Field Visits!

This has got to be one of the coolest most intriguing jobs I have ever had. I am doing market research out in the field for three weeks for the micro energy program. The short term goal of this research is to find the best areas where we will launch our pilot programs. Despite the constant traveling I have to do for the research, I love this work and could do this type of work all the time (assuming I get to have a rock star team)!

Last week I was in Kerala, this week I am in Maharashtra (Central India), and next week I will be in Tamil Nadu (Southern India, state next to Kerala). These are the three zones that ESAF provides services in. We want to launch pilot programs in all three zones which is why I am traveling to all of these areas now.

To give you a brief intro on the structure. Each zone has a number of branches (i.e. Kerala has 91 branches) and each branch has self-help groups (SHGs) that they manage (i.e one branch might have 230+ groups, and another branch might have 100 or less depending on how new they are and what area they're in). Each group has anywhere from 10-30 members (these are the micro loan borrowers who are all women). Each branch has field officers who five days a week go out to all of the groups to collect the loan payments from the self-help groups. Each field officer on average visits 5-6 groups per day. This comes to an average of 100-200 members per day that they visit! Much respect to the field officers. This is a special group of people who can do this type of work!

Now that you have this in mind, my research consists of going out into the field with the field officers (along with my translator and driver) and conducting focus groups at each of the SHGs. I give a brief intro, ask the group questions related to their energy use, introduce the products and do demos and then ask them to rate the products from most to least important.

In doing this type of work, I've learned that a smile goes a long way. I've also learned that having a translator who loves this type of work, really enjoys being with people, is outgoing and personable, and has a curious mind is the best fit for this type of job. My translator in Kerala was exactly this and he was invaluable to the research. Between him, the driver (who is an expert at dodging around in the traffic AND getting us to places on time), and myself we had a rock star team! I wish I could take them everywhere with me when doing this research. I am in Central India now and will start my field research tomorrow with a different translator and driver and I'm sure my experience will be just as rich as my experience in Kerala was.

We met with several SHGs here. Not all the members were present but there were several representatives from about four different groups.

This is me, my translator and some of the SHG members. We gave our presentation two times this day in front of about 125 people both times! It was an exhilarating and energizing experience!

The most fascinating part about this part of my job is the insight I am getting on the culture, people, local living, and the conditions many of the poor and marginalized communities in this country live with. The women who I have met in these groups have been open, welcoming, and sincere. The questions in the focus groups generally spark some conversation and this is where I get to learn the insights about the culture on a more personal level. My translator of course helps describe the details to me. This experience as a whole is both eye opening and humbling. It's also an opportunity to meet people and experience parts of the country that I would never see (at least not in this capacity).

For me, getting to be a part of improving a family's way of living and getting to experience their reactions and understand their needs are part of what makes this job so fulfilling. Reading case studies and stories about this kind of work is one thing, but it does not even compare to being a part of it on the ground.