Last week began with my trip to Ajmer to see the Female Sex Worker (FSW) project which was one of the most dynamic experiences of my life. The first day I was there Pratab, the project manager, gave me a briefing on the project and of the daily schedule of an Indian. A daily schedule goes more or less like this:
5-7am: Exercise/meditation
7-8: Getting ready for the day
8-9: Breakfast
9-5: Working
5-7: Time with boyfriend/girlfriend
8-11: Spending time with family/dinner, go to bed
So, I decided to keep him on his toes, and proceeded to ask about his work-out plan from 5-7. He said he wanted a 6-pack, so I decided I would hold aerobics class for him and two of the other staff members from 6-7, watch the sunrise, and make Pratab into a super-model. The next morning was great! With the backdrop of the mountains, we jogged, did some stretching and many “Meggie-G” inspired exercises. It was quite a sight!
During working hours, the outreach worker, Ashok, and the Peer Educator, Sultana, took me out in the field to see what they do every day. We started off by visiting some of the other peer educator’s homes. Basically, the Peer Educators are either FSWs themselves with strong leadership qualities, or they are social workers with strong connections to the FSW community. Each home I went to immediately offered me a glass of shady water and some kind of snack. Without really a choice, I downed the water to be polite, and I immediately gained their friendship. You know that feeling when you are out in a bar, and someone buys you that shot you know will put you over the edge, and you take it anyways? That was the feeling each and every sip of water…however, I was lucky….not too much nausea…and no hangover.
Anyways, all of the peer educators were so friendly. One of them insisted on giving me a bracelet. It was also very interesting to meet their families and husbands. If the peer educator is an FSW herself, her husband generally has no idea what her other part time job is. After visiting some of the homes, Sultana (who by the way is not an FSW, only an amazing social worker) held a female condom demonstration at one of the other PE’s homes which many FSWs from the community attended. Sultana is one of the most amazing women I have met. She is extremely strong, eloquent and commands the attention of a room. Even more amazing is the fact that I maybe speak 20 words of Hindi, and she speaks about 20 words of English, yet we understood each other perfectly well. The ability to connect and communicate was really exciting. The children of the FSWs were in and out of the home and I got to take some very adorable pictures. One child stuck in my head as he was walking around with an old empty petrol bottle tied around his neck as a makeshift drum and beating it with two sticks.
On our way back to the office, some sort of festival was going on and there was a parade of beautifully dressed women in brightly colored saris and some kind of a drumline. While walking by, the parade stopped and grabbed me to try and dance with them. After some photos and dancing, they continued to try and take me back with them and kept offering me khan (food). Ashok had to grab me by the arm and pull me out of the mob.
Later, we went to another PE’s (who was an FSW) home. She is currently pregnant, but she continues to earn money doing “booking.” She basically rents one of her rooms out to FSWs and books appointments for them. As a matter of fact, while we were there, a business transaction was taking place right then. There, I was also able to gain insight as to how the business works and learn how much the women were making. I was astonished by learning they can make up to 100$ a day which is probably an average shift working at Gelato in the States. I also learned that the women in Ajmer are generally very content on their career choice. Actually, 95% of them go into the business as a choice to make extra money for their family and for themselves while doing part time work at some kind of shop during the day. Only 5% are younger girls forced into it or sold into the business, but in that case, Vatsalya has a crisis management team who rescues the girls. It was here that I gained a very deep understanding about these women. Sultana asked me what I thought about her work, and when she realized I was all for it and just excited that people are unafraid to educate those people about HIV where others are too scared, she began to tear up. Many people look down on the FSWs and think the social work people should only do involves arresting the prostitutes as if getting them locked up would solve the problem. However, in Ajmer, the women tend to have a positive relationship with the police (even though prostitution is illegal in India) and use to police if someone is being violent towards to the women. I feel that if people want to end prostitution, by all means try and do it, but they must know prevention has to occur first, and that means it is not a quick fix by arresting and getting rid of the prostitutes. It involves community development and assuring that jobs are available for the women with adequate income. Additionally, they need to realize that a business cannot exist without customers. Therefore, education to the men, or some kind of moral preaching would have to go to both men and women if they want to end prostitution. Essentially, if people want to successfully end a business, they will need to abide by the laws of supply and demand and the market economy.
That evening, I was invited to one of the PE’s daughter’s birthday party. Her daughter’s name was Anshu, and she was turning nineteen. Sultana lent me a red and gold beautiful sari for the occasion. This experience was definitely one of the most bizarre experiences I have had in my life. I kind of felt like Alice in Wonderland going down t he rabbit hole. Because it was her birthday, Anshu was fasting, which allowed her to devote all of her attention to the guest of honor: me? At one point, she picked up my spoon, filled it with sabji, and I thought she was going to try and feed me, but luckily she just put it in my hand, and said, “Please try!” She then proceeded to turn my plate to make sure I had adequate space to each dish. I now feel like I have always been a very terrible host at all of my parties in the states. The hospitality did not end there. Her uncle brought up cashews and said I was not allowed to give them to anyone else: they were for me only. Her uncle and grandfather then continued to pour me whisky into my glass of Fanta. Later, when her father arrived, I was “adopted” into the family. He told me I now had a new Indian dad and that I was to be Anshu’s older sister. (This is really great, by the way, because if I happen to run out of dads in the states, I can just pick up a flight to India.) Anyways, before anything could become legal, Pratab and Sultana grabbed me and led me away. The whole experience was crazy but very fun!
After a few days in Ajmer, I returned to Jaipur for health camp at the Kavach project. I started out gathering a mob of truckers as I played the usual Snakes and Ladders and handing out prizes. Afterwards, I participated in the Street Play. Street play is one of the ways Kavach engages the truckers in HIV education and tells them about the clinic. Professional actors perform an improve skit with dancing and singing and drums and eventually discuss HIV. My role was Lala, a prostitute who refused business without the use of a condom. I did not have any lines, but I smiled, nodded, danced and clapped pretty well.
After the weekend in Jaipur, I began a very busy week, spending each night in a different place. A new volunteer from Germany, Kerstine, and I headed back to Ajmer for a health camp, and for a tiny bit of sightseeing. Tuesday morning, we visited Pushkar and the Brahman temple. It was very beautiful, except the fact that it was a huge way to scam foreigners. After the tour by a very nice guide, we were directed to a Mantra, a trained person who prays for us, performs a ceremony for us, and then asks for ridiculous amounts of money. To be clear, it is normal to give a donation at the end, no matter who you are. Usually for an Indian, up to a couple hundred rupees is probably appropriate. However, my Mantra first asked me how many people I had in my family. I said about 9-10. He then suggested very calmly and pleasantly that I might step over to the donation area and give 9-10 thousand rupees: enough for each family member to eat dinner. I was like…uuuuh are you kidding me? He told me he understood I am a student, but that I should really care more about my family. After making a comparably meager donation, he told me that the German donated more than me as an American. He was extremely disappointed in me and told me I might not have very good karma. I guess in my next life, I might come back as a squirrel or chipmunk: oh well.
Health camp for the women in the community was a very positive experience and was led by Sultana. It was only about 30% FSWs, but it was mostly geared toward general women’s health. Basically, the women would come in, register, see the doctor, describe the complaint, and obtain a prescription which they picked up at the counselor’s station. There are no physical exams administered, which was very interesting, but the complaints are generally Lower Abdominal Pain (PID) and apparently require a simple prescription. Sultana then talked about condoms again, and we were on our way.
The following day, I went back to Udayan for the identity workshop in the Jeep with Aasma, Parveen and Septiem, the children with whom I live in Jaipur. The Jeep does not have a radio, but who needs it when Aasma and Septiem sing gorgeously in Hindi?
The workshop went really well. The main objective of the exercise was for the children to be able to identify their different identities and take ownership of them. The children and staff began by writing a list of their identities (good and bad) and sharing them in small groups. They then thought of symbols for their identities they want to represent themselves with and made a collage of them. Following, we had a discussion regarding the views society has about some of their identities and how they were different than their own views. For example, one of their identities was being a child, and often adults view children as stupid or liars. To combat that, they must realize they are in control of how they are seen. If they view themselves as beautiful, truthful and intelligent, they can represent themselves that way and therefore be seen that way, or at least be strong enough to disregard negative views from others. After the discussion we sat in a circle, and I asked them to think about any bad events that have happened in their lives that have actually become identities. Sometimes events can have such a strong effect that they can become a part of us and make us doubt our self-worth. I then had them close their eyes and raise their hand if they one. About 4 out of 30 people raised their hands including me while most of them were extremely shy about revealing themselves. After sharing one of my negative identities, the ambience changed and the exercise became really beautiful. I explained that negative identities exist in everyone, but if you own it, and refuse to let it control your life, you can still do anything. We then repeated the exercise. This time 25 of them raised their hands, and we gave ourselves a round of applause. This simple gesture of recognizing their identity allowed them to take the first step in owning it and letting it go, and many of these children have horrific identities that need to be shed.
The workshop went so well, Jaimala decided I would do it right before I left for Delhi with the Upaanjen youth. Unfortunately, we only had 45 minutes so it was very condensed, but the students were really into it! I don’t think these young adults have ever thought about these issues before, so watching their eyes light up when we asked them to share their opinions for the first time was really exciting. From now on, the Upaanjen youth will be giving self presentations on Saturdays as an exercise to overcome the negative messages they are constantly receiving from both family and society. While many were shy and probably nervous, I think after seeing some of their peers shed the negativity and own themselves, they will become inevitably inspired.
During the past week, I was also able to do a little bit of shopping which was fun yet exhausting while I tried to continue being friendly towards the numerous scamming touts trying to lead me astray. Anyways, I settled on a few things: probably not the best quality and probably overpriced, but it was exhausting to just smile at some merchants so I still gave myself a pat on the back. My favorite thing I bought was a pair of 2$ earrings from a 14-15 yr old boy on the street. I paid 100 rupees, but I am well aware they might be worth 10 rupees, 20 tops. Anyways, the boy tried to tell me they were 500 rupees, and after laughing and joking around with him for a little while, his lazy eye and crooked smile tempted me to settling at 100. He then ran after me and gave me ring as a gift that was probably worth about 5 rupees. It was very sweet.
After a bitter sweet farewell party at Udayan, which included sugary sweet ghee treats and the usual wild dance moves, I headed to the identity workshop at Upaanjen, and to Delhi where I began an interesting journey to Thailand. First, I ended up sitting next to a man studying astrology and fortune telling on the bus. We had a very remarkable and interesting conversation. He told me all about the planets and how everything is written the moment you are born according to the way the planets were aligned. He seemed legit, so I put him to the test. 10:32 pm January 25th, 1987 Winfield, Illinois U.S.A….But, just like the birthday wish superstition, I’m not going to spill: that might ruin it.
The bus arrived at my stop at about 10pm, and I was helped by a very sweet man named Hans, who is about the age of my grandfather. He has dual citizenship to India and the US, and was on his way home to Houston where he has a jewelry business. He helped me get an auto and we rode together to the airport. We talked all about my adventures in India, Vatsalya, and the main culprit of all India’s problems: corruption. After sharing his dinner from his family with me and talking for about a half an hour at the airport, we were on our way. I seriously cannot believe my luck sometimes; although I am starting to believe it actually after hearing about how the planets might have a thing or two to do with it.
Anyways, I have now arrived safely in Thailand, and while I began the week with experiences leaving me with the feeling of falling through a tunnel drugged up on shrooms as Alice, I have now fallen out the other side upon the stunning Phang-Nga province, just north of Phuket Island. There is really nothing else to say besides breathtaking. I am volunteering for the NGO, FED (Foundation for Education and Development), previously GHRE. FED works with Burmese migrant workers and their children to advocate for the rights. My volunteer coordinator, Zurine, is really cool and so far I know I can really get used the Thai friendliness. My project plans are not really set in stone yet, but I do know I will be teaching in summer camp to start with. So far, I have really just been soaking up some rays and enjoying the gorgeous surroundings….and the occasional trip to 7/11 for some chewing gum and other necessities.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
प्रकाश और अंधेरे
(Light and Dark)
One does not become enlightened
by imagining figures of light
but by making the darkness conscious
The latter procedure, however
is disagreeable, and therefore not popular
Carl Jung
Finally, the moment I have been looking forward to since I have started planning this adventure: assimilation, adjustment, adaptation, integration, whatever you want to call it….the point where everything just kind of clicks has happened. It is the moment where I feel like I can truly be myself and where my personality and motives are genuinely coming across. There is no longer any hesitation or reluctance to dive into anything. Overall I feel like my energy is in the flow with India’s energy rather than fighting against it.
The week started when Jaimala, Hitesh and I went to a practical exam of sorts at the hotel/restaurant class at Upaanjen. The Upaanjen project might be my favorite project of Vatsalya and it has had tremendous success. At the end of the first cycle, they had 88% of their students successfully placed in jobs. We had a mock lunch, and one of the students cooked us absolutely delicious food that we ordered off a menu. We also had a dessert (compliments of the chef) called gajar ka halwa. It is made with carrots, sugar, raisins, almonds, pistachios, milk and ghee. Sounds weird, but it was so good! Anyways, who knew my experience at Caffe Gelato would come in handy here? After lunch we critiqued the service which was actually really good besides the lack of confidence. It is really amazing what kind of turnaround the students make. In the beginning of training, many of them were pretty broken and had never been told they can actually do something with their lives.
Back at Udayan, I have made some genuine connections with both the children and the staff and am feeling that my thoughts and actions are being well embraced. Bonding with all of the children this past week has been a dynamic experience as each child has shared their own eccentricities with me. When the smaller children come running, it usually implies I am to fulfill my duty to become a tree while they all become monkeys. Hanging out with the older boys, on the contrary, usually includes a full show-and-tell of their favorite actors/actresses/cricket players and pictures from their favorite movie: Doom 2. Being around all of the children has made a world of difference for me. I have said this many times before, and I believe it more and more everyday: kids are kids…no matter where in the world you go and no matter what language they speak. They are all essentially going through the same things, and I can for the most part, always connect with an issue they are going through. Or, it is at least much easier to relate and connect here than it was with the grown men truck drivers as a foreign white girl. Although I still learned a lot, connection was just not happening.
I am also really starting to connect with the staff. I feel like I know what I am doing here, they know what I am doing here, and I am really working in line with their flow. Earlier, I did not comprehend how anything was accomplished as I was seriously confused and agitated by the simple inefficiencies and interruptions, but for the most part, that has passed. The staff at Udayan is very open to all of my ideas, and I could talk to some of them for hours just entranced with new knowledge about the culture. While things work differently, and sometimes I even think ass backwards, I suppose I’m growing accustomed to it.
I was blessed with a very sweet moment on Saturday which actually reminded me of another quote by Emerson, "You cannot see the stars until it gets dark enough." (By the way, at Udayan, which is basically in the middle of nowhere, I can see more stars than I have ever seen in the states as the sky is so clear). Anyways, I had been working on documents and proposals for about 4-5 hours when my eyes basically succumbed to the pixels of the computer screen and I could no longer read. I was becoming frustrated with my own abilities and of course with that, self doubt and the fear of failure creeping in my thoughts led me to a much needed break and an inevitable moment that rinsed those fears away. As soon as I went to take some chai, 5 year old Davika pounced on me, 3 year old Chupnub began playing with my hair and I simultaneously taught five year old Chayneese tic-tac-toe. (He, of course, beat me every time). It’s really wonderful to be blessed with reassurance that my work here may mean something through the small interactions with the children. Whenever I become discouraged by my own misunderstanding of the culture or lack of knowledge about the work I am attempting, I only need to step outside to be reminded that conquering my discomfort is a small price to pay for a potentially large reward which is the honor to be able to serve some phenomenally strong children.
It is important for me to note that the encouragement I received from the moments I can share with the children is truly a blessing. The opportunity to regain assurance and recharge my empowerment is something I have come to value daily as I am continually witnessing the huge negative outcomes of an un-empowered society who does not witness the people their actions or inactions effect. For instance, I recently wrote a proposal for a rural women’s health initiative. I then came to learn, however, that there already is a very well structured rural women’s health initiative in place…by the government. However, like the JJ act, there is some great policy but horrific implementation. The people hired by the government apparently do not care about their job. How can someone who is responsible for the care of pregnant women and the birth of children not care about their job and their impact? According to the staff, their problem is corruption and laziness. I then came to the realization that corruption may work and infect in at least two directions. It can be trickled down from the powerful as greed infects people, or it can be embedded in the apathetic trait of the culture and grow from the roots of society. Both, I believe are present in this case. What makes me cringe though is how the latter is so preventable! If people are taught that their actions in fact make a difference, no matter how small, maybe they will feel more responsible for both their actions and inactions. The lack of innovation, creative problem solving and passion behind their actions is disheartening. For example, is it really the case that transportation is not provided for rural pregnant women from their villages to the health center that was actually built for them? And why? My guess is that no one spelled it out for the employees that they need to provide transportation for women in need of services. But then, why do they not think themselves to provide transportation to pregnant women who cannot drive themselves from the middle of nowhere to the health center? The situation does not end there. They also fail to give the supplemental education adequately that goes along with the health services. But why? Both services are written in the job description! How do the employees not care? This apathy exists everywhere in the world, and I just do not understand why. Some people truly do not believe their presence on earth has anything to do with anything or anyone else so they take a stance of apathy and protect themselves with numbness to many of the largest problems that are sometimes in their own backyard. The only thing I hope I am capable of doing here is empowering a few young people here, or maybe just one, and hope that that action might ripple into something greater. That long tangent, by the way, comes back to the fact that I really feel lucky to get close enough to the people I am affecting for a little daily motivation.
In spite of dealing with a few difficult realizations, I am still very optimistic as I have had a few successes. First, a date is set for next Wednesday for an identity workshop I am planning for those 13 and older. Secondly, I have written 6 proposals for either new projects or restructuring/reorganizing older projects. Many of these proposals involve adding a health curriculum into other projects Vatsalya already has started. I am also currently working on some volunteer scheduling documents and other odd jobs around Udayan. While continuing to work on these things, I am heading to Ajmer tomorrow for a few days, and back to Jaiupr and Udayan for my final week in India. I cannot believe I have already been here for three weeks. However, I am so glad I chose to come here for the amount of time I did. I definitely feel like I am working along the current of Indian culture.
Ah, lastly…if anyone is interested in some gorgeous handcrafted garments, jewelry or other works of artisanship, please check out www.anoothi.org. All of items are handmade by the rural women outside Jaipur, and the proceeds go to the women themselves and Udayan.
Also, if you would like to become a member of the 100$ pledge for Udayan, let me know. It is a commitment to donate 100$ a year to the children’s village. With the economic recession, many of the largest donors have had to pull the plug on their sponsorship. As a result, Vatsalya’s fundraising plans have changed, and they are now attempting to get 500 100$ members in the place of a few large donors. If you would like more information about Vatsalya, check out www.vatsalya.org.
And just for fun, and because I have been reading many quotes lately, I'll just leave some words that have resonated strongly with me this week by Nelson Mendela
Our deepest fear
is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that
we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not or darkness,
that frightens us
We ask ourselves, who am I
to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented
and fabulous?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people will
feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest the
glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us;
it is in everyone.
And as we let our light shine.
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
One does not become enlightened
by imagining figures of light
but by making the darkness conscious
The latter procedure, however
is disagreeable, and therefore not popular
Carl Jung
Finally, the moment I have been looking forward to since I have started planning this adventure: assimilation, adjustment, adaptation, integration, whatever you want to call it….the point where everything just kind of clicks has happened. It is the moment where I feel like I can truly be myself and where my personality and motives are genuinely coming across. There is no longer any hesitation or reluctance to dive into anything. Overall I feel like my energy is in the flow with India’s energy rather than fighting against it.
The week started when Jaimala, Hitesh and I went to a practical exam of sorts at the hotel/restaurant class at Upaanjen. The Upaanjen project might be my favorite project of Vatsalya and it has had tremendous success. At the end of the first cycle, they had 88% of their students successfully placed in jobs. We had a mock lunch, and one of the students cooked us absolutely delicious food that we ordered off a menu. We also had a dessert (compliments of the chef) called gajar ka halwa. It is made with carrots, sugar, raisins, almonds, pistachios, milk and ghee. Sounds weird, but it was so good! Anyways, who knew my experience at Caffe Gelato would come in handy here? After lunch we critiqued the service which was actually really good besides the lack of confidence. It is really amazing what kind of turnaround the students make. In the beginning of training, many of them were pretty broken and had never been told they can actually do something with their lives.
Back at Udayan, I have made some genuine connections with both the children and the staff and am feeling that my thoughts and actions are being well embraced. Bonding with all of the children this past week has been a dynamic experience as each child has shared their own eccentricities with me. When the smaller children come running, it usually implies I am to fulfill my duty to become a tree while they all become monkeys. Hanging out with the older boys, on the contrary, usually includes a full show-and-tell of their favorite actors/actresses/cricket players and pictures from their favorite movie: Doom 2. Being around all of the children has made a world of difference for me. I have said this many times before, and I believe it more and more everyday: kids are kids…no matter where in the world you go and no matter what language they speak. They are all essentially going through the same things, and I can for the most part, always connect with an issue they are going through. Or, it is at least much easier to relate and connect here than it was with the grown men truck drivers as a foreign white girl. Although I still learned a lot, connection was just not happening.
I am also really starting to connect with the staff. I feel like I know what I am doing here, they know what I am doing here, and I am really working in line with their flow. Earlier, I did not comprehend how anything was accomplished as I was seriously confused and agitated by the simple inefficiencies and interruptions, but for the most part, that has passed. The staff at Udayan is very open to all of my ideas, and I could talk to some of them for hours just entranced with new knowledge about the culture. While things work differently, and sometimes I even think ass backwards, I suppose I’m growing accustomed to it.
I was blessed with a very sweet moment on Saturday which actually reminded me of another quote by Emerson, "You cannot see the stars until it gets dark enough." (By the way, at Udayan, which is basically in the middle of nowhere, I can see more stars than I have ever seen in the states as the sky is so clear). Anyways, I had been working on documents and proposals for about 4-5 hours when my eyes basically succumbed to the pixels of the computer screen and I could no longer read. I was becoming frustrated with my own abilities and of course with that, self doubt and the fear of failure creeping in my thoughts led me to a much needed break and an inevitable moment that rinsed those fears away. As soon as I went to take some chai, 5 year old Davika pounced on me, 3 year old Chupnub began playing with my hair and I simultaneously taught five year old Chayneese tic-tac-toe. (He, of course, beat me every time). It’s really wonderful to be blessed with reassurance that my work here may mean something through the small interactions with the children. Whenever I become discouraged by my own misunderstanding of the culture or lack of knowledge about the work I am attempting, I only need to step outside to be reminded that conquering my discomfort is a small price to pay for a potentially large reward which is the honor to be able to serve some phenomenally strong children.
It is important for me to note that the encouragement I received from the moments I can share with the children is truly a blessing. The opportunity to regain assurance and recharge my empowerment is something I have come to value daily as I am continually witnessing the huge negative outcomes of an un-empowered society who does not witness the people their actions or inactions effect. For instance, I recently wrote a proposal for a rural women’s health initiative. I then came to learn, however, that there already is a very well structured rural women’s health initiative in place…by the government. However, like the JJ act, there is some great policy but horrific implementation. The people hired by the government apparently do not care about their job. How can someone who is responsible for the care of pregnant women and the birth of children not care about their job and their impact? According to the staff, their problem is corruption and laziness. I then came to the realization that corruption may work and infect in at least two directions. It can be trickled down from the powerful as greed infects people, or it can be embedded in the apathetic trait of the culture and grow from the roots of society. Both, I believe are present in this case. What makes me cringe though is how the latter is so preventable! If people are taught that their actions in fact make a difference, no matter how small, maybe they will feel more responsible for both their actions and inactions. The lack of innovation, creative problem solving and passion behind their actions is disheartening. For example, is it really the case that transportation is not provided for rural pregnant women from their villages to the health center that was actually built for them? And why? My guess is that no one spelled it out for the employees that they need to provide transportation for women in need of services. But then, why do they not think themselves to provide transportation to pregnant women who cannot drive themselves from the middle of nowhere to the health center? The situation does not end there. They also fail to give the supplemental education adequately that goes along with the health services. But why? Both services are written in the job description! How do the employees not care? This apathy exists everywhere in the world, and I just do not understand why. Some people truly do not believe their presence on earth has anything to do with anything or anyone else so they take a stance of apathy and protect themselves with numbness to many of the largest problems that are sometimes in their own backyard. The only thing I hope I am capable of doing here is empowering a few young people here, or maybe just one, and hope that that action might ripple into something greater. That long tangent, by the way, comes back to the fact that I really feel lucky to get close enough to the people I am affecting for a little daily motivation.
In spite of dealing with a few difficult realizations, I am still very optimistic as I have had a few successes. First, a date is set for next Wednesday for an identity workshop I am planning for those 13 and older. Secondly, I have written 6 proposals for either new projects or restructuring/reorganizing older projects. Many of these proposals involve adding a health curriculum into other projects Vatsalya already has started. I am also currently working on some volunteer scheduling documents and other odd jobs around Udayan. While continuing to work on these things, I am heading to Ajmer tomorrow for a few days, and back to Jaiupr and Udayan for my final week in India. I cannot believe I have already been here for three weeks. However, I am so glad I chose to come here for the amount of time I did. I definitely feel like I am working along the current of Indian culture.
Ah, lastly…if anyone is interested in some gorgeous handcrafted garments, jewelry or other works of artisanship, please check out www.anoothi.org. All of items are handmade by the rural women outside Jaipur, and the proceeds go to the women themselves and Udayan.
Also, if you would like to become a member of the 100$ pledge for Udayan, let me know. It is a commitment to donate 100$ a year to the children’s village. With the economic recession, many of the largest donors have had to pull the plug on their sponsorship. As a result, Vatsalya’s fundraising plans have changed, and they are now attempting to get 500 100$ members in the place of a few large donors. If you would like more information about Vatsalya, check out www.vatsalya.org.
And just for fun, and because I have been reading many quotes lately, I'll just leave some words that have resonated strongly with me this week by Nelson Mendela
Our deepest fear
is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that
we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not or darkness,
that frightens us
We ask ourselves, who am I
to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented
and fabulous?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people will
feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest the
glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us;
it is in everyone.
And as we let our light shine.
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
यह भारत है
(This is India)
So this past week, I have definitely had some frustrations. First of all, I don’t think I have ever appreciated the United States more than I have the past week. In the states, it doesn’t really matter if you are growing a beak and have a purple face. You will still be able to walk around alone and probably even safely. In India, as a foreign woman, my energy is constantly being drained as I am trying to walk around while ignoring stares, while also trying to fend off motorcycles after rickshaws after policemen trying to help and “show me the way” as if I am a lost damsel in distress.
The other day I was hiking in the same park Hitesh had taken me to last week. A fifty or so year old man came up to me and asked, of course, if I was married. I responded, “Absolutely!” to save myself from yet another discussion about western culture and women. It is much more fun to make up grandiose stories of my wedding and how I have two children waiting for me in the US than to give a cultural lesson about the differences of values in the East and West.
Traffic laws (or more like the unspoken rules of traffic) in India:
The right of way: Cows (the mother of all humans), camels, goats and goat herders, dogs, trucks, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles, pedestrians…in that order… or something like it…it really just depends on one’s perspective actually…maybe one day people go ahead of trucks, maybe the next day not so much…as Opa Ji says, “This is India.”
This week I have also really started to feel at home at the guesthouse. The other day, I was hanging out on the roof, and 14 year old Aasma (which means sky) came up. We spent a few hours giving each other dance lessons and then listening to both Western pop music and Indian pop music. She is now a fan of Elton John (<3 UDSST)! Others she liked were Sleepyhead by PassionPit, and Kids by MGMT…obviously. She then taught me how to make Chai the Assma way (5 more scoops of sugar than the already very sweet recipe) and let me help make dinner. I will definitely be coming home with some bangin Sabji (spicy vegetable) recipes!
During my stay in Kavach the past week, I have learned a ton on how to operate a truly grassroots initiative in HIV prevention. The whole operation is crude, blunt, in your face and hard core in the field. For instance, to engage the long-distance truckers in conversation about sex, the health care workers start “bodymapping” on the side of the road. Bodymapping is exactly what it sounds like. The health educator draws an outlandishly cartoonish figure of a woman and all the ways a man can correspondingly have sex with her. Then, they proceed to talk about which ways having sex are high risk for STI/HIV infection and how it can accordingly be prevented. Next, the truckers who have some kind of health concern are shown to the mobile satellite clinic. This is usually an abandoned garage or room of some sort with no walls separating the doc’s office from the “lobby”. In one of these clinics, the doc brings the patient to the back of the room underneath a dark staircase, asks him to drop his drawers, and then sees what is going on with a flashlight. So, overall the circumstances are extreme, but like Dr. Hitesh said earlier, start chaotic, and get structured later. The whole process is definitely chaotic, but I think it has to be in order to truly engage the truck drivers and appeal to their lifestyle. Overall, the process has a flow to it, and it definitely works and gets results.
Something else I have noted to be a little strange and pretty funny was the surprised look on Dr. Rahul’s face after he realized that during one of his teaching sessions with me about STIs and condoms, I had at least already been taught the basics. After his third lecture and demonstration about the proper way to use a condom, I told him, “Yep, I think I got it.” He said, “Really? You don’t know how to use a condom, a nice girl like you?” I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I then proceeded to tell him that I am no stranger to the banana demonstration because in the states, every 14/15 year old is shown proper technique. He was flabbergasted. In fact, this realization that people, especially adolescents, receive no formal health or sex education actually led me to a project I, with the guidance of Jaimala and Hitesh, will be embarking on.
During the next week, I will be heading back to Udayan for a couple of days and then two hours away to the Female Sex Worker project in Ajmer. My goals are to basically assess how Vatsalya conducts sex education to various populations and to also gauge the current level of knowledge about reproductive and sexual health. Currently, they have formal projects to educate the source population (female sex workers) and the bridge population (the long-distance truckers), but not yet the general population. In India, there is actually no public sex education which leaves the discussion of disease prevention to be quite taboo. I essentially hope to design a culturally sensitive health curriculum appropriate for the general population of street children and women who are susceptible to STI/HIV infection via the bridge populations. Each age group and subgroup will of course have a different curriculum. I will also hopefully get to discuss some acute situations going on at Udayan where there are always children in adolescence with corresponding health concerns.
So this past week, I have definitely had some frustrations. First of all, I don’t think I have ever appreciated the United States more than I have the past week. In the states, it doesn’t really matter if you are growing a beak and have a purple face. You will still be able to walk around alone and probably even safely. In India, as a foreign woman, my energy is constantly being drained as I am trying to walk around while ignoring stares, while also trying to fend off motorcycles after rickshaws after policemen trying to help and “show me the way” as if I am a lost damsel in distress.
The other day I was hiking in the same park Hitesh had taken me to last week. A fifty or so year old man came up to me and asked, of course, if I was married. I responded, “Absolutely!” to save myself from yet another discussion about western culture and women. It is much more fun to make up grandiose stories of my wedding and how I have two children waiting for me in the US than to give a cultural lesson about the differences of values in the East and West.
Traffic laws (or more like the unspoken rules of traffic) in India:
The right of way: Cows (the mother of all humans), camels, goats and goat herders, dogs, trucks, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles, pedestrians…in that order… or something like it…it really just depends on one’s perspective actually…maybe one day people go ahead of trucks, maybe the next day not so much…as Opa Ji says, “This is India.”
This week I have also really started to feel at home at the guesthouse. The other day, I was hanging out on the roof, and 14 year old Aasma (which means sky) came up. We spent a few hours giving each other dance lessons and then listening to both Western pop music and Indian pop music. She is now a fan of Elton John (<3 UDSST)! Others she liked were Sleepyhead by PassionPit, and Kids by MGMT…obviously. She then taught me how to make Chai the Assma way (5 more scoops of sugar than the already very sweet recipe) and let me help make dinner. I will definitely be coming home with some bangin Sabji (spicy vegetable) recipes!
During my stay in Kavach the past week, I have learned a ton on how to operate a truly grassroots initiative in HIV prevention. The whole operation is crude, blunt, in your face and hard core in the field. For instance, to engage the long-distance truckers in conversation about sex, the health care workers start “bodymapping” on the side of the road. Bodymapping is exactly what it sounds like. The health educator draws an outlandishly cartoonish figure of a woman and all the ways a man can correspondingly have sex with her. Then, they proceed to talk about which ways having sex are high risk for STI/HIV infection and how it can accordingly be prevented. Next, the truckers who have some kind of health concern are shown to the mobile satellite clinic. This is usually an abandoned garage or room of some sort with no walls separating the doc’s office from the “lobby”. In one of these clinics, the doc brings the patient to the back of the room underneath a dark staircase, asks him to drop his drawers, and then sees what is going on with a flashlight. So, overall the circumstances are extreme, but like Dr. Hitesh said earlier, start chaotic, and get structured later. The whole process is definitely chaotic, but I think it has to be in order to truly engage the truck drivers and appeal to their lifestyle. Overall, the process has a flow to it, and it definitely works and gets results.
Something else I have noted to be a little strange and pretty funny was the surprised look on Dr. Rahul’s face after he realized that during one of his teaching sessions with me about STIs and condoms, I had at least already been taught the basics. After his third lecture and demonstration about the proper way to use a condom, I told him, “Yep, I think I got it.” He said, “Really? You don’t know how to use a condom, a nice girl like you?” I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I then proceeded to tell him that I am no stranger to the banana demonstration because in the states, every 14/15 year old is shown proper technique. He was flabbergasted. In fact, this realization that people, especially adolescents, receive no formal health or sex education actually led me to a project I, with the guidance of Jaimala and Hitesh, will be embarking on.
During the next week, I will be heading back to Udayan for a couple of days and then two hours away to the Female Sex Worker project in Ajmer. My goals are to basically assess how Vatsalya conducts sex education to various populations and to also gauge the current level of knowledge about reproductive and sexual health. Currently, they have formal projects to educate the source population (female sex workers) and the bridge population (the long-distance truckers), but not yet the general population. In India, there is actually no public sex education which leaves the discussion of disease prevention to be quite taboo. I essentially hope to design a culturally sensitive health curriculum appropriate for the general population of street children and women who are susceptible to STI/HIV infection via the bridge populations. Each age group and subgroup will of course have a different curriculum. I will also hopefully get to discuss some acute situations going on at Udayan where there are always children in adolescence with corresponding health concerns.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
नमस्ते दीदी!
(Namaste Didi!)
So this past week has been filled with so many new things, it feels like I have already done a month’s worth of living! First off: funny story. I arrive in Delhi airport, and I am looking around for what was described to me as a “tall handsome young man named Ravindra” to pick me up. Okay, so there were basically just many short older men with long beards, many with some type of turban, and let’s just say instinct told me none of these were Ravindra. So, I went to the payphone and called Vatsalya’s office, which to my luck was still open. The CEO of Vatsalya, Dr. Hitesh Gupta answered and he did not seem to have any idea that there was a volunteer named Vicki that was supposed to arrive. He then instructed me to call his wife, Jaimala (the one with the original brilliant vision of Vatsalya). I did just that, and upon hearing her sincere and welcoming voice full of panic, I knew I would eventually be in warm and good hands. Apparently, Jaimala marked the wrong date on her calendar, but I reassured her I wasn’t worried and that I was flexible. There are mistakes people make because they are heartless and careless, and there are mistakes people make because they are so warm they say yes to everyone and simply mark the wrong date. By the way, I make the same kind of mistakes all the time. Anyways, she immediately arranged a taxi to pick me up, and about 6 hours later, after about 22ish hrs of traveling, I arrived at Udayan (meaning to rise above) Children’s village outside Jaipur.
Udayan is kind of set up like a shrunken college campus, but it is run similarly to a summer camp. Although, I only use those two for a basis of comparison, because in reality, Udayan is unique in its fundamentals, and therefore, nothing else to which it can compare exists. Udayan is a rehabilitation center, an educational facility, a place of athleticism and creativity, and most importantly a home and a place where family exists for over fifty orphaned street children from Jaipur. They come from some of the most horrific and abusive circumstances, yet upon arriving here and observing for one day, one might never know that these children had once been viewed as nothing but potential rag-pickers. At Udayan, they have a voice, they are allowed to dream, and more importantly, they are encouraged to reach those dreams as well.
Other volunteers here are Elma and Charlotte, from Denmark and “Opa Ji,” an old wise man from Antwerp, Belgium. On Sunday we went to Jaimala’s house for a special lunch and endless chai. First impressions of the food were excellent! First of all, it’s so nice to have some well prepared vegetarian food! Although, it did take a few days to get used to the art of eating with only my pure right hand and possibly a spoon.
Tuesday I went back to the office in Jaipur to meet with both Jaimala and Hitesh about the fundamentals and inner workings of Vatsalya. Vatsalya is the mother NGO that umbrellas many brilliant projects. The projects are basically divided into three branches: the first for education of street children which is usually headed by Jaimala, the second being for health promotion which is usually led by Hitesh, and the third branch which focuses on women's empowerment. The third branch actually differentiates itself into a separate organization called Anoothi. However, because education, health and women's issues so often criss-cross each other, there are also many criss-crossing projects, and the structure of Vatsalya is definitely fluid enough to operate them. Vatsalya attempts to fulfill the gap between the government and the laws they pass for the people and the actual people. For instance, the Juvenile Justice Act (otherwise known as the JJ act) certainly is a wonderful proposition for the street children of India, however, the standards the government officials are held to are pathetic, and there is absolutely no accountability within the system. Jaimala has envisioned a place like Udayan her entire life. However, she has also witnessed gaps between the government and the people in many aspects, so in each instance there is a gap, Vatsalya is attempting a way to fill it.
After learning about all of the inner workings of this brilliant NGO, I went sightseeing with Renu, one of the office staff, in Jaipur. So, Renu is great and ever so friendly; however, our communication was not going too well. Example: on the bicycle rickshaw ride to the restaurant (more like an Indian deli/bakery), she asks if I prefer heavy food or light food. I prefer light food. So, we arrive and she ordered for us. On the plate under a flooded bath of sour cream are 4 doughy dense ‘biscuits’ (for lack of a better word). Of course, in India, it is also rude and highly insulting if one does not finish their plate, which in this case would have required scooping up mounds of soupy sour cream. Pathetic as it sounds, I wanted to cry as I knew my barely lactose tolerant stomach was as well wincing at the plate.
After lunch, Renu says, “Heavy lunch, no?”
REALLY?!
Another frustration I have learned to deal with: It does not matter if I am telling someone that I have absolute proof that the apocalypse is coming tomorrow because if their cell phone rings, they will answer. Or, if someone comes in during a meeting to have a separate conversation entirely, no big deal…I will just be waiting on the edge of my seat. Jaimala explained that because everything is so informal, it is perfectly okay to interrupt, and since I am a volunteer, it is like I am a part of the Vatsalya family, so there is no need for formality. So, if I come back to the states constantly interrupting you, let it be known I only think of you as family.
Tuesday and Wednesday I stayed overnight at the guesthouse in Jaipur. Each morning I went to a different park to do some breathing exercises (yoga) and meditation. Hitesh took me to the second park which is absolutely stunning. There are tons of side paths you can take and hills to climb. You could explore the park for a whole day and still not get to everything. It was a dream come true! We went around 7am and all around were people meditating or exercising. It is such a peaceful way to start the day. Jaimala described meditation to me this way. You go to medical school to study medicine, law school to study law, or read literature to develop language, but where do you go to study yourself, or what textbook do you read? That’s where meditation comes in. During so, you study yourself and your “inner god”. Another thing I really appreciate about yoga is that during meditation, you exercise your mind, yet through concentration of breathing, you exercise your lungs and other organs. Simultaneously, you can exercise your muscles with exercises that western yoga is known for. Since everything is connected in the body, it really only makes sense.
Later Thursday, I visited the Kavach project which is where I will be working starting the 3rd. Kavach is the HIV/AIDS prevention education project that targets truckers in Jaipur. Interestingly, India was one of the last countries to be affected by the virus, yet it spread faster here than any other country. I am basically working in an office near a trucker rest stop with about 8-10 guys. 1-2 are physicians, some do direct outreach and education, and some are in charge of bringing back truckers from the rest stop to the office for a check-up with the doctor if the person believes he has a medical issue. So far, I only have a slight overview of the project, but I have gathered so far that the staff is very friendly and eager to hear all about a 23 year old unmarried white girl from the USA trying to be a doctor. Although communication isn’t 100% accurate, I have been made well aware of the fact that I am working with all grown men (which tends to be something I’m good at). I have also been made aware that while talking about HIV prevention with this population, I’m basically just teaching sex ed., and with that, the more crude and blunt, the more effective. At least that is what I have observed after I have seen their interesting hand drawn anatomical figures showing all of the fluids and doors, and, yes, positions, that HIV is often transmitted. I can’t wait to get started!
Friday I had the honor of visiting one of the rural homes of a woman who is part of the Anoothi women’s empowerment project. On the way there, I saw some homes made of what seemed like mud or clay and many sinking roofs. Her home, however was very tranquil and pleasant. One thing I have noticed about poor families and poor people here is that they still manage happiness despite their obstacles. They don’t tend to place blame on anyone or devote their energy to negativity. On the contrary, they keep moving forward and find joy in what they do have: which is food, family and other loved ones. The people in both the slums and the rural villages that I have seen are not in extreme poverty struggling for survival although they are poor. Therefore, I think a great lesson can be learned from them being as fortunate as myself. When you have the means to survive and even have the means to save a small amount, you have stepped on the first rung on the ladder of economic development (currently I’m reading The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs…so far he may be a genius). When this happens, you have the ability to look forward and to be joyful in the present. It’s interesting and even sad how many far up on the economic ladder struggle to find joy in the present and in what they do have.
Anyways, while at her home, another cultural difference between eating habits was thrown at me. About 5 women prepared breakfast/lunch for Ravindra and I, and of course it was their finest food. And although everything was absolutely delicious, I felt quite odd eating while all of those women plus about five more family members made a half-circle around the two of us and stared while captivated at us eating. Seriously…it freaked me out. And of course, after you finish one chapatti, someone immediately fetches a plate of 5 more chapattis, and while I am gracious for their hospitality, it definitely felt a bizarre, if not a little creepy. They stared at every bite I took, and they were not even eating anything. It was weird. But, I do know that from their point of view, it was a great opportunity if not honor to host me, and in turn it felt an honor to be treated so well.
Saturday, the volunteers and I headed to the Upaarjan/Samvedna project. This project is directed toward the uneducated slum youth. Basically the project has two branches. Part of Upaarjan is directed at bringing in youths between the ages 18-35 to give them a crash 3-month course in some sort of vocation and then help them find a job. Many of these youths did not receive a childhood education and spent much of their time on the streets sometimes only learning to pick-pocket or sell odd things they find in order to make a living. This project aims to give them a prospective career in the hotel/restaurant business or tailoring, carpentry, etc. Each course also has a supplementary English course where they can learn the basics as well as jargon for their business. Once the three months has almost ended, the staff returns to the slums to find more youth to enter the program. The Samvedna branch of the program advocates health/hygiene and some sort of education to the slum children. These children have homes to go to and are not orphans; however, often the children do not go to school and resort to spending their leisure time on the streets. This aspect of the project delivers one day workshops or camps to these children regarding health/hygiene and sometimes simply gives them a day of fun. Friday was health camp/fun day in a slum about 3 blocks away from the Upaarjan office site. Also note, there was absolutely no advertising necessary because when 4 white girls are walking around in a slum with cameras, people, especially children, flock. The first thing we did was hand out fliers about the upcoming 3 month course for youths. During this time, after seeing our cameras, many children congregated around us and insisted we give them a photo shoot. After passing out fliers, we had a truck equipped with a giant hose come by, and we proceeded to give about fifty kids a bath. After much improvisation, we came up with some kind of assembly line as we had two people lathering up soap, one person drying (me), one person putting oil in the hair, and the final person clipping nails and trimming hair.
Afterwards, we had about fifty clean kids joined by 25 or so who came to see what the commotion was about follow us to a park where we gave them coloring materials. That part was absolutely INSANE! Because most of these children have never had a consistent formal education, their lack of discipline was tremendously overwhelming. My simple task of handing out crayons turned out to be a nightmare, and if presented with the same opportunity again, I would definitely have handled it differently. As I went to the first group of 4-5 children with some crayons, 90% of the children (even the older ones) came rushing at me, and pleaded with me to give them crayons. And, even after they received some, they would come back for more until the point where I was sitting down with a pile of crayons in a mob of children. Seriously, they did not even have the discipline to wait until I came around. There were plenty of crayons to go around! It was absolutely nuts! What worries me is thinking about what will happen to these children when they’re older. How can one find a job when one cannot even follow a simple instruction or have 2 minutes of patience? What I also had to learn to deal with was that we were providing one day of temporary fun and entertainment to the children who otherwise may not have had a bath or any sort of productive fun that day. Although it was in fact a good deed, the hardest part was to walk away, especially when they began following us and asking for money, reminding us of their grim circumstances. I have learned to understand that sometimes giving only a few hours of happiness is possible, but it still makes an impact no matter how small it feels. India is currently taking many steps to make the quality of life better for its people, and in the meantime, I think all children deserve at least a small outlet to experience joy, no matter how chaotic it might be to get through that outlet. Dr. Gupta told me it is much better to develop by going from chaos to organization than organization to chaos. After considering that, I definitely agree and only hope to be able to deliver just a small amount of happiness to children more often. Saturday night concluded my volunteer introduction with a traditional Hindi welcome party by the children at Udayan. Picture this: elementary school sock-hop with some interesting Indian techno dance music, equally interesting dance moves, and a 70 year old Belgian man joining in the fun. It was definitely a great end to a full day.
Sunday, I had the privilege to see the results of Jaimala’s initial vision of Udayan come to life. It was science day at Udayan! (Health/Hygiene Saturday… science Sunday…I am so blessed!!!) Essentially, the children prepared a science fair and about ten children gave an eloquent presentation with visual aids and demonstrations about their experiments. They included a light refraction demonstration through both water and glass to produce a rainbow, a pH demonstration to differentiate acidity and alkalinity, a thorough description of the human digestion system (with a beautiful hand-drawn diagram), magnet demonstrations, homemade cellular slides and it goes on. Listening to each presentation and also listening to their answers of Dr. Gupta’s probing questions was so moving. They clearly had mastered the material, and it just proves that all children, given the support, have unimaginable potential.
Sunday night kicked off Holi! Holi is a Hindi festival of colors celebrated in Rajasthan and other parts of northern India. In order to truly participate in the event, us white volunteers were decorated with some Henna (compliments of the talented 18 yr old Manju at Udayan) and some traditional Indian clothes. The children all said we looked beautiful. I honestly looked like a huge bottle of Pepto Bismal in light pink balloon looking pants and a matching shirt-dress. To kick off the holiday, we had a bonfire at dusk. The beautiful thing about this event was that all of the children thought about the abuse and exploitation they had suffered and physically threw it in the fire (via some sort of stick) and watched it go up in flames. It was very touching to see how resilient children truly are.
HOLI COW! The Holi festival began full force after breakfast on Monday. Okay, if anyone remembers the Glenbrook North hazing incident of 2003 (if not refer to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9xbP18_0B4), picture that. That is virtually Holi. Okay, no, not really, because in Holi, there is no one with the upper hand. Everyone is at risk for getting slaughtered in mud (or if you’re honored, cow dung) but most importantly, COLOR! It starts out innocent enough…everyone running around with bags of powdered brilliant colors and smacking handfuls of it on each other. Then, once you are colored head to toe in pink, red, purple, blue, green, and yellow, someone drags you to a “bath” (either to a where a hose has been placed and created some kind of mud pit or if you’re lucky, into a “cleaned out” cow trough). Then, shoooot…all “clean”? More color, sand, and mud to come! As the day progressed, everyone was completely unrecognizable as they had been dragged through mud and had color stuffed in their faces. Not to mention, all of the boys’ clothes had been ripped off and the girls’ at least had gigantic holes. Everyone’s hair was either filled of different colors, or in my case, all of the color, mud and sand had kind of fused together to form some sort of glob on the top of my head. The Holi colors represent energy, life and joy, and the festival was actually exhilarating to be a part of especially regarding the circumstances at Udayan. After shedding and burning the abuse the night before, everyone smacked each other with joy and energy the following day. The afternoon came to a close with music and everyone dancing in the playground of Udayan to Indian party music in our filth. It was kind of tribal, kind of liberating, kind of beautiful…mostly gross though. Following the celebration, I took a nice long bucket shower and shampooed my hair about three times. I do not think my travel size soaps prepared me for Holi.
So today is really just a transition day. I have arrived back at the guesthouse in Jaipur where I am staying the rest of the month. I have basically just been doing some logistical things and preparing for my work at the Kavach site. In doing so, I have decided to make a checklist for any foreigner attempting to purchase an Indian SIM card as doing so today proved to be the biggest hassle of my life.
Things you will definitely need (if you apply today)
1.) Copy of passport (signed)
2.) Copy of Indian VISA (signed)
3.) Copy of Driver’s license or some other proof of permanent address (US passports do not have your permanent address on them) (also signed)
4.) Passport size photograph (signed)….no….scratch that…instead, an official passport photograph is actually not accepted as it looks like one may have cut it out of a larger picture (REALLY?!)…instead proceed to a professional photographer to obtain a smaller photograph with a red backdrop and white border (the border is essential as it PROVES you did not cut the picture yourself…SERIOUSLY?!)
5.) Signed certificate of some sort from your local residence with contact information
5a.) Actually, also bring the Indian citizen who signed the certificate with you as to make the vendor absolutely certain there is no forgery (along with his or her ID obviously)
6.) Completed application
Things I anticipate one needing in the future
1.) Finger prints
2.) Consent to a full background check (although that may already be taking place without consent)
3.) Also, if you have any unpaid parking violations in your home country, I also anticipate your application to be either delayed in processing or denied altogether.
So this past week has been filled with so many new things, it feels like I have already done a month’s worth of living! First off: funny story. I arrive in Delhi airport, and I am looking around for what was described to me as a “tall handsome young man named Ravindra” to pick me up. Okay, so there were basically just many short older men with long beards, many with some type of turban, and let’s just say instinct told me none of these were Ravindra. So, I went to the payphone and called Vatsalya’s office, which to my luck was still open. The CEO of Vatsalya, Dr. Hitesh Gupta answered and he did not seem to have any idea that there was a volunteer named Vicki that was supposed to arrive. He then instructed me to call his wife, Jaimala (the one with the original brilliant vision of Vatsalya). I did just that, and upon hearing her sincere and welcoming voice full of panic, I knew I would eventually be in warm and good hands. Apparently, Jaimala marked the wrong date on her calendar, but I reassured her I wasn’t worried and that I was flexible. There are mistakes people make because they are heartless and careless, and there are mistakes people make because they are so warm they say yes to everyone and simply mark the wrong date. By the way, I make the same kind of mistakes all the time. Anyways, she immediately arranged a taxi to pick me up, and about 6 hours later, after about 22ish hrs of traveling, I arrived at Udayan (meaning to rise above) Children’s village outside Jaipur.
Udayan is kind of set up like a shrunken college campus, but it is run similarly to a summer camp. Although, I only use those two for a basis of comparison, because in reality, Udayan is unique in its fundamentals, and therefore, nothing else to which it can compare exists. Udayan is a rehabilitation center, an educational facility, a place of athleticism and creativity, and most importantly a home and a place where family exists for over fifty orphaned street children from Jaipur. They come from some of the most horrific and abusive circumstances, yet upon arriving here and observing for one day, one might never know that these children had once been viewed as nothing but potential rag-pickers. At Udayan, they have a voice, they are allowed to dream, and more importantly, they are encouraged to reach those dreams as well.
Other volunteers here are Elma and Charlotte, from Denmark and “Opa Ji,” an old wise man from Antwerp, Belgium. On Sunday we went to Jaimala’s house for a special lunch and endless chai. First impressions of the food were excellent! First of all, it’s so nice to have some well prepared vegetarian food! Although, it did take a few days to get used to the art of eating with only my pure right hand and possibly a spoon.
Tuesday I went back to the office in Jaipur to meet with both Jaimala and Hitesh about the fundamentals and inner workings of Vatsalya. Vatsalya is the mother NGO that umbrellas many brilliant projects. The projects are basically divided into three branches: the first for education of street children which is usually headed by Jaimala, the second being for health promotion which is usually led by Hitesh, and the third branch which focuses on women's empowerment. The third branch actually differentiates itself into a separate organization called Anoothi. However, because education, health and women's issues so often criss-cross each other, there are also many criss-crossing projects, and the structure of Vatsalya is definitely fluid enough to operate them. Vatsalya attempts to fulfill the gap between the government and the laws they pass for the people and the actual people. For instance, the Juvenile Justice Act (otherwise known as the JJ act) certainly is a wonderful proposition for the street children of India, however, the standards the government officials are held to are pathetic, and there is absolutely no accountability within the system. Jaimala has envisioned a place like Udayan her entire life. However, she has also witnessed gaps between the government and the people in many aspects, so in each instance there is a gap, Vatsalya is attempting a way to fill it.
After learning about all of the inner workings of this brilliant NGO, I went sightseeing with Renu, one of the office staff, in Jaipur. So, Renu is great and ever so friendly; however, our communication was not going too well. Example: on the bicycle rickshaw ride to the restaurant (more like an Indian deli/bakery), she asks if I prefer heavy food or light food. I prefer light food. So, we arrive and she ordered for us. On the plate under a flooded bath of sour cream are 4 doughy dense ‘biscuits’ (for lack of a better word). Of course, in India, it is also rude and highly insulting if one does not finish their plate, which in this case would have required scooping up mounds of soupy sour cream. Pathetic as it sounds, I wanted to cry as I knew my barely lactose tolerant stomach was as well wincing at the plate.
After lunch, Renu says, “Heavy lunch, no?”
REALLY?!
Another frustration I have learned to deal with: It does not matter if I am telling someone that I have absolute proof that the apocalypse is coming tomorrow because if their cell phone rings, they will answer. Or, if someone comes in during a meeting to have a separate conversation entirely, no big deal…I will just be waiting on the edge of my seat. Jaimala explained that because everything is so informal, it is perfectly okay to interrupt, and since I am a volunteer, it is like I am a part of the Vatsalya family, so there is no need for formality. So, if I come back to the states constantly interrupting you, let it be known I only think of you as family.
Tuesday and Wednesday I stayed overnight at the guesthouse in Jaipur. Each morning I went to a different park to do some breathing exercises (yoga) and meditation. Hitesh took me to the second park which is absolutely stunning. There are tons of side paths you can take and hills to climb. You could explore the park for a whole day and still not get to everything. It was a dream come true! We went around 7am and all around were people meditating or exercising. It is such a peaceful way to start the day. Jaimala described meditation to me this way. You go to medical school to study medicine, law school to study law, or read literature to develop language, but where do you go to study yourself, or what textbook do you read? That’s where meditation comes in. During so, you study yourself and your “inner god”. Another thing I really appreciate about yoga is that during meditation, you exercise your mind, yet through concentration of breathing, you exercise your lungs and other organs. Simultaneously, you can exercise your muscles with exercises that western yoga is known for. Since everything is connected in the body, it really only makes sense.
Later Thursday, I visited the Kavach project which is where I will be working starting the 3rd. Kavach is the HIV/AIDS prevention education project that targets truckers in Jaipur. Interestingly, India was one of the last countries to be affected by the virus, yet it spread faster here than any other country. I am basically working in an office near a trucker rest stop with about 8-10 guys. 1-2 are physicians, some do direct outreach and education, and some are in charge of bringing back truckers from the rest stop to the office for a check-up with the doctor if the person believes he has a medical issue. So far, I only have a slight overview of the project, but I have gathered so far that the staff is very friendly and eager to hear all about a 23 year old unmarried white girl from the USA trying to be a doctor. Although communication isn’t 100% accurate, I have been made well aware of the fact that I am working with all grown men (which tends to be something I’m good at). I have also been made aware that while talking about HIV prevention with this population, I’m basically just teaching sex ed., and with that, the more crude and blunt, the more effective. At least that is what I have observed after I have seen their interesting hand drawn anatomical figures showing all of the fluids and doors, and, yes, positions, that HIV is often transmitted. I can’t wait to get started!
Friday I had the honor of visiting one of the rural homes of a woman who is part of the Anoothi women’s empowerment project. On the way there, I saw some homes made of what seemed like mud or clay and many sinking roofs. Her home, however was very tranquil and pleasant. One thing I have noticed about poor families and poor people here is that they still manage happiness despite their obstacles. They don’t tend to place blame on anyone or devote their energy to negativity. On the contrary, they keep moving forward and find joy in what they do have: which is food, family and other loved ones. The people in both the slums and the rural villages that I have seen are not in extreme poverty struggling for survival although they are poor. Therefore, I think a great lesson can be learned from them being as fortunate as myself. When you have the means to survive and even have the means to save a small amount, you have stepped on the first rung on the ladder of economic development (currently I’m reading The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs…so far he may be a genius). When this happens, you have the ability to look forward and to be joyful in the present. It’s interesting and even sad how many far up on the economic ladder struggle to find joy in the present and in what they do have.
Anyways, while at her home, another cultural difference between eating habits was thrown at me. About 5 women prepared breakfast/lunch for Ravindra and I, and of course it was their finest food. And although everything was absolutely delicious, I felt quite odd eating while all of those women plus about five more family members made a half-circle around the two of us and stared while captivated at us eating. Seriously…it freaked me out. And of course, after you finish one chapatti, someone immediately fetches a plate of 5 more chapattis, and while I am gracious for their hospitality, it definitely felt a bizarre, if not a little creepy. They stared at every bite I took, and they were not even eating anything. It was weird. But, I do know that from their point of view, it was a great opportunity if not honor to host me, and in turn it felt an honor to be treated so well.
Saturday, the volunteers and I headed to the Upaarjan/Samvedna project. This project is directed toward the uneducated slum youth. Basically the project has two branches. Part of Upaarjan is directed at bringing in youths between the ages 18-35 to give them a crash 3-month course in some sort of vocation and then help them find a job. Many of these youths did not receive a childhood education and spent much of their time on the streets sometimes only learning to pick-pocket or sell odd things they find in order to make a living. This project aims to give them a prospective career in the hotel/restaurant business or tailoring, carpentry, etc. Each course also has a supplementary English course where they can learn the basics as well as jargon for their business. Once the three months has almost ended, the staff returns to the slums to find more youth to enter the program. The Samvedna branch of the program advocates health/hygiene and some sort of education to the slum children. These children have homes to go to and are not orphans; however, often the children do not go to school and resort to spending their leisure time on the streets. This aspect of the project delivers one day workshops or camps to these children regarding health/hygiene and sometimes simply gives them a day of fun. Friday was health camp/fun day in a slum about 3 blocks away from the Upaarjan office site. Also note, there was absolutely no advertising necessary because when 4 white girls are walking around in a slum with cameras, people, especially children, flock. The first thing we did was hand out fliers about the upcoming 3 month course for youths. During this time, after seeing our cameras, many children congregated around us and insisted we give them a photo shoot. After passing out fliers, we had a truck equipped with a giant hose come by, and we proceeded to give about fifty kids a bath. After much improvisation, we came up with some kind of assembly line as we had two people lathering up soap, one person drying (me), one person putting oil in the hair, and the final person clipping nails and trimming hair.
Afterwards, we had about fifty clean kids joined by 25 or so who came to see what the commotion was about follow us to a park where we gave them coloring materials. That part was absolutely INSANE! Because most of these children have never had a consistent formal education, their lack of discipline was tremendously overwhelming. My simple task of handing out crayons turned out to be a nightmare, and if presented with the same opportunity again, I would definitely have handled it differently. As I went to the first group of 4-5 children with some crayons, 90% of the children (even the older ones) came rushing at me, and pleaded with me to give them crayons. And, even after they received some, they would come back for more until the point where I was sitting down with a pile of crayons in a mob of children. Seriously, they did not even have the discipline to wait until I came around. There were plenty of crayons to go around! It was absolutely nuts! What worries me is thinking about what will happen to these children when they’re older. How can one find a job when one cannot even follow a simple instruction or have 2 minutes of patience? What I also had to learn to deal with was that we were providing one day of temporary fun and entertainment to the children who otherwise may not have had a bath or any sort of productive fun that day. Although it was in fact a good deed, the hardest part was to walk away, especially when they began following us and asking for money, reminding us of their grim circumstances. I have learned to understand that sometimes giving only a few hours of happiness is possible, but it still makes an impact no matter how small it feels. India is currently taking many steps to make the quality of life better for its people, and in the meantime, I think all children deserve at least a small outlet to experience joy, no matter how chaotic it might be to get through that outlet. Dr. Gupta told me it is much better to develop by going from chaos to organization than organization to chaos. After considering that, I definitely agree and only hope to be able to deliver just a small amount of happiness to children more often. Saturday night concluded my volunteer introduction with a traditional Hindi welcome party by the children at Udayan. Picture this: elementary school sock-hop with some interesting Indian techno dance music, equally interesting dance moves, and a 70 year old Belgian man joining in the fun. It was definitely a great end to a full day.
Sunday, I had the privilege to see the results of Jaimala’s initial vision of Udayan come to life. It was science day at Udayan! (Health/Hygiene Saturday… science Sunday…I am so blessed!!!) Essentially, the children prepared a science fair and about ten children gave an eloquent presentation with visual aids and demonstrations about their experiments. They included a light refraction demonstration through both water and glass to produce a rainbow, a pH demonstration to differentiate acidity and alkalinity, a thorough description of the human digestion system (with a beautiful hand-drawn diagram), magnet demonstrations, homemade cellular slides and it goes on. Listening to each presentation and also listening to their answers of Dr. Gupta’s probing questions was so moving. They clearly had mastered the material, and it just proves that all children, given the support, have unimaginable potential.
Sunday night kicked off Holi! Holi is a Hindi festival of colors celebrated in Rajasthan and other parts of northern India. In order to truly participate in the event, us white volunteers were decorated with some Henna (compliments of the talented 18 yr old Manju at Udayan) and some traditional Indian clothes. The children all said we looked beautiful. I honestly looked like a huge bottle of Pepto Bismal in light pink balloon looking pants and a matching shirt-dress. To kick off the holiday, we had a bonfire at dusk. The beautiful thing about this event was that all of the children thought about the abuse and exploitation they had suffered and physically threw it in the fire (via some sort of stick) and watched it go up in flames. It was very touching to see how resilient children truly are.
HOLI COW! The Holi festival began full force after breakfast on Monday. Okay, if anyone remembers the Glenbrook North hazing incident of 2003 (if not refer to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9xbP18_0B4), picture that. That is virtually Holi. Okay, no, not really, because in Holi, there is no one with the upper hand. Everyone is at risk for getting slaughtered in mud (or if you’re honored, cow dung) but most importantly, COLOR! It starts out innocent enough…everyone running around with bags of powdered brilliant colors and smacking handfuls of it on each other. Then, once you are colored head to toe in pink, red, purple, blue, green, and yellow, someone drags you to a “bath” (either to a where a hose has been placed and created some kind of mud pit or if you’re lucky, into a “cleaned out” cow trough). Then, shoooot…all “clean”? More color, sand, and mud to come! As the day progressed, everyone was completely unrecognizable as they had been dragged through mud and had color stuffed in their faces. Not to mention, all of the boys’ clothes had been ripped off and the girls’ at least had gigantic holes. Everyone’s hair was either filled of different colors, or in my case, all of the color, mud and sand had kind of fused together to form some sort of glob on the top of my head. The Holi colors represent energy, life and joy, and the festival was actually exhilarating to be a part of especially regarding the circumstances at Udayan. After shedding and burning the abuse the night before, everyone smacked each other with joy and energy the following day. The afternoon came to a close with music and everyone dancing in the playground of Udayan to Indian party music in our filth. It was kind of tribal, kind of liberating, kind of beautiful…mostly gross though. Following the celebration, I took a nice long bucket shower and shampooed my hair about three times. I do not think my travel size soaps prepared me for Holi.
So today is really just a transition day. I have arrived back at the guesthouse in Jaipur where I am staying the rest of the month. I have basically just been doing some logistical things and preparing for my work at the Kavach site. In doing so, I have decided to make a checklist for any foreigner attempting to purchase an Indian SIM card as doing so today proved to be the biggest hassle of my life.
Things you will definitely need (if you apply today)
1.) Copy of passport (signed)
2.) Copy of Indian VISA (signed)
3.) Copy of Driver’s license or some other proof of permanent address (US passports do not have your permanent address on them) (also signed)
4.) Passport size photograph (signed)….no….scratch that…instead, an official passport photograph is actually not accepted as it looks like one may have cut it out of a larger picture (REALLY?!)…instead proceed to a professional photographer to obtain a smaller photograph with a red backdrop and white border (the border is essential as it PROVES you did not cut the picture yourself…SERIOUSLY?!)
5.) Signed certificate of some sort from your local residence with contact information
5a.) Actually, also bring the Indian citizen who signed the certificate with you as to make the vendor absolutely certain there is no forgery (along with his or her ID obviously)
6.) Completed application
Things I anticipate one needing in the future
1.) Finger prints
2.) Consent to a full background check (although that may already be taking place without consent)
3.) Also, if you have any unpaid parking violations in your home country, I also anticipate your application to be either delayed in processing or denied altogether.
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