Hum Sab Ek
(We Are One)
An immersive exhibit inspired by the actions of the Self Employed Women’s Association, comprising 3 million women working in the informal sector in India.
A traditional impact assessment of the pandemic on the lives of the working poor, evolved into a multimedia exhibition created by an interdisciplinary team of graduate students across Harvard University.
Led by Dr. Satchit Balsari, Associate Professor of emergency medicine and of global health and population, the exhibit is based on 30 hours of oral histories and a survey of over 1000 rural and urban households in Gujarat, India.
The research examines the impact of the pandemic on access to health, education, food, work and finance among the poorest in India. It finds that members of the Self Employed Women Association (SEWA), unencumbered by the luxury of confirmation, but emboldened by half a century of organization, implemented material, behavioral and financial solutions that were practical, expedient and mutually beneficial.
The story of SEWA is important because it elucidates alternative approaches to preparing us for our rapidly changing climate.
Approach
In an effort to shed light on alternative forms of science communication—at a time when the hegemony of quantitative sciences and modeling tends to drown out other modes of knowledge generation and dissemination—Hum Sab Ek presents research findings from a 1,000-household survey and oral histories to both global and local audiences, in ways that promote engagement, reflection, and reinterpretation.
Through a multilayered approach to documentation and dissemination, the project includes an online archive of oral histories donated to the Harvard Countway Library’s History of Medicine Archives; a traveling exhibition hosted at research institutions, philanthropic organizations, and multilateral organizations; as well as policy roundtables. The exhibition has been co-designed and developed in collaboration with members of the Self Employed Womens Association.
Select Press
The Harvard Gazette
‘HUM SAB EK’ harvests stories of self-employed Indian women’s hardships — and victories
May 22, 2024
The Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute
It Takes a Village: Harvard Students Reflect on Creating the HUM SAB EK (We Are One) Exhibition
April 10, 2024
The Harvard Gazette
‘HUM SAB EK’ harvests stories of self-employed Indian women’s hardships — and victories
May 22, 2024
The Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute
It Takes a Village: Harvard Students Reflect on Creating the HUM SAB EK (We Are One) Exhibition
April 10, 2024