Day 23: Back to the Field

Today I went back to the branch to ask the clients questions about post-crisis changes to Ujjivan. I went to three separate center meetings and posed the questions to the entire group. Actually, I asked the CRS, who then translated my questions into Hindi or Kannada. My six questions focused on the new regulations, extended payment schedules, the lack of saving services, quicker loan disbursements, and cashless loans. The responses I received were helpful, but I didn't quite get the depth or breadth I had hoped for. The language barrier between myself and clients is very hard to overcome. It’s difficult to understand what they are saying, and even though the CRS translated for me, her English wasn't particularly strong. However, I am trying, to the best of my ability, to read clients’ facial expressions, body language, and tones. This way I can understand that much more about how they feel. Despite the barrier, I can build on the responses today with the responses I get tomorrow. The pictures below are of clients from two separate center meetings.