A 35-year-old fisherman by profession, Muthi Srinu had always known that his income of INR 10,000-15,000 per month was meager, but was sufficient to lead a quality of life that was much better than others. He was able to support his family with the money he earned as a boat owner, and although he himself has not been fortunate enough to study, he prides himself on being able to send his son and daughter to school and to keep them well-fed and well-clothed.
However, coming across the drab wall art on the quality of life that was installed in the village as a part of the Hope Building exercise, he realized that having a good life, and securing a good future not only requires an expenditure on immediate needs but timely investments and savings for the future. He realized that savings are not only necessary for pursuing higher education, but also for covering contingencies that may arise in the future. He got to know of a lot of schemes and programmes that are run by the government, and even private organizations and NGOs, for the benefit of the community.
Hope-building activities were piloted with Penthakata fisherfolk in Puri, the aim of which was to find solutions that would build their household and community resilience through a community self-exploration exercise with the aid of art. The activities focused on exploring how to nurture hope in one’s life in spite of all the challenges one faces.
