My name is Johanna Hansen and I am from Germany. Since August 2016 I am working as a volunteer in the organization Vidyanikethan, Bangalore.

The organization is working in four key areas- Health, Socio-Economic Development, Education and Environment. So they offer a tailoring class for women. In the class women can learn to tailoring. After  6 months they can make their own clothes or can work as a tailor. That is my project.  I am very happy to stay in the tailoring class, because I am very interested in tailoring and woman life in India.

At the beginning I only showed and tried to understand how the women make it and I learned a lot from watching.  Also the teacher explained me many things, e.g. the different from the material, how the sewing machine works. So my motivation rose more and more and I awaited to learn tailoring eagerly. Since October a new class was starting and I get the chance to learn tailoring with the new students together. On one side I support the teacher in class, whilst I write the topics on the blackboard. I teach how to get the measurements, to draw and cut it. Also, I check if they draw it correct. Mostly, it is perfect! Also the women ask me for new neck designs and I help to draw it. On the other side I am a student, too.

I try to understand and write what the teacher explains, but that is difficult sometimes, because she teaches in Kannada. Till now I am tailoring many children clothes and my first Kurta with pant. I am very proud of it and I have many ideas for new designs.

Additional, I develop a design book. I draw e.g. sari blouse design, children clothes in this book. Also I write all the measurements for ready-made clothes and what I am learning in the class.  I make this book for the tailoring class, so they have some ideas for tailoring. The book is a thank you gift for the great time in Vidyanikethan.

Also one task is the case studies about the tailoring women. It was very interesting to experience about the woman life and the motivation for tailoring.

Generally, I am happy to be a part of my project and I am glad to stay in the project for the next months.