Day 2

plan:

Make new pulp using just paper and methi that we soaked the previous day.

Make a very quick mind map for the papier mache problem solving- sources, sizes etc.

talk about the possibility of using P.O.P in the pulp to keep rats away, and increase the strength of the bowls.

Afternoon:

draw out and discuss idea for the packaging of the food.

-size

-the need for it to be able to be shut

Make them think about dabba's with lids.

we spent quite a part of the day making new pulp. the paper hadnt soaked well enough from the previous day and we decided to just take a bit of it and grind it with the stone grinder.

we had decided to put only one tea spoon of methi this time round as last time the pulp seemed to be very slimy and stinky. However to make the grinding easier i suspect while i was away for ten minutes, one of the women decided to add quite a bit. This meant that we ended up with very slimy and gooey pulp. I let them apply it onto the moulds this time and gave them some pulp from before too (this was way coarser and with much lesser methi ), they then realized what the effect of a lot of methi is.

The sad bit today was that there was no sun!, all our products lay out all day but hadnt dried a bit until evening. Also since there was a lot methi in the pulp, the paper bowls weren't taking shape quickly- they were collapsing easily.

Today made us think of the biggest problem we might face of drying out produce. Paper mache needs good, strong source of heat to dry well. Products like the packaging bowls etc would be fine if they arrant very strong, but for other products one would have to find either an alternative or the months for making the products would be restricted.

We had asked for POP powder from Gangavati, but that hadnt been brought in yet and so we couldn't harden the pulp either and help it to set.

We realized that the paper waste needs to be soaked for at least three days in the water for it to be ground easily by hand, and so we need a constant system of sorting, tearing and soaking happening on the side too. So we spent sometime doing that and preparing future material.

Our mind map

I will write out this processes in greater detail sometime in the next two days, as i heard about the waste managament initiative that a German volunteer Ferdinand has taken up at Anegundi. If i could get him to become a source for waste paper for us , it would be great!

It was so difficult to get the three of them Varalaxmi, Anusuyamma and Vanoramaamma to draw what they felt the containers should look like. They had many ideas that they showed with there hands, but drawing no one wanted to do! As i started to draw, slowly they didnt mind making changes. It became easier for them when i showed them how what they were showing could be translated onto paper. This is what they came up with!

we realised that we had to consider that these will be given free at the sante and so we needed to think of a design that was very basic and easy to make. Here talking about dabbas with lids helped. Our vegetable as varalxmi said would have a slight gravy and so a lid would be needed. What would be the easiest and cheapest way to pack it- tying? if we have a complex mould would we be restricted by how many we can make?

I had some spare time on hand and decided to explore some possibilities using some waste coconut pieces that were lying around in the workshop.

I made a belt buckle from one of the pieces and will ask one of the ladies to crochet a belt for me tomorrow.

i also started exploring some product ideas for pencil pouches.