Building context - Our first visit to the quarries

What it was like visiting the quarry...

"Marenahalli Bande is a mixture of grey, brown and blue hues; an overwhelming cavity, deep in the ground. It is surprising how man-made destruction can look so mesmerising. The workers are friendly and show us how they break up the granite with a few hits of force at most. The granite is heavy and as a few of my team mates discover, the job of the quarry workers is very challenging. We see men, women and even children in the quarries. This intense physical work in the searing heat is their way of life. Workers carry  the weight of the granite on their heads towards the trucks which then distribute it. Forklifts are used for larger pieces which cannot be carried. We offered up smiles and shook their hands as we made our way through the quarry. Some happily posed for photos, allowing us to document the very people whose lives that the ROKA social impact project will help to transform. The granite dust from the quarries represents a catalyst for change and it is exciting for us to understand how we can become a part of the process.”

It was an incredible experience working on the ROKA project and getting to meet the people who work so hard to make it happen. The social business has a lot of potential to help transform the lives of the village women but it still has a long way to go. Part of our team’s brief was to refine the production process of the Rani necklace but we found that we women had it sorted and often implemented their own innovative solutions. An example of this was to dry the ROKA pieces in a bowl of rice to absorb the moisture and enable faster drying. 

What the women really need is a sustainable source of income, particularly when the men are unable to work in the quarries during monsoon season. Part of the issue arises due to the fact that globers (uni students) can only commit their time during 4months of the year. 40K has been working on this issue, hiring a Impact Project Officer to keep production running, even when globers are not there. It will be a difficult task however, matching supply and demand and keeping them in close alignment. Help us get the brand out there and share the website http://www.rokajewellery.org or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rokajewellery/info with your friends!

I look forward to keep working with 40K and ROKA and see their progress into the future!

Keepin’ it real

We worked hard but we managed to have some time out from our project on the weekends. We had a scavenger hunt, a holi fight and a farewell dinner which required dressing up in sarees. I may have spent a week questioning my better judgement.. but.. I made my mark in Bangalore by completing the Ass Burning Spicy Wings Challenge in the scavenger hunt and getting my photo on the wall! By far.. the MOST challenging thing I’ve done! Not only this but weekends off meant that we got to explore a bit more of India. I visited Kerala, Mysore, New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.. 5 states in 5 weeks!! There are so many wonderful places to explore and I can’t wait to go back :D

These are some photos from our first visit to the quarry....

Standing on the edge of the Marenahalli Bande

Some workers who were more than happy to get a selfie taken

A hut made from Eucalyptus leaves

Loading up the trucks

This is not just men's work

Time to eat!

The village next to the quarry

The blue hut is where Rani, the matriarch of the village and the original woman behind Roka lives

A truck full of granite is worth 1800 rupees. Once the quarry owner takes his cut, the workers are left with 1200 rupees to share ($24).

Even the trucks are very intricately decorated

The local temple

Hitching a ride in a tractor

Hosur Bande - deserted due to the nature of its illegal work conditions

One of just two women in the quarry who were washing clothes

Here you can see the amount of granite that has been removed, all by hand...

A cavity much deeper than that of Marenahalli Bande