participation from the same 8-10 women who attended the first session One of them missed out as she wasnrsquot aware we had arrived Madhavi and I decided that the next time more prominent notice must be given to inmates or we can go to the barracks and make ourselves seen The session today focused on specific home remedies and a recap of composting We were thrilled to see that the women had filled out the observation chart for soil samples and they were proud of the growth of wheat in various soils We were able to observe that the clay-like soil (chikkan maati) grains struggled to break the hard surface and growth was stunted Women were engrossed as we went through the list of natural remedies and they eagerly smeared their faces with aloe gel neem and turmeric powder We learned of their resourcefulness when a participant managed to paste green neem leaves to a thick paste using nothing but a small rounded stone There is sufficient proof that inmates relish action songs Being silly gains legitimacy in a group Even the ones who do not prominently perform the actions stand in the circle and sing along We saw an unexpected and surprising reaction to the self directed activity We read statements directed at finding small blessings in onersquos life in jail and asked participants to drop a coloured pebble in a paper bag for every statement that rang true for them for example lsquoSince I have come here someone has helped me when I needed itrsquo In the end I lifted the bag and shook it making the pebbles rattle I said ldquoEach of these represents something good that has happened but as humans we tend on only focus on the negative What if we spent 5 minutes every now and then to count small blessings in our liferdquo Before I could complete saying this they erupted in applause Their

submission to this activity has shown us that they are growing trusting of us in leading them to look within Three matters of concern A few women sit with the group in anticipation of freebies like neem paste and turmeric powder They have no real interest in working on the garden or learning about home remedies One of the above mentioned women slipped away the packet of neem powder We made a fuss and got it back It is a lesson for Madhavi and myself to be more alert and firm in our instructions to the group We should be ready to call out such instances and specify that this behavior is unwelcome With the exception of a few participants women tend to rush us asking for leftover materials like turmeric powder neem paste etc They function in groups and almost lobby to get more for themselves While this behavior is understandable given the unavailability of such items in jail it is detrimental to the cohesiveness of the gardening group we are trying to build We anticipate infighting over produce and are considering ways to address this After the session we stopped y Pathare nursery in Kalyan and placed an order for gardening material In an interesting twist of events a Facebook post I put up calling for funding has yielded 15-16 small donations from different contacts We are close to covering a major portion of the budget for Abhayaranya which is around Rs7290- Aside from the financial support much good wishes and praise for the programme is pouring in This is extremely heartening Session 3 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 13th August 2018 Monday We picked up the material from Pathare Nursery this morning A tempo ferried it to the prison It took around 30-40 minutes to get the necessary permissions and take the material inside The tempo was allowed to drive inside and unload supplies before the womenrsquos barrack main gate

The saplings have been stocked in the computer room The ladies were given an early lunch at 11 am It took a while before they finished eating and the session only began at 1120 am or so We did a quick energizer and making the best of gaps between showers of rain we allotted responsibilities and got about to bed preparation The inmates took up the tools with excitement They started to dig with an energy and purpose we have not seen in previous sessions A few photos could be taken before the camera battery died out A request has been made to have these emailed to Madhavi In all we were able to prepare 3 larger beds and 3 smaller ones by loosening the soil with pick axes (tikav) hoes (fawda) forks and shovels The prison lent us two ghamelas a fawda and a tikav They even collected brown and green leaves which we are grateful for The group mixed some soil cow dung and dry leaves into each bed All of this work was completed in 45-50 minutes A doctor was visiting simultaneously hence a few women were in line to meet with him and unable to attend the session Two new participants joined today after seeing the work being done in the garden A growing group is a sign that the programme is gaining interest Due to lack of time we were unable to complete the health and self components today In order to avoid wasting the detox ingredients we had purchased we crushed tulsi and made the lemon-ginger-mint mixture Today we firmly refused these perks to women who did not participate One of them was upset and muttered at us Madhavi explained that we want to be fair to the ones who worked hard in the garden Inmates have not begun composting as they were informed by a havaldar that the mixture would stink We may have to speak with the police and request them to allow inmates to at least try the composting themselves We learned that one of our participants is HIV+ Irsquom not sure this is information which ought to be shared with us or anyone else as it could lead to the person being treated unfairly Another inmate shared that she is languishing in jail because her husband (who has married for the third time) quashes her bail pleas by intimidatingbuying off her lawyers He is doing this to force her into giving him a divorce which she does not want as she has no other place to go Her parents

live far away in Meerut and they are aging She has two children on the outside Ruth felt that this inmate could benefit greatly from a programme which supports a sense of identity and imparts new skills while facilitating a process of healing and providing financial support Sadly we donrsquot have a programme running yet and she will be in jail for a while it appears Another disturbing reality of running the programme is that the participants may be unable to secure the plants they are growing Much of the produce is likely to be used by other inmates who do not help with garden work or go to the staffconstablescleaners This is disheartening as it defeats the purpose of encouraging them to cultivate in the first place The approving officer asked a police person to set aside a lemongrass sapling for him It is hardly a large amount to gift a sapling for us however we see this as a misuse of authority It should not be considered prudent to take materials as one sees fit especially those which have been bought with a specific purpose in mind This is a reality that we are trying to accept If prison authorities continue to demand produce saplings and materials it could discourage inmates from carrying on their work in the garden Session 4 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 16th August 2018 Thursday Agenda for the day included plantation on the plots we prepared We arrived at the prison at the scheduled time ie 930 am The computer classes had started in the morning and several inmates had registered Computer class ended around 1030 am and women were settling themselves when the food arrived at 11 am Food was being served early as some women had court visits for this day The tailoring class was scheduled at 12 pm Additionally Madhavi had to help out with clicking photos of tailoring students Although she was happy to help this added to the confusion of everything was going on Eventually we began around 1115 am and had to forfeit a few activities for the day as we were short of time After a quick gathering and splitting women into pairs we gave them responsibilities and distributed gardening tools We also distributed saplings as per the design we had in mind The women set about to work It took roughly an hour They loosened the soil and planted the saplings We had extra kadipatta (curryleaf) saplings which were

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

More audio visual material is needed as it has greater potential for teaching by showing building outside world connect and showing success stories as opposed to telling them

Even while the accused are undertrial inmates there is potential for gainful employment through Abhayaranya for example growing and supplying microgreens to nearby stores or restaurants

At the facilitator end there is more research needed on the job opportunities potential salaries etc in sustainable ventures

ldquoYou think the walls closed around these women the day they came to prison But no Many of them have lived repressed lives The walls around them have always been there keeping them from seeing their power in the world Keeping from them the realization that the world resides in them The women I worked with were naturals in the garden Itrsquos no surprise Women are like soil - absorbing nourishing giving birth to life I ask the system give this woman a spade and a sapling She will grow higher than these wallsrdquo

- Ruth Joanne DrsquoCosta Intern at Prayas

Annexure 1 Session-wise ReportThe Facilitators Diary Session 0 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 28th July 2018 Saturday Focus Getting to know the participant group Today was the trial session of Abhayaranya in Kalyan District Prison Overall I would say it went off well with around 10 women sitting through the entire session Kids joined in the song Bajra A few of the women who had originally gathered backed out for this energizer understandably they werenrsquot comfortable dancing A few others joined in and we began with a group of around 20+ women They listened carefully to the benefits of soil and I could tell their interest grew with the reflexology session Reflexology is simple Do-it-Yourself healthcare which might have added to the appeal

Around 10 women partook in the the mud hand massage They seemed to enjoy it Observations which will influence future session planning

Attention span for sitting and listening is low Activities work better

Skin ailments impact a significant number of inmates and also a few children They showed us the affected areas on their skin and seemed desperate in seeking cures Inmates claimed that the medicines they were receiving was not enough or powerful enough to fight off the fungal infections Inmates and Saakshi suspect that tank which has not been cleaned regularly or impure water might be the culprit A hawaldar mentioned that the overcrowding is the reason however the doctor mentioned that the fungal infection is not contagious and better hygiene and personal care could help the situation

Women flow in and out during the session It has to be interesting enough to appeal to them

We could include children wherever possible especially in games and energizers

It is mildly challenging to encourage women to do reflective exercises These will need to be basic short but power packed to encourage them to build emotional strength and seek peace

Dynamics exist within the larger group but these are not very visible at this stage and it is not negatively influencing the programme

One young girl came to me after the session to express gratitude and say she will come to future sessions Others also said they look forward to the 6 upcoming sessions

Some of the women draw beautifully even if they are copying pictures they see in newspapers There is a leaning towards art We can incorporate this into the session

At least 30 of the group has done farming at varying levels of hands on work before

Both lady jailors are pregnant and do not want to move around the inmates too closely especially with the skin problems looming They seem amicable although not very interested in rehabilitation efforts The superintendent was hard to catch hold off

There was a medical camp on the same day as our session We were not informed of this although the health worker Saakshi warned me this is not uncommon and we should be ready for any sort of developments when we arrive to run our session

I have made some basic observations about the space available for gardening in the prison

Being in the prison for a few hours made me question the value I place on freedom The place with its dingy cell blocks grey dilapidated watchtower and high moss covered walls gave off a feeling of depression desolation and hopelessness It is clear that the only intended purpose behind the existence of this jail could be to keep up the process of justice and stow away those who are deemed a threat to society A glimmer of hope for rehabilitation is seen in the few tailoring machines and balwadiactivity shed Session 1 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 03rd August 2018 Monday The first day of the our 6 day workshop went well We did all the activities as per the plan We started off with around 15-17 women but towards the end it was clear that 8-10 women showed keen interest They were eager to learn and also share their knowledge with others The women liked the quiz on home remedies and around 8 women came up

willingly to answer questions Even the ice breaker was fun for them and told up that they are simple people with simple tastes They seem to enjoy activities hence we have accordingly incorporated more lsquodoingrsquo and lsquohands onrsquo elements in our session plan Instructions have to be simple They struggle to process complex details and do not remember much information which is dished out verbally I am not sure how much they will remember but they were keen to learn Madhavi found it difficult to analyze participants level of concentration At times they appeared lost and we asked a few revision questions to gauge their understanding

Activities involving reflection and meditation which are under self component initially seemed like a challenge but around 4 women participated with in a wholesome way a few tried but could not connect entirely or follow all instructions and a sprinkling of participants found it difficult to stay focussed In the end many of them were even said they would go out and practice farming that was very positive They readily volunteered for observer roles in the soil sampling test

We are really looking forward to future sessions as we feel they will come out of their shell more after getting to know us and we need to further our connect with them especially if they are to surrender themselves in the self directed activities We will create more space for Madhavi to interact with participants

The session was held in the shed at the same time that the Balwadi was in class This lead to a clash in the sound from both sessions and created distractions for both groups Next time we can consider running the session in the large hall if possible In preparation for the next session we have mapped out the plots for gardening We spoke with a male officer for tools such as hoes and large shovels which are available although in use for some construction work behind the main barrack We made inquiries at the nursery for tools soil mix plants and transport of materials

Session 2 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 11th August 2018 Saturday Our session was rescheduled on account of the expected bandh on 9th August and word of another programme at the jail on 10th August We saw participation from the same 8-10 women who attended the first session One of them missed out as she wasnrsquot aware we had arrived Madhavi and I decided that the next time more prominent notice must be given to inmates or we can go to the barracks and make ourselves seen The session today focused on specific home remedies and a recap of composting We were thrilled to see that the women had filled out the observation chart for soil samples and they were proud of the growth of wheat in various soils We were able to observe that the clay-like soil (chikkan maati) grains struggled to break the hard surface and growth was stunted Women were engrossed as we went through the list of natural remedies and they eagerly smeared their faces with aloe gel neem and turmeric powder We learned of their resourcefulness when a participant managed to paste green neem leaves to a thick paste using nothing but a small rounded stone There is sufficient proof that inmates relish action songs Being silly gains legitimacy in a group Even the ones who do not prominently perform the actions stand in the circle and sing along We saw an unexpected and surprising reaction to the self directed activity We read statements directed at finding small blessings in onersquos life in jail and asked participants to drop a coloured pebble in a paper bag for every statement that rang true for them for example lsquoSince I have come here someone has helped me when I needed itrsquo In the end I lifted the bag and shook it making the pebbles rattle I said ldquoEach of these represents something good that has happened but as humans we tend on only focus on the negative What if we spent 5 minutes every now and then to count small blessings in our liferdquo Before I could complete saying this they erupted in applause Their

submission to this activity has shown us that they are growing trusting of us in leading them to look within Three matters of concern A few women sit with the group in anticipation of freebies like neem paste and turmeric powder They have no real interest in working on the garden or learning about home remedies One of the above mentioned women slipped away the packet of neem powder We made a fuss and got it back It is a lesson for Madhavi and myself to be more alert and firm in our instructions to the group We should be ready to call out such instances and specify that this behavior is unwelcome With the exception of a few participants women tend to rush us asking for leftover materials like turmeric powder neem paste etc They function in groups and almost lobby to get more for themselves While this behavior is understandable given the unavailability of such items in jail it is detrimental to the cohesiveness of the gardening group we are trying to build We anticipate infighting over produce and are considering ways to address this After the session we stopped y Pathare nursery in Kalyan and placed an order for gardening material In an interesting twist of events a Facebook post I put up calling for funding has yielded 15-16 small donations from different contacts We are close to covering a major portion of the budget for Abhayaranya which is around Rs7290- Aside from the financial support much good wishes and praise for the programme is pouring in This is extremely heartening Session 3 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 13th August 2018 Monday We picked up the material from Pathare Nursery this morning A tempo ferried it to the prison It took around 30-40 minutes to get the necessary permissions and take the material inside The tempo was allowed to drive inside and unload supplies before the womenrsquos barrack main gate

The saplings have been stocked in the computer room The ladies were given an early lunch at 11 am It took a while before they finished eating and the session only began at 1120 am or so We did a quick energizer and making the best of gaps between showers of rain we allotted responsibilities and got about to bed preparation The inmates took up the tools with excitement They started to dig with an energy and purpose we have not seen in previous sessions A few photos could be taken before the camera battery died out A request has been made to have these emailed to Madhavi In all we were able to prepare 3 larger beds and 3 smaller ones by loosening the soil with pick axes (tikav) hoes (fawda) forks and shovels The prison lent us two ghamelas a fawda and a tikav They even collected brown and green leaves which we are grateful for The group mixed some soil cow dung and dry leaves into each bed All of this work was completed in 45-50 minutes A doctor was visiting simultaneously hence a few women were in line to meet with him and unable to attend the session Two new participants joined today after seeing the work being done in the garden A growing group is a sign that the programme is gaining interest Due to lack of time we were unable to complete the health and self components today In order to avoid wasting the detox ingredients we had purchased we crushed tulsi and made the lemon-ginger-mint mixture Today we firmly refused these perks to women who did not participate One of them was upset and muttered at us Madhavi explained that we want to be fair to the ones who worked hard in the garden Inmates have not begun composting as they were informed by a havaldar that the mixture would stink We may have to speak with the police and request them to allow inmates to at least try the composting themselves We learned that one of our participants is HIV+ Irsquom not sure this is information which ought to be shared with us or anyone else as it could lead to the person being treated unfairly Another inmate shared that she is languishing in jail because her husband (who has married for the third time) quashes her bail pleas by intimidatingbuying off her lawyers He is doing this to force her into giving him a divorce which she does not want as she has no other place to go Her parents

live far away in Meerut and they are aging She has two children on the outside Ruth felt that this inmate could benefit greatly from a programme which supports a sense of identity and imparts new skills while facilitating a process of healing and providing financial support Sadly we donrsquot have a programme running yet and she will be in jail for a while it appears Another disturbing reality of running the programme is that the participants may be unable to secure the plants they are growing Much of the produce is likely to be used by other inmates who do not help with garden work or go to the staffconstablescleaners This is disheartening as it defeats the purpose of encouraging them to cultivate in the first place The approving officer asked a police person to set aside a lemongrass sapling for him It is hardly a large amount to gift a sapling for us however we see this as a misuse of authority It should not be considered prudent to take materials as one sees fit especially those which have been bought with a specific purpose in mind This is a reality that we are trying to accept If prison authorities continue to demand produce saplings and materials it could discourage inmates from carrying on their work in the garden Session 4 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 16th August 2018 Thursday Agenda for the day included plantation on the plots we prepared We arrived at the prison at the scheduled time ie 930 am The computer classes had started in the morning and several inmates had registered Computer class ended around 1030 am and women were settling themselves when the food arrived at 11 am Food was being served early as some women had court visits for this day The tailoring class was scheduled at 12 pm Additionally Madhavi had to help out with clicking photos of tailoring students Although she was happy to help this added to the confusion of everything was going on Eventually we began around 1115 am and had to forfeit a few activities for the day as we were short of time After a quick gathering and splitting women into pairs we gave them responsibilities and distributed gardening tools We also distributed saplings as per the design we had in mind The women set about to work It took roughly an hour They loosened the soil and planted the saplings We had extra kadipatta (curryleaf) saplings which were

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

ldquoYou think the walls closed around these women the day they came to prison But no Many of them have lived repressed lives The walls around them have always been there keeping them from seeing their power in the world Keeping from them the realization that the world resides in them The women I worked with were naturals in the garden Itrsquos no surprise Women are like soil - absorbing nourishing giving birth to life I ask the system give this woman a spade and a sapling She will grow higher than these wallsrdquo

- Ruth Joanne DrsquoCosta Intern at Prayas

Annexure 1 Session-wise ReportThe Facilitators Diary Session 0 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 28th July 2018 Saturday Focus Getting to know the participant group Today was the trial session of Abhayaranya in Kalyan District Prison Overall I would say it went off well with around 10 women sitting through the entire session Kids joined in the song Bajra A few of the women who had originally gathered backed out for this energizer understandably they werenrsquot comfortable dancing A few others joined in and we began with a group of around 20+ women They listened carefully to the benefits of soil and I could tell their interest grew with the reflexology session Reflexology is simple Do-it-Yourself healthcare which might have added to the appeal

Around 10 women partook in the the mud hand massage They seemed to enjoy it Observations which will influence future session planning

Attention span for sitting and listening is low Activities work better

Skin ailments impact a significant number of inmates and also a few children They showed us the affected areas on their skin and seemed desperate in seeking cures Inmates claimed that the medicines they were receiving was not enough or powerful enough to fight off the fungal infections Inmates and Saakshi suspect that tank which has not been cleaned regularly or impure water might be the culprit A hawaldar mentioned that the overcrowding is the reason however the doctor mentioned that the fungal infection is not contagious and better hygiene and personal care could help the situation

Women flow in and out during the session It has to be interesting enough to appeal to them

We could include children wherever possible especially in games and energizers

It is mildly challenging to encourage women to do reflective exercises These will need to be basic short but power packed to encourage them to build emotional strength and seek peace

Dynamics exist within the larger group but these are not very visible at this stage and it is not negatively influencing the programme

One young girl came to me after the session to express gratitude and say she will come to future sessions Others also said they look forward to the 6 upcoming sessions

Some of the women draw beautifully even if they are copying pictures they see in newspapers There is a leaning towards art We can incorporate this into the session

At least 30 of the group has done farming at varying levels of hands on work before

Both lady jailors are pregnant and do not want to move around the inmates too closely especially with the skin problems looming They seem amicable although not very interested in rehabilitation efforts The superintendent was hard to catch hold off

There was a medical camp on the same day as our session We were not informed of this although the health worker Saakshi warned me this is not uncommon and we should be ready for any sort of developments when we arrive to run our session

I have made some basic observations about the space available for gardening in the prison

Being in the prison for a few hours made me question the value I place on freedom The place with its dingy cell blocks grey dilapidated watchtower and high moss covered walls gave off a feeling of depression desolation and hopelessness It is clear that the only intended purpose behind the existence of this jail could be to keep up the process of justice and stow away those who are deemed a threat to society A glimmer of hope for rehabilitation is seen in the few tailoring machines and balwadiactivity shed Session 1 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 03rd August 2018 Monday The first day of the our 6 day workshop went well We did all the activities as per the plan We started off with around 15-17 women but towards the end it was clear that 8-10 women showed keen interest They were eager to learn and also share their knowledge with others The women liked the quiz on home remedies and around 8 women came up

willingly to answer questions Even the ice breaker was fun for them and told up that they are simple people with simple tastes They seem to enjoy activities hence we have accordingly incorporated more lsquodoingrsquo and lsquohands onrsquo elements in our session plan Instructions have to be simple They struggle to process complex details and do not remember much information which is dished out verbally I am not sure how much they will remember but they were keen to learn Madhavi found it difficult to analyze participants level of concentration At times they appeared lost and we asked a few revision questions to gauge their understanding

Activities involving reflection and meditation which are under self component initially seemed like a challenge but around 4 women participated with in a wholesome way a few tried but could not connect entirely or follow all instructions and a sprinkling of participants found it difficult to stay focussed In the end many of them were even said they would go out and practice farming that was very positive They readily volunteered for observer roles in the soil sampling test

We are really looking forward to future sessions as we feel they will come out of their shell more after getting to know us and we need to further our connect with them especially if they are to surrender themselves in the self directed activities We will create more space for Madhavi to interact with participants

The session was held in the shed at the same time that the Balwadi was in class This lead to a clash in the sound from both sessions and created distractions for both groups Next time we can consider running the session in the large hall if possible In preparation for the next session we have mapped out the plots for gardening We spoke with a male officer for tools such as hoes and large shovels which are available although in use for some construction work behind the main barrack We made inquiries at the nursery for tools soil mix plants and transport of materials

Session 2 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 11th August 2018 Saturday Our session was rescheduled on account of the expected bandh on 9th August and word of another programme at the jail on 10th August We saw participation from the same 8-10 women who attended the first session One of them missed out as she wasnrsquot aware we had arrived Madhavi and I decided that the next time more prominent notice must be given to inmates or we can go to the barracks and make ourselves seen The session today focused on specific home remedies and a recap of composting We were thrilled to see that the women had filled out the observation chart for soil samples and they were proud of the growth of wheat in various soils We were able to observe that the clay-like soil (chikkan maati) grains struggled to break the hard surface and growth was stunted Women were engrossed as we went through the list of natural remedies and they eagerly smeared their faces with aloe gel neem and turmeric powder We learned of their resourcefulness when a participant managed to paste green neem leaves to a thick paste using nothing but a small rounded stone There is sufficient proof that inmates relish action songs Being silly gains legitimacy in a group Even the ones who do not prominently perform the actions stand in the circle and sing along We saw an unexpected and surprising reaction to the self directed activity We read statements directed at finding small blessings in onersquos life in jail and asked participants to drop a coloured pebble in a paper bag for every statement that rang true for them for example lsquoSince I have come here someone has helped me when I needed itrsquo In the end I lifted the bag and shook it making the pebbles rattle I said ldquoEach of these represents something good that has happened but as humans we tend on only focus on the negative What if we spent 5 minutes every now and then to count small blessings in our liferdquo Before I could complete saying this they erupted in applause Their

submission to this activity has shown us that they are growing trusting of us in leading them to look within Three matters of concern A few women sit with the group in anticipation of freebies like neem paste and turmeric powder They have no real interest in working on the garden or learning about home remedies One of the above mentioned women slipped away the packet of neem powder We made a fuss and got it back It is a lesson for Madhavi and myself to be more alert and firm in our instructions to the group We should be ready to call out such instances and specify that this behavior is unwelcome With the exception of a few participants women tend to rush us asking for leftover materials like turmeric powder neem paste etc They function in groups and almost lobby to get more for themselves While this behavior is understandable given the unavailability of such items in jail it is detrimental to the cohesiveness of the gardening group we are trying to build We anticipate infighting over produce and are considering ways to address this After the session we stopped y Pathare nursery in Kalyan and placed an order for gardening material In an interesting twist of events a Facebook post I put up calling for funding has yielded 15-16 small donations from different contacts We are close to covering a major portion of the budget for Abhayaranya which is around Rs7290- Aside from the financial support much good wishes and praise for the programme is pouring in This is extremely heartening Session 3 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 13th August 2018 Monday We picked up the material from Pathare Nursery this morning A tempo ferried it to the prison It took around 30-40 minutes to get the necessary permissions and take the material inside The tempo was allowed to drive inside and unload supplies before the womenrsquos barrack main gate

The saplings have been stocked in the computer room The ladies were given an early lunch at 11 am It took a while before they finished eating and the session only began at 1120 am or so We did a quick energizer and making the best of gaps between showers of rain we allotted responsibilities and got about to bed preparation The inmates took up the tools with excitement They started to dig with an energy and purpose we have not seen in previous sessions A few photos could be taken before the camera battery died out A request has been made to have these emailed to Madhavi In all we were able to prepare 3 larger beds and 3 smaller ones by loosening the soil with pick axes (tikav) hoes (fawda) forks and shovels The prison lent us two ghamelas a fawda and a tikav They even collected brown and green leaves which we are grateful for The group mixed some soil cow dung and dry leaves into each bed All of this work was completed in 45-50 minutes A doctor was visiting simultaneously hence a few women were in line to meet with him and unable to attend the session Two new participants joined today after seeing the work being done in the garden A growing group is a sign that the programme is gaining interest Due to lack of time we were unable to complete the health and self components today In order to avoid wasting the detox ingredients we had purchased we crushed tulsi and made the lemon-ginger-mint mixture Today we firmly refused these perks to women who did not participate One of them was upset and muttered at us Madhavi explained that we want to be fair to the ones who worked hard in the garden Inmates have not begun composting as they were informed by a havaldar that the mixture would stink We may have to speak with the police and request them to allow inmates to at least try the composting themselves We learned that one of our participants is HIV+ Irsquom not sure this is information which ought to be shared with us or anyone else as it could lead to the person being treated unfairly Another inmate shared that she is languishing in jail because her husband (who has married for the third time) quashes her bail pleas by intimidatingbuying off her lawyers He is doing this to force her into giving him a divorce which she does not want as she has no other place to go Her parents

live far away in Meerut and they are aging She has two children on the outside Ruth felt that this inmate could benefit greatly from a programme which supports a sense of identity and imparts new skills while facilitating a process of healing and providing financial support Sadly we donrsquot have a programme running yet and she will be in jail for a while it appears Another disturbing reality of running the programme is that the participants may be unable to secure the plants they are growing Much of the produce is likely to be used by other inmates who do not help with garden work or go to the staffconstablescleaners This is disheartening as it defeats the purpose of encouraging them to cultivate in the first place The approving officer asked a police person to set aside a lemongrass sapling for him It is hardly a large amount to gift a sapling for us however we see this as a misuse of authority It should not be considered prudent to take materials as one sees fit especially those which have been bought with a specific purpose in mind This is a reality that we are trying to accept If prison authorities continue to demand produce saplings and materials it could discourage inmates from carrying on their work in the garden Session 4 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 16th August 2018 Thursday Agenda for the day included plantation on the plots we prepared We arrived at the prison at the scheduled time ie 930 am The computer classes had started in the morning and several inmates had registered Computer class ended around 1030 am and women were settling themselves when the food arrived at 11 am Food was being served early as some women had court visits for this day The tailoring class was scheduled at 12 pm Additionally Madhavi had to help out with clicking photos of tailoring students Although she was happy to help this added to the confusion of everything was going on Eventually we began around 1115 am and had to forfeit a few activities for the day as we were short of time After a quick gathering and splitting women into pairs we gave them responsibilities and distributed gardening tools We also distributed saplings as per the design we had in mind The women set about to work It took roughly an hour They loosened the soil and planted the saplings We had extra kadipatta (curryleaf) saplings which were

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

Annexure 1 Session-wise ReportThe Facilitators Diary Session 0 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 28th July 2018 Saturday Focus Getting to know the participant group Today was the trial session of Abhayaranya in Kalyan District Prison Overall I would say it went off well with around 10 women sitting through the entire session Kids joined in the song Bajra A few of the women who had originally gathered backed out for this energizer understandably they werenrsquot comfortable dancing A few others joined in and we began with a group of around 20+ women They listened carefully to the benefits of soil and I could tell their interest grew with the reflexology session Reflexology is simple Do-it-Yourself healthcare which might have added to the appeal

Around 10 women partook in the the mud hand massage They seemed to enjoy it Observations which will influence future session planning

Attention span for sitting and listening is low Activities work better

Skin ailments impact a significant number of inmates and also a few children They showed us the affected areas on their skin and seemed desperate in seeking cures Inmates claimed that the medicines they were receiving was not enough or powerful enough to fight off the fungal infections Inmates and Saakshi suspect that tank which has not been cleaned regularly or impure water might be the culprit A hawaldar mentioned that the overcrowding is the reason however the doctor mentioned that the fungal infection is not contagious and better hygiene and personal care could help the situation

Women flow in and out during the session It has to be interesting enough to appeal to them

We could include children wherever possible especially in games and energizers

It is mildly challenging to encourage women to do reflective exercises These will need to be basic short but power packed to encourage them to build emotional strength and seek peace

Dynamics exist within the larger group but these are not very visible at this stage and it is not negatively influencing the programme

One young girl came to me after the session to express gratitude and say she will come to future sessions Others also said they look forward to the 6 upcoming sessions

Some of the women draw beautifully even if they are copying pictures they see in newspapers There is a leaning towards art We can incorporate this into the session

At least 30 of the group has done farming at varying levels of hands on work before

Both lady jailors are pregnant and do not want to move around the inmates too closely especially with the skin problems looming They seem amicable although not very interested in rehabilitation efforts The superintendent was hard to catch hold off

There was a medical camp on the same day as our session We were not informed of this although the health worker Saakshi warned me this is not uncommon and we should be ready for any sort of developments when we arrive to run our session

I have made some basic observations about the space available for gardening in the prison

Being in the prison for a few hours made me question the value I place on freedom The place with its dingy cell blocks grey dilapidated watchtower and high moss covered walls gave off a feeling of depression desolation and hopelessness It is clear that the only intended purpose behind the existence of this jail could be to keep up the process of justice and stow away those who are deemed a threat to society A glimmer of hope for rehabilitation is seen in the few tailoring machines and balwadiactivity shed Session 1 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 03rd August 2018 Monday The first day of the our 6 day workshop went well We did all the activities as per the plan We started off with around 15-17 women but towards the end it was clear that 8-10 women showed keen interest They were eager to learn and also share their knowledge with others The women liked the quiz on home remedies and around 8 women came up

willingly to answer questions Even the ice breaker was fun for them and told up that they are simple people with simple tastes They seem to enjoy activities hence we have accordingly incorporated more lsquodoingrsquo and lsquohands onrsquo elements in our session plan Instructions have to be simple They struggle to process complex details and do not remember much information which is dished out verbally I am not sure how much they will remember but they were keen to learn Madhavi found it difficult to analyze participants level of concentration At times they appeared lost and we asked a few revision questions to gauge their understanding

Activities involving reflection and meditation which are under self component initially seemed like a challenge but around 4 women participated with in a wholesome way a few tried but could not connect entirely or follow all instructions and a sprinkling of participants found it difficult to stay focussed In the end many of them were even said they would go out and practice farming that was very positive They readily volunteered for observer roles in the soil sampling test

We are really looking forward to future sessions as we feel they will come out of their shell more after getting to know us and we need to further our connect with them especially if they are to surrender themselves in the self directed activities We will create more space for Madhavi to interact with participants

The session was held in the shed at the same time that the Balwadi was in class This lead to a clash in the sound from both sessions and created distractions for both groups Next time we can consider running the session in the large hall if possible In preparation for the next session we have mapped out the plots for gardening We spoke with a male officer for tools such as hoes and large shovels which are available although in use for some construction work behind the main barrack We made inquiries at the nursery for tools soil mix plants and transport of materials

Session 2 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 11th August 2018 Saturday Our session was rescheduled on account of the expected bandh on 9th August and word of another programme at the jail on 10th August We saw participation from the same 8-10 women who attended the first session One of them missed out as she wasnrsquot aware we had arrived Madhavi and I decided that the next time more prominent notice must be given to inmates or we can go to the barracks and make ourselves seen The session today focused on specific home remedies and a recap of composting We were thrilled to see that the women had filled out the observation chart for soil samples and they were proud of the growth of wheat in various soils We were able to observe that the clay-like soil (chikkan maati) grains struggled to break the hard surface and growth was stunted Women were engrossed as we went through the list of natural remedies and they eagerly smeared their faces with aloe gel neem and turmeric powder We learned of their resourcefulness when a participant managed to paste green neem leaves to a thick paste using nothing but a small rounded stone There is sufficient proof that inmates relish action songs Being silly gains legitimacy in a group Even the ones who do not prominently perform the actions stand in the circle and sing along We saw an unexpected and surprising reaction to the self directed activity We read statements directed at finding small blessings in onersquos life in jail and asked participants to drop a coloured pebble in a paper bag for every statement that rang true for them for example lsquoSince I have come here someone has helped me when I needed itrsquo In the end I lifted the bag and shook it making the pebbles rattle I said ldquoEach of these represents something good that has happened but as humans we tend on only focus on the negative What if we spent 5 minutes every now and then to count small blessings in our liferdquo Before I could complete saying this they erupted in applause Their

submission to this activity has shown us that they are growing trusting of us in leading them to look within Three matters of concern A few women sit with the group in anticipation of freebies like neem paste and turmeric powder They have no real interest in working on the garden or learning about home remedies One of the above mentioned women slipped away the packet of neem powder We made a fuss and got it back It is a lesson for Madhavi and myself to be more alert and firm in our instructions to the group We should be ready to call out such instances and specify that this behavior is unwelcome With the exception of a few participants women tend to rush us asking for leftover materials like turmeric powder neem paste etc They function in groups and almost lobby to get more for themselves While this behavior is understandable given the unavailability of such items in jail it is detrimental to the cohesiveness of the gardening group we are trying to build We anticipate infighting over produce and are considering ways to address this After the session we stopped y Pathare nursery in Kalyan and placed an order for gardening material In an interesting twist of events a Facebook post I put up calling for funding has yielded 15-16 small donations from different contacts We are close to covering a major portion of the budget for Abhayaranya which is around Rs7290- Aside from the financial support much good wishes and praise for the programme is pouring in This is extremely heartening Session 3 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 13th August 2018 Monday We picked up the material from Pathare Nursery this morning A tempo ferried it to the prison It took around 30-40 minutes to get the necessary permissions and take the material inside The tempo was allowed to drive inside and unload supplies before the womenrsquos barrack main gate

The saplings have been stocked in the computer room The ladies were given an early lunch at 11 am It took a while before they finished eating and the session only began at 1120 am or so We did a quick energizer and making the best of gaps between showers of rain we allotted responsibilities and got about to bed preparation The inmates took up the tools with excitement They started to dig with an energy and purpose we have not seen in previous sessions A few photos could be taken before the camera battery died out A request has been made to have these emailed to Madhavi In all we were able to prepare 3 larger beds and 3 smaller ones by loosening the soil with pick axes (tikav) hoes (fawda) forks and shovels The prison lent us two ghamelas a fawda and a tikav They even collected brown and green leaves which we are grateful for The group mixed some soil cow dung and dry leaves into each bed All of this work was completed in 45-50 minutes A doctor was visiting simultaneously hence a few women were in line to meet with him and unable to attend the session Two new participants joined today after seeing the work being done in the garden A growing group is a sign that the programme is gaining interest Due to lack of time we were unable to complete the health and self components today In order to avoid wasting the detox ingredients we had purchased we crushed tulsi and made the lemon-ginger-mint mixture Today we firmly refused these perks to women who did not participate One of them was upset and muttered at us Madhavi explained that we want to be fair to the ones who worked hard in the garden Inmates have not begun composting as they were informed by a havaldar that the mixture would stink We may have to speak with the police and request them to allow inmates to at least try the composting themselves We learned that one of our participants is HIV+ Irsquom not sure this is information which ought to be shared with us or anyone else as it could lead to the person being treated unfairly Another inmate shared that she is languishing in jail because her husband (who has married for the third time) quashes her bail pleas by intimidatingbuying off her lawyers He is doing this to force her into giving him a divorce which she does not want as she has no other place to go Her parents

live far away in Meerut and they are aging She has two children on the outside Ruth felt that this inmate could benefit greatly from a programme which supports a sense of identity and imparts new skills while facilitating a process of healing and providing financial support Sadly we donrsquot have a programme running yet and she will be in jail for a while it appears Another disturbing reality of running the programme is that the participants may be unable to secure the plants they are growing Much of the produce is likely to be used by other inmates who do not help with garden work or go to the staffconstablescleaners This is disheartening as it defeats the purpose of encouraging them to cultivate in the first place The approving officer asked a police person to set aside a lemongrass sapling for him It is hardly a large amount to gift a sapling for us however we see this as a misuse of authority It should not be considered prudent to take materials as one sees fit especially those which have been bought with a specific purpose in mind This is a reality that we are trying to accept If prison authorities continue to demand produce saplings and materials it could discourage inmates from carrying on their work in the garden Session 4 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 16th August 2018 Thursday Agenda for the day included plantation on the plots we prepared We arrived at the prison at the scheduled time ie 930 am The computer classes had started in the morning and several inmates had registered Computer class ended around 1030 am and women were settling themselves when the food arrived at 11 am Food was being served early as some women had court visits for this day The tailoring class was scheduled at 12 pm Additionally Madhavi had to help out with clicking photos of tailoring students Although she was happy to help this added to the confusion of everything was going on Eventually we began around 1115 am and had to forfeit a few activities for the day as we were short of time After a quick gathering and splitting women into pairs we gave them responsibilities and distributed gardening tools We also distributed saplings as per the design we had in mind The women set about to work It took roughly an hour They loosened the soil and planted the saplings We had extra kadipatta (curryleaf) saplings which were

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

Dynamics exist within the larger group but these are not very visible at this stage and it is not negatively influencing the programme

One young girl came to me after the session to express gratitude and say she will come to future sessions Others also said they look forward to the 6 upcoming sessions

Some of the women draw beautifully even if they are copying pictures they see in newspapers There is a leaning towards art We can incorporate this into the session

At least 30 of the group has done farming at varying levels of hands on work before

Both lady jailors are pregnant and do not want to move around the inmates too closely especially with the skin problems looming They seem amicable although not very interested in rehabilitation efforts The superintendent was hard to catch hold off

There was a medical camp on the same day as our session We were not informed of this although the health worker Saakshi warned me this is not uncommon and we should be ready for any sort of developments when we arrive to run our session

I have made some basic observations about the space available for gardening in the prison

Being in the prison for a few hours made me question the value I place on freedom The place with its dingy cell blocks grey dilapidated watchtower and high moss covered walls gave off a feeling of depression desolation and hopelessness It is clear that the only intended purpose behind the existence of this jail could be to keep up the process of justice and stow away those who are deemed a threat to society A glimmer of hope for rehabilitation is seen in the few tailoring machines and balwadiactivity shed Session 1 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 03rd August 2018 Monday The first day of the our 6 day workshop went well We did all the activities as per the plan We started off with around 15-17 women but towards the end it was clear that 8-10 women showed keen interest They were eager to learn and also share their knowledge with others The women liked the quiz on home remedies and around 8 women came up

willingly to answer questions Even the ice breaker was fun for them and told up that they are simple people with simple tastes They seem to enjoy activities hence we have accordingly incorporated more lsquodoingrsquo and lsquohands onrsquo elements in our session plan Instructions have to be simple They struggle to process complex details and do not remember much information which is dished out verbally I am not sure how much they will remember but they were keen to learn Madhavi found it difficult to analyze participants level of concentration At times they appeared lost and we asked a few revision questions to gauge their understanding

Activities involving reflection and meditation which are under self component initially seemed like a challenge but around 4 women participated with in a wholesome way a few tried but could not connect entirely or follow all instructions and a sprinkling of participants found it difficult to stay focussed In the end many of them were even said they would go out and practice farming that was very positive They readily volunteered for observer roles in the soil sampling test

We are really looking forward to future sessions as we feel they will come out of their shell more after getting to know us and we need to further our connect with them especially if they are to surrender themselves in the self directed activities We will create more space for Madhavi to interact with participants

The session was held in the shed at the same time that the Balwadi was in class This lead to a clash in the sound from both sessions and created distractions for both groups Next time we can consider running the session in the large hall if possible In preparation for the next session we have mapped out the plots for gardening We spoke with a male officer for tools such as hoes and large shovels which are available although in use for some construction work behind the main barrack We made inquiries at the nursery for tools soil mix plants and transport of materials

Session 2 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 11th August 2018 Saturday Our session was rescheduled on account of the expected bandh on 9th August and word of another programme at the jail on 10th August We saw participation from the same 8-10 women who attended the first session One of them missed out as she wasnrsquot aware we had arrived Madhavi and I decided that the next time more prominent notice must be given to inmates or we can go to the barracks and make ourselves seen The session today focused on specific home remedies and a recap of composting We were thrilled to see that the women had filled out the observation chart for soil samples and they were proud of the growth of wheat in various soils We were able to observe that the clay-like soil (chikkan maati) grains struggled to break the hard surface and growth was stunted Women were engrossed as we went through the list of natural remedies and they eagerly smeared their faces with aloe gel neem and turmeric powder We learned of their resourcefulness when a participant managed to paste green neem leaves to a thick paste using nothing but a small rounded stone There is sufficient proof that inmates relish action songs Being silly gains legitimacy in a group Even the ones who do not prominently perform the actions stand in the circle and sing along We saw an unexpected and surprising reaction to the self directed activity We read statements directed at finding small blessings in onersquos life in jail and asked participants to drop a coloured pebble in a paper bag for every statement that rang true for them for example lsquoSince I have come here someone has helped me when I needed itrsquo In the end I lifted the bag and shook it making the pebbles rattle I said ldquoEach of these represents something good that has happened but as humans we tend on only focus on the negative What if we spent 5 minutes every now and then to count small blessings in our liferdquo Before I could complete saying this they erupted in applause Their

submission to this activity has shown us that they are growing trusting of us in leading them to look within Three matters of concern A few women sit with the group in anticipation of freebies like neem paste and turmeric powder They have no real interest in working on the garden or learning about home remedies One of the above mentioned women slipped away the packet of neem powder We made a fuss and got it back It is a lesson for Madhavi and myself to be more alert and firm in our instructions to the group We should be ready to call out such instances and specify that this behavior is unwelcome With the exception of a few participants women tend to rush us asking for leftover materials like turmeric powder neem paste etc They function in groups and almost lobby to get more for themselves While this behavior is understandable given the unavailability of such items in jail it is detrimental to the cohesiveness of the gardening group we are trying to build We anticipate infighting over produce and are considering ways to address this After the session we stopped y Pathare nursery in Kalyan and placed an order for gardening material In an interesting twist of events a Facebook post I put up calling for funding has yielded 15-16 small donations from different contacts We are close to covering a major portion of the budget for Abhayaranya which is around Rs7290- Aside from the financial support much good wishes and praise for the programme is pouring in This is extremely heartening Session 3 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 13th August 2018 Monday We picked up the material from Pathare Nursery this morning A tempo ferried it to the prison It took around 30-40 minutes to get the necessary permissions and take the material inside The tempo was allowed to drive inside and unload supplies before the womenrsquos barrack main gate

The saplings have been stocked in the computer room The ladies were given an early lunch at 11 am It took a while before they finished eating and the session only began at 1120 am or so We did a quick energizer and making the best of gaps between showers of rain we allotted responsibilities and got about to bed preparation The inmates took up the tools with excitement They started to dig with an energy and purpose we have not seen in previous sessions A few photos could be taken before the camera battery died out A request has been made to have these emailed to Madhavi In all we were able to prepare 3 larger beds and 3 smaller ones by loosening the soil with pick axes (tikav) hoes (fawda) forks and shovels The prison lent us two ghamelas a fawda and a tikav They even collected brown and green leaves which we are grateful for The group mixed some soil cow dung and dry leaves into each bed All of this work was completed in 45-50 minutes A doctor was visiting simultaneously hence a few women were in line to meet with him and unable to attend the session Two new participants joined today after seeing the work being done in the garden A growing group is a sign that the programme is gaining interest Due to lack of time we were unable to complete the health and self components today In order to avoid wasting the detox ingredients we had purchased we crushed tulsi and made the lemon-ginger-mint mixture Today we firmly refused these perks to women who did not participate One of them was upset and muttered at us Madhavi explained that we want to be fair to the ones who worked hard in the garden Inmates have not begun composting as they were informed by a havaldar that the mixture would stink We may have to speak with the police and request them to allow inmates to at least try the composting themselves We learned that one of our participants is HIV+ Irsquom not sure this is information which ought to be shared with us or anyone else as it could lead to the person being treated unfairly Another inmate shared that she is languishing in jail because her husband (who has married for the third time) quashes her bail pleas by intimidatingbuying off her lawyers He is doing this to force her into giving him a divorce which she does not want as she has no other place to go Her parents

live far away in Meerut and they are aging She has two children on the outside Ruth felt that this inmate could benefit greatly from a programme which supports a sense of identity and imparts new skills while facilitating a process of healing and providing financial support Sadly we donrsquot have a programme running yet and she will be in jail for a while it appears Another disturbing reality of running the programme is that the participants may be unable to secure the plants they are growing Much of the produce is likely to be used by other inmates who do not help with garden work or go to the staffconstablescleaners This is disheartening as it defeats the purpose of encouraging them to cultivate in the first place The approving officer asked a police person to set aside a lemongrass sapling for him It is hardly a large amount to gift a sapling for us however we see this as a misuse of authority It should not be considered prudent to take materials as one sees fit especially those which have been bought with a specific purpose in mind This is a reality that we are trying to accept If prison authorities continue to demand produce saplings and materials it could discourage inmates from carrying on their work in the garden Session 4 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 16th August 2018 Thursday Agenda for the day included plantation on the plots we prepared We arrived at the prison at the scheduled time ie 930 am The computer classes had started in the morning and several inmates had registered Computer class ended around 1030 am and women were settling themselves when the food arrived at 11 am Food was being served early as some women had court visits for this day The tailoring class was scheduled at 12 pm Additionally Madhavi had to help out with clicking photos of tailoring students Although she was happy to help this added to the confusion of everything was going on Eventually we began around 1115 am and had to forfeit a few activities for the day as we were short of time After a quick gathering and splitting women into pairs we gave them responsibilities and distributed gardening tools We also distributed saplings as per the design we had in mind The women set about to work It took roughly an hour They loosened the soil and planted the saplings We had extra kadipatta (curryleaf) saplings which were

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

willingly to answer questions Even the ice breaker was fun for them and told up that they are simple people with simple tastes They seem to enjoy activities hence we have accordingly incorporated more lsquodoingrsquo and lsquohands onrsquo elements in our session plan Instructions have to be simple They struggle to process complex details and do not remember much information which is dished out verbally I am not sure how much they will remember but they were keen to learn Madhavi found it difficult to analyze participants level of concentration At times they appeared lost and we asked a few revision questions to gauge their understanding

Activities involving reflection and meditation which are under self component initially seemed like a challenge but around 4 women participated with in a wholesome way a few tried but could not connect entirely or follow all instructions and a sprinkling of participants found it difficult to stay focussed In the end many of them were even said they would go out and practice farming that was very positive They readily volunteered for observer roles in the soil sampling test

We are really looking forward to future sessions as we feel they will come out of their shell more after getting to know us and we need to further our connect with them especially if they are to surrender themselves in the self directed activities We will create more space for Madhavi to interact with participants

The session was held in the shed at the same time that the Balwadi was in class This lead to a clash in the sound from both sessions and created distractions for both groups Next time we can consider running the session in the large hall if possible In preparation for the next session we have mapped out the plots for gardening We spoke with a male officer for tools such as hoes and large shovels which are available although in use for some construction work behind the main barrack We made inquiries at the nursery for tools soil mix plants and transport of materials

Session 2 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 11th August 2018 Saturday Our session was rescheduled on account of the expected bandh on 9th August and word of another programme at the jail on 10th August We saw participation from the same 8-10 women who attended the first session One of them missed out as she wasnrsquot aware we had arrived Madhavi and I decided that the next time more prominent notice must be given to inmates or we can go to the barracks and make ourselves seen The session today focused on specific home remedies and a recap of composting We were thrilled to see that the women had filled out the observation chart for soil samples and they were proud of the growth of wheat in various soils We were able to observe that the clay-like soil (chikkan maati) grains struggled to break the hard surface and growth was stunted Women were engrossed as we went through the list of natural remedies and they eagerly smeared their faces with aloe gel neem and turmeric powder We learned of their resourcefulness when a participant managed to paste green neem leaves to a thick paste using nothing but a small rounded stone There is sufficient proof that inmates relish action songs Being silly gains legitimacy in a group Even the ones who do not prominently perform the actions stand in the circle and sing along We saw an unexpected and surprising reaction to the self directed activity We read statements directed at finding small blessings in onersquos life in jail and asked participants to drop a coloured pebble in a paper bag for every statement that rang true for them for example lsquoSince I have come here someone has helped me when I needed itrsquo In the end I lifted the bag and shook it making the pebbles rattle I said ldquoEach of these represents something good that has happened but as humans we tend on only focus on the negative What if we spent 5 minutes every now and then to count small blessings in our liferdquo Before I could complete saying this they erupted in applause Their

submission to this activity has shown us that they are growing trusting of us in leading them to look within Three matters of concern A few women sit with the group in anticipation of freebies like neem paste and turmeric powder They have no real interest in working on the garden or learning about home remedies One of the above mentioned women slipped away the packet of neem powder We made a fuss and got it back It is a lesson for Madhavi and myself to be more alert and firm in our instructions to the group We should be ready to call out such instances and specify that this behavior is unwelcome With the exception of a few participants women tend to rush us asking for leftover materials like turmeric powder neem paste etc They function in groups and almost lobby to get more for themselves While this behavior is understandable given the unavailability of such items in jail it is detrimental to the cohesiveness of the gardening group we are trying to build We anticipate infighting over produce and are considering ways to address this After the session we stopped y Pathare nursery in Kalyan and placed an order for gardening material In an interesting twist of events a Facebook post I put up calling for funding has yielded 15-16 small donations from different contacts We are close to covering a major portion of the budget for Abhayaranya which is around Rs7290- Aside from the financial support much good wishes and praise for the programme is pouring in This is extremely heartening Session 3 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 13th August 2018 Monday We picked up the material from Pathare Nursery this morning A tempo ferried it to the prison It took around 30-40 minutes to get the necessary permissions and take the material inside The tempo was allowed to drive inside and unload supplies before the womenrsquos barrack main gate

The saplings have been stocked in the computer room The ladies were given an early lunch at 11 am It took a while before they finished eating and the session only began at 1120 am or so We did a quick energizer and making the best of gaps between showers of rain we allotted responsibilities and got about to bed preparation The inmates took up the tools with excitement They started to dig with an energy and purpose we have not seen in previous sessions A few photos could be taken before the camera battery died out A request has been made to have these emailed to Madhavi In all we were able to prepare 3 larger beds and 3 smaller ones by loosening the soil with pick axes (tikav) hoes (fawda) forks and shovels The prison lent us two ghamelas a fawda and a tikav They even collected brown and green leaves which we are grateful for The group mixed some soil cow dung and dry leaves into each bed All of this work was completed in 45-50 minutes A doctor was visiting simultaneously hence a few women were in line to meet with him and unable to attend the session Two new participants joined today after seeing the work being done in the garden A growing group is a sign that the programme is gaining interest Due to lack of time we were unable to complete the health and self components today In order to avoid wasting the detox ingredients we had purchased we crushed tulsi and made the lemon-ginger-mint mixture Today we firmly refused these perks to women who did not participate One of them was upset and muttered at us Madhavi explained that we want to be fair to the ones who worked hard in the garden Inmates have not begun composting as they were informed by a havaldar that the mixture would stink We may have to speak with the police and request them to allow inmates to at least try the composting themselves We learned that one of our participants is HIV+ Irsquom not sure this is information which ought to be shared with us or anyone else as it could lead to the person being treated unfairly Another inmate shared that she is languishing in jail because her husband (who has married for the third time) quashes her bail pleas by intimidatingbuying off her lawyers He is doing this to force her into giving him a divorce which she does not want as she has no other place to go Her parents

live far away in Meerut and they are aging She has two children on the outside Ruth felt that this inmate could benefit greatly from a programme which supports a sense of identity and imparts new skills while facilitating a process of healing and providing financial support Sadly we donrsquot have a programme running yet and she will be in jail for a while it appears Another disturbing reality of running the programme is that the participants may be unable to secure the plants they are growing Much of the produce is likely to be used by other inmates who do not help with garden work or go to the staffconstablescleaners This is disheartening as it defeats the purpose of encouraging them to cultivate in the first place The approving officer asked a police person to set aside a lemongrass sapling for him It is hardly a large amount to gift a sapling for us however we see this as a misuse of authority It should not be considered prudent to take materials as one sees fit especially those which have been bought with a specific purpose in mind This is a reality that we are trying to accept If prison authorities continue to demand produce saplings and materials it could discourage inmates from carrying on their work in the garden Session 4 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 16th August 2018 Thursday Agenda for the day included plantation on the plots we prepared We arrived at the prison at the scheduled time ie 930 am The computer classes had started in the morning and several inmates had registered Computer class ended around 1030 am and women were settling themselves when the food arrived at 11 am Food was being served early as some women had court visits for this day The tailoring class was scheduled at 12 pm Additionally Madhavi had to help out with clicking photos of tailoring students Although she was happy to help this added to the confusion of everything was going on Eventually we began around 1115 am and had to forfeit a few activities for the day as we were short of time After a quick gathering and splitting women into pairs we gave them responsibilities and distributed gardening tools We also distributed saplings as per the design we had in mind The women set about to work It took roughly an hour They loosened the soil and planted the saplings We had extra kadipatta (curryleaf) saplings which were

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

Session 2 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 11th August 2018 Saturday Our session was rescheduled on account of the expected bandh on 9th August and word of another programme at the jail on 10th August We saw participation from the same 8-10 women who attended the first session One of them missed out as she wasnrsquot aware we had arrived Madhavi and I decided that the next time more prominent notice must be given to inmates or we can go to the barracks and make ourselves seen The session today focused on specific home remedies and a recap of composting We were thrilled to see that the women had filled out the observation chart for soil samples and they were proud of the growth of wheat in various soils We were able to observe that the clay-like soil (chikkan maati) grains struggled to break the hard surface and growth was stunted Women were engrossed as we went through the list of natural remedies and they eagerly smeared their faces with aloe gel neem and turmeric powder We learned of their resourcefulness when a participant managed to paste green neem leaves to a thick paste using nothing but a small rounded stone There is sufficient proof that inmates relish action songs Being silly gains legitimacy in a group Even the ones who do not prominently perform the actions stand in the circle and sing along We saw an unexpected and surprising reaction to the self directed activity We read statements directed at finding small blessings in onersquos life in jail and asked participants to drop a coloured pebble in a paper bag for every statement that rang true for them for example lsquoSince I have come here someone has helped me when I needed itrsquo In the end I lifted the bag and shook it making the pebbles rattle I said ldquoEach of these represents something good that has happened but as humans we tend on only focus on the negative What if we spent 5 minutes every now and then to count small blessings in our liferdquo Before I could complete saying this they erupted in applause Their

submission to this activity has shown us that they are growing trusting of us in leading them to look within Three matters of concern A few women sit with the group in anticipation of freebies like neem paste and turmeric powder They have no real interest in working on the garden or learning about home remedies One of the above mentioned women slipped away the packet of neem powder We made a fuss and got it back It is a lesson for Madhavi and myself to be more alert and firm in our instructions to the group We should be ready to call out such instances and specify that this behavior is unwelcome With the exception of a few participants women tend to rush us asking for leftover materials like turmeric powder neem paste etc They function in groups and almost lobby to get more for themselves While this behavior is understandable given the unavailability of such items in jail it is detrimental to the cohesiveness of the gardening group we are trying to build We anticipate infighting over produce and are considering ways to address this After the session we stopped y Pathare nursery in Kalyan and placed an order for gardening material In an interesting twist of events a Facebook post I put up calling for funding has yielded 15-16 small donations from different contacts We are close to covering a major portion of the budget for Abhayaranya which is around Rs7290- Aside from the financial support much good wishes and praise for the programme is pouring in This is extremely heartening Session 3 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 13th August 2018 Monday We picked up the material from Pathare Nursery this morning A tempo ferried it to the prison It took around 30-40 minutes to get the necessary permissions and take the material inside The tempo was allowed to drive inside and unload supplies before the womenrsquos barrack main gate

The saplings have been stocked in the computer room The ladies were given an early lunch at 11 am It took a while before they finished eating and the session only began at 1120 am or so We did a quick energizer and making the best of gaps between showers of rain we allotted responsibilities and got about to bed preparation The inmates took up the tools with excitement They started to dig with an energy and purpose we have not seen in previous sessions A few photos could be taken before the camera battery died out A request has been made to have these emailed to Madhavi In all we were able to prepare 3 larger beds and 3 smaller ones by loosening the soil with pick axes (tikav) hoes (fawda) forks and shovels The prison lent us two ghamelas a fawda and a tikav They even collected brown and green leaves which we are grateful for The group mixed some soil cow dung and dry leaves into each bed All of this work was completed in 45-50 minutes A doctor was visiting simultaneously hence a few women were in line to meet with him and unable to attend the session Two new participants joined today after seeing the work being done in the garden A growing group is a sign that the programme is gaining interest Due to lack of time we were unable to complete the health and self components today In order to avoid wasting the detox ingredients we had purchased we crushed tulsi and made the lemon-ginger-mint mixture Today we firmly refused these perks to women who did not participate One of them was upset and muttered at us Madhavi explained that we want to be fair to the ones who worked hard in the garden Inmates have not begun composting as they were informed by a havaldar that the mixture would stink We may have to speak with the police and request them to allow inmates to at least try the composting themselves We learned that one of our participants is HIV+ Irsquom not sure this is information which ought to be shared with us or anyone else as it could lead to the person being treated unfairly Another inmate shared that she is languishing in jail because her husband (who has married for the third time) quashes her bail pleas by intimidatingbuying off her lawyers He is doing this to force her into giving him a divorce which she does not want as she has no other place to go Her parents

live far away in Meerut and they are aging She has two children on the outside Ruth felt that this inmate could benefit greatly from a programme which supports a sense of identity and imparts new skills while facilitating a process of healing and providing financial support Sadly we donrsquot have a programme running yet and she will be in jail for a while it appears Another disturbing reality of running the programme is that the participants may be unable to secure the plants they are growing Much of the produce is likely to be used by other inmates who do not help with garden work or go to the staffconstablescleaners This is disheartening as it defeats the purpose of encouraging them to cultivate in the first place The approving officer asked a police person to set aside a lemongrass sapling for him It is hardly a large amount to gift a sapling for us however we see this as a misuse of authority It should not be considered prudent to take materials as one sees fit especially those which have been bought with a specific purpose in mind This is a reality that we are trying to accept If prison authorities continue to demand produce saplings and materials it could discourage inmates from carrying on their work in the garden Session 4 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 16th August 2018 Thursday Agenda for the day included plantation on the plots we prepared We arrived at the prison at the scheduled time ie 930 am The computer classes had started in the morning and several inmates had registered Computer class ended around 1030 am and women were settling themselves when the food arrived at 11 am Food was being served early as some women had court visits for this day The tailoring class was scheduled at 12 pm Additionally Madhavi had to help out with clicking photos of tailoring students Although she was happy to help this added to the confusion of everything was going on Eventually we began around 1115 am and had to forfeit a few activities for the day as we were short of time After a quick gathering and splitting women into pairs we gave them responsibilities and distributed gardening tools We also distributed saplings as per the design we had in mind The women set about to work It took roughly an hour They loosened the soil and planted the saplings We had extra kadipatta (curryleaf) saplings which were

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

submission to this activity has shown us that they are growing trusting of us in leading them to look within Three matters of concern A few women sit with the group in anticipation of freebies like neem paste and turmeric powder They have no real interest in working on the garden or learning about home remedies One of the above mentioned women slipped away the packet of neem powder We made a fuss and got it back It is a lesson for Madhavi and myself to be more alert and firm in our instructions to the group We should be ready to call out such instances and specify that this behavior is unwelcome With the exception of a few participants women tend to rush us asking for leftover materials like turmeric powder neem paste etc They function in groups and almost lobby to get more for themselves While this behavior is understandable given the unavailability of such items in jail it is detrimental to the cohesiveness of the gardening group we are trying to build We anticipate infighting over produce and are considering ways to address this After the session we stopped y Pathare nursery in Kalyan and placed an order for gardening material In an interesting twist of events a Facebook post I put up calling for funding has yielded 15-16 small donations from different contacts We are close to covering a major portion of the budget for Abhayaranya which is around Rs7290- Aside from the financial support much good wishes and praise for the programme is pouring in This is extremely heartening Session 3 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 13th August 2018 Monday We picked up the material from Pathare Nursery this morning A tempo ferried it to the prison It took around 30-40 minutes to get the necessary permissions and take the material inside The tempo was allowed to drive inside and unload supplies before the womenrsquos barrack main gate

The saplings have been stocked in the computer room The ladies were given an early lunch at 11 am It took a while before they finished eating and the session only began at 1120 am or so We did a quick energizer and making the best of gaps between showers of rain we allotted responsibilities and got about to bed preparation The inmates took up the tools with excitement They started to dig with an energy and purpose we have not seen in previous sessions A few photos could be taken before the camera battery died out A request has been made to have these emailed to Madhavi In all we were able to prepare 3 larger beds and 3 smaller ones by loosening the soil with pick axes (tikav) hoes (fawda) forks and shovels The prison lent us two ghamelas a fawda and a tikav They even collected brown and green leaves which we are grateful for The group mixed some soil cow dung and dry leaves into each bed All of this work was completed in 45-50 minutes A doctor was visiting simultaneously hence a few women were in line to meet with him and unable to attend the session Two new participants joined today after seeing the work being done in the garden A growing group is a sign that the programme is gaining interest Due to lack of time we were unable to complete the health and self components today In order to avoid wasting the detox ingredients we had purchased we crushed tulsi and made the lemon-ginger-mint mixture Today we firmly refused these perks to women who did not participate One of them was upset and muttered at us Madhavi explained that we want to be fair to the ones who worked hard in the garden Inmates have not begun composting as they were informed by a havaldar that the mixture would stink We may have to speak with the police and request them to allow inmates to at least try the composting themselves We learned that one of our participants is HIV+ Irsquom not sure this is information which ought to be shared with us or anyone else as it could lead to the person being treated unfairly Another inmate shared that she is languishing in jail because her husband (who has married for the third time) quashes her bail pleas by intimidatingbuying off her lawyers He is doing this to force her into giving him a divorce which she does not want as she has no other place to go Her parents

live far away in Meerut and they are aging She has two children on the outside Ruth felt that this inmate could benefit greatly from a programme which supports a sense of identity and imparts new skills while facilitating a process of healing and providing financial support Sadly we donrsquot have a programme running yet and she will be in jail for a while it appears Another disturbing reality of running the programme is that the participants may be unable to secure the plants they are growing Much of the produce is likely to be used by other inmates who do not help with garden work or go to the staffconstablescleaners This is disheartening as it defeats the purpose of encouraging them to cultivate in the first place The approving officer asked a police person to set aside a lemongrass sapling for him It is hardly a large amount to gift a sapling for us however we see this as a misuse of authority It should not be considered prudent to take materials as one sees fit especially those which have been bought with a specific purpose in mind This is a reality that we are trying to accept If prison authorities continue to demand produce saplings and materials it could discourage inmates from carrying on their work in the garden Session 4 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 16th August 2018 Thursday Agenda for the day included plantation on the plots we prepared We arrived at the prison at the scheduled time ie 930 am The computer classes had started in the morning and several inmates had registered Computer class ended around 1030 am and women were settling themselves when the food arrived at 11 am Food was being served early as some women had court visits for this day The tailoring class was scheduled at 12 pm Additionally Madhavi had to help out with clicking photos of tailoring students Although she was happy to help this added to the confusion of everything was going on Eventually we began around 1115 am and had to forfeit a few activities for the day as we were short of time After a quick gathering and splitting women into pairs we gave them responsibilities and distributed gardening tools We also distributed saplings as per the design we had in mind The women set about to work It took roughly an hour They loosened the soil and planted the saplings We had extra kadipatta (curryleaf) saplings which were

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

The saplings have been stocked in the computer room The ladies were given an early lunch at 11 am It took a while before they finished eating and the session only began at 1120 am or so We did a quick energizer and making the best of gaps between showers of rain we allotted responsibilities and got about to bed preparation The inmates took up the tools with excitement They started to dig with an energy and purpose we have not seen in previous sessions A few photos could be taken before the camera battery died out A request has been made to have these emailed to Madhavi In all we were able to prepare 3 larger beds and 3 smaller ones by loosening the soil with pick axes (tikav) hoes (fawda) forks and shovels The prison lent us two ghamelas a fawda and a tikav They even collected brown and green leaves which we are grateful for The group mixed some soil cow dung and dry leaves into each bed All of this work was completed in 45-50 minutes A doctor was visiting simultaneously hence a few women were in line to meet with him and unable to attend the session Two new participants joined today after seeing the work being done in the garden A growing group is a sign that the programme is gaining interest Due to lack of time we were unable to complete the health and self components today In order to avoid wasting the detox ingredients we had purchased we crushed tulsi and made the lemon-ginger-mint mixture Today we firmly refused these perks to women who did not participate One of them was upset and muttered at us Madhavi explained that we want to be fair to the ones who worked hard in the garden Inmates have not begun composting as they were informed by a havaldar that the mixture would stink We may have to speak with the police and request them to allow inmates to at least try the composting themselves We learned that one of our participants is HIV+ Irsquom not sure this is information which ought to be shared with us or anyone else as it could lead to the person being treated unfairly Another inmate shared that she is languishing in jail because her husband (who has married for the third time) quashes her bail pleas by intimidatingbuying off her lawyers He is doing this to force her into giving him a divorce which she does not want as she has no other place to go Her parents

live far away in Meerut and they are aging She has two children on the outside Ruth felt that this inmate could benefit greatly from a programme which supports a sense of identity and imparts new skills while facilitating a process of healing and providing financial support Sadly we donrsquot have a programme running yet and she will be in jail for a while it appears Another disturbing reality of running the programme is that the participants may be unable to secure the plants they are growing Much of the produce is likely to be used by other inmates who do not help with garden work or go to the staffconstablescleaners This is disheartening as it defeats the purpose of encouraging them to cultivate in the first place The approving officer asked a police person to set aside a lemongrass sapling for him It is hardly a large amount to gift a sapling for us however we see this as a misuse of authority It should not be considered prudent to take materials as one sees fit especially those which have been bought with a specific purpose in mind This is a reality that we are trying to accept If prison authorities continue to demand produce saplings and materials it could discourage inmates from carrying on their work in the garden Session 4 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 16th August 2018 Thursday Agenda for the day included plantation on the plots we prepared We arrived at the prison at the scheduled time ie 930 am The computer classes had started in the morning and several inmates had registered Computer class ended around 1030 am and women were settling themselves when the food arrived at 11 am Food was being served early as some women had court visits for this day The tailoring class was scheduled at 12 pm Additionally Madhavi had to help out with clicking photos of tailoring students Although she was happy to help this added to the confusion of everything was going on Eventually we began around 1115 am and had to forfeit a few activities for the day as we were short of time After a quick gathering and splitting women into pairs we gave them responsibilities and distributed gardening tools We also distributed saplings as per the design we had in mind The women set about to work It took roughly an hour They loosened the soil and planted the saplings We had extra kadipatta (curryleaf) saplings which were

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

live far away in Meerut and they are aging She has two children on the outside Ruth felt that this inmate could benefit greatly from a programme which supports a sense of identity and imparts new skills while facilitating a process of healing and providing financial support Sadly we donrsquot have a programme running yet and she will be in jail for a while it appears Another disturbing reality of running the programme is that the participants may be unable to secure the plants they are growing Much of the produce is likely to be used by other inmates who do not help with garden work or go to the staffconstablescleaners This is disheartening as it defeats the purpose of encouraging them to cultivate in the first place The approving officer asked a police person to set aside a lemongrass sapling for him It is hardly a large amount to gift a sapling for us however we see this as a misuse of authority It should not be considered prudent to take materials as one sees fit especially those which have been bought with a specific purpose in mind This is a reality that we are trying to accept If prison authorities continue to demand produce saplings and materials it could discourage inmates from carrying on their work in the garden Session 4 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 16th August 2018 Thursday Agenda for the day included plantation on the plots we prepared We arrived at the prison at the scheduled time ie 930 am The computer classes had started in the morning and several inmates had registered Computer class ended around 1030 am and women were settling themselves when the food arrived at 11 am Food was being served early as some women had court visits for this day The tailoring class was scheduled at 12 pm Additionally Madhavi had to help out with clicking photos of tailoring students Although she was happy to help this added to the confusion of everything was going on Eventually we began around 1115 am and had to forfeit a few activities for the day as we were short of time After a quick gathering and splitting women into pairs we gave them responsibilities and distributed gardening tools We also distributed saplings as per the design we had in mind The women set about to work It took roughly an hour They loosened the soil and planted the saplings We had extra kadipatta (curryleaf) saplings which were

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

planted in the plot in front of the constable cabin We were careful not to plant any trees which would grow in height and obstruct the view of the barracks Aloe vera was planted in different plots to test where it grow best After finishing the work we took the tools back with us as there would not be anyone to supervise or be accountable for the tools after we left The response was good Women were possessive about their plants and enjoyed working in the garden A few new women joined the group who did not attend in-class sessions before We are still concerned about the safety of the saplings and whether they will survive the rains The work finished late by around 1230 or 1 pm Some participants rushed off to the tailoring class others went to eat or rest Aruna suggested that we take the mindful eating session for the larger group of tailoring students This activity was received well by the entire group Most had no trouble being silent with eyes closed although a few were easily distracted In their feedback they said ldquoSabar se khana seekhardquo (We learnt to eat with patience) An inmate who speaks English has been identified in the tailoring group She appears to be inclined towards health awareness and maintaining a positive attitude With our participants dispersed we could not close the session appropriately as we had planned Session 5 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 18th August 2018 Saturday We gave feedback to Aruna and Saakshi about Session 4 and that it had been compromised by the numerous other activities happening simultaneously lunch being served early etc Since the computer classes were planned as an ongoing activity during the weekdays they suggested that we prepone Session 5 to a Saturday when there would be no tailoring or computer class We arrived at the prison to find 3 women clustered around beds 5 amp 6 They were tying sarees from wall to wall as a barricade to the plots Further investigation revealed that two of the chilly saplings had been plucked at the stem which was first blamed on children but

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

later appeared to be the work of inmates owing to jealousy Two blades of aloe vera had been plucked as well Inmates and facilitators were both disheartened and annoyed by this At the same time we were glad to see inmates taking ownership of their plants Madhavi and I requested permission from the jailers and addressed children and the larger group of inmates in the barracks We instructed them not to pluck anything and to allow the plants to grow 4-5 of our regular participants were quite frustrated Their cell had been leaking from the rains causing their belongings to get wet There was some confusion about them moving to a different cell In the process they had packed and unpacked 2-3 times All their belongings were tied up in blanketsbed sheets and moved outside their cell where they had to stand watch over it One or two participants had court dates The session began with only 4-5 inmates Madhavi and I had decided that an energizer is a must as it sets the mood for the session We did the Bajra song with a few inmates The children missed the song as they went to eat lunch Next was the NPK activity which is a self-assessment of onersquos attitude networks and outlook towards life The activity did not go exactly as planned It asks inmates to rate themselves on a spectrum line (true to untrue) for statements like lsquoI always have a positive outlook I surround myself with people who think positivelyrsquo Most participants clustered around the lsquoTruersquo end of the spectrum This was the case with other statements as well We learned that they have a tendency to show that lsquoeverything is alrightrsquo or lsquoI am correct others are wrongrsquo The activity did get them thinking and might be worth running again with a few changes that bring out the truth about their standing The activities were happening in the shed where the Prathana group later joined Their hymn singing was clashing with our session and we later moved to the corridor of the barracks Next we took a walk in the garden to establish this as a practice of observation for inmates They were taught to identify the water needs of plants look for insects and check the overall health of the plants While this activity was going on one of the participants Avadi got news of being released It was announced over intercom She was in shock puzzled at what to do next The remaining inmates in the group and facilitators hugged her and sent her on her way to collect

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

her belongings and leave It was a joyous moment that truly lifted everyonersquos spirit Some inmates broke away from our group and joined the Prathana session We continued with the group from the cells who had been ready to shift out Pesticide management using jeevamrutha and water management was covered Vikas suggested not to demo pesticide making with chillies as the solution could be used to cause harm to other inmates or to oneself We distributed seed paper for homework asking women to write or draw any disturbing instance from their lives which brought them hurt and pain Session 6 Kalyan District Prison - Womenrsquos Barracks 20th August 2018 Monday For the last session we kept fewer activities to make the best use of the small window we had between computer and tailoring classes Photos of women working in the garden were printed out on A3 sheets along with a poem written by a woman supporter from Pune This became the highlight of the day The poster of pics circulated amongst inmates NGO personnel and jailers The jailers requested us to put up the pics in their office for the Superintendent and inspectors to see on their rounds We really wanted the women to own this memory hence we suggested that we will give the jailers a proper frame for their room They agreed and the pics went up in the shed While Madhavi packed gift packets for participants Aruna and Ruth went to seek permission to bring the laptop in from the senior jailor He did not understand exactly the reason for using the laptop but agreed with some reluctance We began with a larger than usual audience First we shared encouraging messages from two women farmersgardeners It left some of our participants with moist eyes They never expected that so many people in other cities too would hear of their little garden Then we practiced various simple mudras which boost physical and mental health

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance

As an item of decoration for the garden we made origami butterflies This was an insightful activity for facilitators as it told us much about each participants spatial intelligence ability to follow simple instructions attention to detail Some struggled to keep up whereas a few followed through well and were able to make the origami butterfly with little assistance We had carefully listed down names of participants who attended most of the sessions and were present for garden work too They were gifted a pot with seeds of corriander brown mung (matki) fenugreek mustard radish and amaranthus This was a sort of graduation gift which was not in the original plan however we decided to gift a pot which participants could use for planting inside their cells with greater protection for the plants We chose microgreen which could be quickly consumed and have high nutrific value Inmates insisted on singing action songs This was a high energy moment with most of our participants as well as other inmates joining in to dance