Dear friends and family,
I’m sure that heading has very little meaning for you, but I’ll explain: the other day, emboldened by our victory in booking train tickets all over the country for travel break, we taxied to the train station with all our luggage and took the one-hour train to Thiruninravur, the “small town” of 50 000 where our rural orientation site is located. We’re staying in a hospital that houses a rural HIV public health program called CCOORR (Christian Council for Rural Development and Research). We received a warm greeting, and that very afternoon, we started the orientation!
It’s truly been a whirligig experience so far. Our program director, Mr Amalan, is amazing at showing us what he calls the real India – after all 70% of the country is rural/agrarian/villagers. The first thing that hit me on that day was the weather – it’s at least a few degrees cooler here than in Chennai. Then it was the lack of noise. But most significantly, it’s the people. On that very first afternoon here, Mr Amalan took us to a village panchayat, or council, nearby, where the elected leaders told us all about the community projects going on. Roads, school projects, children’s playgrounds – they’re doing so much with the state government money they receive.
Separate from that was a women’s cooperative of 20 village women who over the course of 4 years have used a subsidized government loan to give loans out to members of the community, to create an emergency fund, to give scholarships to their children, to create a life insurance plan for the members, and most importantly to bring empowerment and confidence to these uneducated and poor women. I was so impressed at the story of how they became a constructive and powerful element in their community.
This is just one example of the several community-based organizations we’ve visited yesterday and today. The others include a government food distribution center, a rich household, a poor household, a child nutrition/daycare program, a primary health care center, a rice paddy (the farmers were so nice, and toothless!), and a local woman who acts as an oracle/medium, “helping” with people’s problems.
I was amazed by all of them (except the medium). These people have truly made strides in bettering their lives. It’s hard to describe this semi-rural town on the outskirts of Chennai – there’s not abject and miserable poverty by any means. But there are very poor families, suffering from alcoholism, illness, and lack of opportunity. The community-based organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and state government funding has helped with basic services and with training people for such things as the women’s groups I mentioned above.
I can’t not mention the children! They are so screamingly eager to see us, practice English with us, and to shake hands and be in photos. As much as we tend to emphasize the differences between us and the Indians, the children remind me of just how the same we are. They’re just like some kids back in the U.S. in their enthusiasm and energy. It’s inspiring every time.
We’ll be here until Monday as a group and after that Jamie and I will head off to Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (we’re meeting the head in Bangalore first) to start our five-week research project. The next few days here at CCOORR will be more first-hand experience with rural India, particularly with public health.
It’s so strange to hear about the weather back in Minnesota – 31 degrees already!? It just rained here and feels wonderful. 75 degrees, maybe? Anyways, hopefully I’ll be able to update again soon – we’re in an Internet room near the hospital – 20 rupees an hour!
Ever your loving,
Isaac H.
pseudoisaac 