Understanding Empowerment

Over the course of 9 days, I had an opportunity to visit, meet and interact with leaders at 6 social enterprises across Delhi, Tilonia and Jaipur and reflect on their work, their values, approach and leadership style. Traveling with a group of 9 other leaders from across countries helped me gain a wider perspective and further refine by own thoughts and understanding.

I saw at work different ideas and a model of empowerment at each of the organizations visited and was left reflecting on, “What is Empowerment?”

At one organization, doing selfless service in providing artificial limbs to the poorest of the poor for over 40 years, I saw the commitment, the focus, and the determination in their work. I saw the generosity of the leader and I saw how their work was providing another shot at livelihood to the poor. The poor came from far and wide – feeling hopeless and apprehensive and went away feeling alive again. Having grown up in India, I have seen how the disabled are treated as a burden, many a time confined to their homes, considered a liability, subject to pity and sympathy and incapable. A person who is disabled due to an accident not only loses their livelihood but also their sense of self, their dignity and many a times the love and respect of their family. Hence, the work of this organization is unquestionably important and needed.

Yet, amongst all this good work, I felt a discomfort. I felt uncomfortable when the founder asked an amputee to remove his artificial limbs and show it to the gathering in full public view. Something didn’t sit well with me when he asked another to run with them. Something didn’t feel right when he asked a woman who had just got a limb to remove it, show her legs and put it back on. The woman obliging in full public view and looking visibly uncomfortable for having to lift her sari while we watched. I cringed with embarrassment but tried to keep my judgment at bay.  I attempted to understand the need to prove the sturdiness and durability of their product but the approach didn’t seem to find favour with me.

He invited another young man, always referring to the young or old as Beta/Beti (son/daughter). He asked him how much money he had on him, the man was hesitant feeling singled out but eventually said he had Rs. 22. One of us was asked to count the money just to be sure. The founder then referred to this man in third person, not asking his name and went on to say that this man is so poor that he cannot even afford a single meal and how can someone expect to charge him for the limbs. I cringed as the man was visibly embarrassed at being called poor in full public view.

The founder was making a valid point around affordability. 95% of the poor were the ones who lost their limbs in accidents. Losing limbs in India meant loss of dignity, loss of livelihood and in many cases abandonment by the family. Hence, the policy of the organization to support the poorest of the poor and not charge them a single rupee. It costs the organization Rs. 3000 to fit one artificial limb and there is no way the poor can afford this cost. No one is sent back. Infact, they gave them a place to stay, three meals a day and even train fare back to their village. They ensured that each individual got a limb within 3 days. All great approaches deeply entrenched in understanding their customer and delivering on their promises. All approaches coming from experiences and having worked in the field for over 40 years. Yet, I felt uncomfortable that the poor and the disabled were assumed to have no dignity and self-esteem and could be singled out in a crowd to showcase their work. While customer endorsement and feedback is important, could there be sensitivity in the way we seek it?

As we walked out of the premises, we saw a group of people waiting for him, some who had got their limbs fixed and some waiting for them to be fixed. He made us stand around, he himself sat on a chair and asked the patients to approach him one by one.

“What is your name? Where are you from? How did you lose your limb? Do you do any work? How much money do you have? How much do you earn? And based on what he heard, he either gave them a livelihood kit of not. What is the livelihood kit you might ask? They have 3 kits – a tailoring unit for a woman and a Tea-stall unit or food stall unit for the man. An initiative to support the livelihoods of people who have lost their jobs because of their disability and give them a chance at earning some income. A very noble gesture indeed and one could see that the people were extremely grateful for the support. I was wondering if the poor could have a choice of livelihood, a shot at pursuing their dreams and if it might have been more empowering to give them money to choose their own livelihood instead. One can argue that money can be misused and the founder mentioned that 20% of the people who receive livelihood kits do misuse it. 

However, where is dignity if there is no trust. Could we give wings to their dreams instead?

The imagery of that moment left me deeply disempowered. What I saw was the poor waiting for him, he sitting there like a king doling out goodies. His body language showed distrust of the poor. The poor standing with folded hands and hopeful eyes and feeling terribly obliged when he did provide them support. The people did feel empowered with a new limb as they saw it as a second shot at life. The people felt grateful at the opportunity to start a new livelihood. I wonder if this is enough.

Isn’t empowerment treating them with dignity in their disability and ensuring they go away feeling that they are capable of achieving all their dreams and desires and there is no limit to what they can achieve in life?

Isn’t empowerment believing that they are able and capable with or without limbs and our job is to enhance their sense of self and give them the tools (artificial limbs) that will give wings to their dreams?

Isn’t empowerment ensuring that the disabled are treated with dignity by their families, communities and by the government?

Isn’t empowerment, using our cause to change mindsets about disability and fighting for laws that ensure the rights of the disabled?

Is giving limbs enough? I am reminded of an American friend who lost his limbs in a landmine accident at an early age of 19 and went on to start an International organization fighting for a land-mine free world that won the noble peace prize. His artificial limbs gave him his life back but it was his sense of purpose, sense of self that made him change the way the world looks at the disabled.

In our group, we had a blind participant from UK. Traveling on her own for the first time to India, she came with confidence and a sense of purpose. She managed to traverse the complexity of India and its chaos on her own not once feeling dependent or vulnerable. Her sensitivity and insights left us spell-bound as she saw India with her other senses. I wonder what did her family, her community and her society do to build this sense of dignity in her, to make her feel that she was capable and not disabled in anyway.

I am deeply inspired by this organization’s commitment and dedicated self-less service. With over 24,500 artificial limbs been fixed every year, it takes tremendous amount of hard work to make it happen. I am delighted that organization’s such as these exist who are not worried about sustainability, scale, replicability, etc. but truly believe that if we continue to do our work with sincerity and a sense of purpose, God will always find a way to help us. The founder has been a dedicated volunteer for over 39 years and runs the organization on principles of frugality even paying for our tea from his pocket. His child-like enthusiasm and a sense of curiosity is endearing. His commitment to the poor is unquestionable. It takes courage to take on such a difficult cause and stick with it for over four decades.

As I sit back and ask myself, “What is empowerment?”, this is what I receive. Giving limbs is the first step to empowerment which this organization does beautifully. However, for me, it is also breaking my own prejudices about the poor and disabled; about truly believing that the poor and disabled are capable and able; they have dignity just like I do and it’s not only my actions but also my intentions that are critical as I chose to bring them products and services. Being sensitive and treating each human being, irrespective of their background and disability, with respect is truly empowering myself and through my being empowering the people I work with.