Tigri!

The rest of the team arrived on Thursday while I worked back at Kalkaji.  Then I moved out of the flat and into the hotel with my dw.  After their rest we visited Hauz Khas.  This place in the middle of South Delhi is quite impressive:

On Friday morning we visited Tigri again which was very special for us.  They were all very welcoming.  I did a clinic - my last one this trip - while the others went on a slum visit.  They visited peoples' homes and met some of those who had received small bank loans.  It felt very special to meet the ladies and children there again.  They remembered us from 2 years ago and still have the monkey!

Here are some of the girls looking at our previous photos from Tigri:

...and here are some of the Tigri students chatting to JH and JT

JT teaches the children some BSL signs - they enjoyed this one: TIGER!

As we left Tigri Centre we were reminded that it was monsoon season - and that in the 2010 monsoon season, 6 months after we last visited, the centre was completely flooded.  They now have flood defences which help prevent water ingress but this area was dry when we arrived...!!!

Now we are in Shimla having caught the early train from Delhi to Kalka and taken a 3 hour taxi drive from there.  It is so much cooler here - but very misty!  We are here for 4 days before returning to Delhi and Asha.

A tough morning!

I was back in Seelumpur for a clinic this morning.  By the end I was emotionally drained having shed a few tears!  As if living in poverty wasn't enough, let me tell you about 3 patients I saw this morning:

1. A 14 year old lass came in to see me.  Her father died some time previously.  Last year both she and her mother contracted Tb.  Unfortunately she didn't complete her treatment. Why? Her mother died - and one day before she died they found that she also had a cancer.  This poor lass had now had 3 weeks of fever with a cough, possibly a recurrence of her incompletely treated Tb. 

2. A mother came in and after complaining of various aches and pains she placed on the desk a pile of papers concerning her 15 year old daughter who had just been discharged from a big hospital. I looked through pages of notes and investigations to find that her daughter's bone marrow had packed up and she wasn't producing anything like enough blood cells - that's red blood cells, or white blood cells that fight infection.  I was shocked to find a hamoglobin of 1.2 during her hospital stay.  I didn't think that was compatible with life!  She had had several transfusions and was now home.  I don't imagine her prognosis is very good!

3. We were just about to leave when one of the CHV's came in asking if I could see her 21 year old daughter who had been diagnosed with diabetes about 1 year ago.  Just before the diagnosis was made she had been married.  When her husband's family heard about the diagnosis she was returned to her family and divorced.  So this poor lass was not only having to come to terms with her diagnosis but was also rejected as unsuitable for her husband.  How do you deal with that?  How can people be so cruel?  I cannot get my head around a culture that treats young women like a business commodity!

Never make the mistake of thinking that the poor are content with their lot.  It can be easy to imagine that.  Real tears were shed by many parties this morning!

On a brighter note, I always love this sight:

It means that inside that door something interesting is happening with the kids!  On Monday at my last visit to Seelumpur I met a team of students from a Catholic theology college.  They were telling me that as part of the training they wanted their students to gain experience of service.  They had offered to provide English teaching for the children of Seelumpur.  So this is what was through that door:

When we got back to the office I had  a quick look inside one of the new mobile clinic buses which I gather are now ready to go and hopefully will be out and about next week.

Inside there is a waiting area for 5 patients at a time with a desk for registration, another for BP's etc to be done and a consulting area at the back.

Here's the consulting area:

At the end of a hard day it was good to be able to chat with these guys - the staff in the Asha office.  They are very serious about what they do but are happy to have a good laugh together at the end of the day when they had been turfed out of the office so it could be cleaned:

Back to Mayapuri

I returned to a drier Mayapuri today.  It hasn't rained for a few days so there were fewer puddles about and the ground didn't stick to my shoes! I was well looked after...this is the reception area from my room:

Under that plate is my cup of freshly made and very sweet chai, and biscuits!

And here is the team at Mayapuri - Thresi on the right is one of the Asha staff and looks after Mayapuri

The team that were decorating the building have now left for 2 weeks travelling before returning to UK.They've done a great job!

And of course this is the slum that Bianca teaches in - so here she is in action with her class of boys - playing some fast and furious game while learning English - clever eh?

After the clinic, I gave the staff the photos of baby Poojah from 2005 that I had got printed, so she can see herself as a baby!

On the way to get an autorickshaw back to the office I captured the scene around the slum - masses of cars buses and lorries etc being broken for scrap - lots of noise, sharp metal, broken windscreen glass and spilt oils.  Not the ideal environment for bringing up your kids is it?

And this is Ayesha, Bianca and I riding home in the auto-rickshaw.  The conversation was almost entirely about Indian foods, what to try and where to buy them, and said conversation continued for quite a while back in the office over lunch!

Seelampur

Today we were driven to Seelampur, one of the most distant slums from the Asha office. It has its own lab facility.  It is rather an impressive building as Asha's Community buildings go - very spacious with a lovely central courtyard:

I understand the women employ a gardener to look after the plants!  The community of 30,000 is mainly muslim.  I saw the computer room where some lads were surfing as I arrived.

These are the friendly Asha staff who helped me with the clinic:

The month of Ramadan has just started so I saw a lot of people complaining of feeling faint - including one pregnant lady.  They have no food or drink from sunrise to sunset - in this heat!  It's not easy!  I also had a number of patients with respiratory illnesses.  I was able to spend time with patients explaining their treatments, something that they don't get from Government hospitals which are swamped with patients.

After the clinic we had to make our own way back by metro - but it was quite a walk to the station.  Hence my first ever ride in a cycle rickshaw. 

It was on a quiet road with mainly cycle and autorickshaws being the other traffic so I felt reasonably safe.  I never fancied trying one on roads with lorries and buses buzzing past.  Mind you we did meet an ox cart!

We arrived at the station and Ayesha showed me Delhi Metro cards and how to use one.  May be worth investing in one for 50 rupees and using it when we come.  It would certainly save the long queues for tickets.

I then took an autorickshaw to the office, keeping the price down to what the Asha staff told me it should be!  Ignore the meter...everyone else does.  It wasn't on zero to start anyway!

Later I took another autorickshaw back to the flat as all the drivers had disappeared by the time I finished.  Bianca was brave and took the bus that I discovered yesterday!

Peaceful day

No pics today - mainly cos I've done so little!

Freddy picked us up for church this morning which was great.  They were saying goodbye to a couple of members who were diplomats and had been recalled to their respective countries - Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Freddy invited Bianca and I to lunch - finishing up what he had made for the men's meeting yesterday when some men from his church came round to hear about and pray for Asha.  We were very happy to mop up the leftovers which were delicious.  We then sat down and watched a Bollywood film - "Wake up Sid" which was actually very good.  We missed our chance to visit Qutab Minar - I blame Bianca!

We're home again feeling sleepy...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Day off - sightseeing!

I had a lazy morning - a bit of a lie in and a read of Charles Dickens.  After lunch though I headed out into the big wild city!  I waited 20 mins for a bus, gave up and took an autorickshaw to the nearest metro stop at Chattarpur:

The Metro is clean, fast and air-conditioned! But it can get crowded.

Just a short wait for the train, and then I was whisked into Old Delhi.

As soon as you get out of the station there are crowds of people, cars, autorickshaws, cycle rickshaws, and the people start to hassle you. "Can I help you Sir?" "Where do you want to go Sir?" "Cycle rickshaw Sir? Red Fort, Spice Market...?" But I pressed on through the crowds, ensuring pockets and bags were well zipped up!  Finally managed to battle the short walk to the Red Fort...

...with its impressive walls and gateway:

I grabbed myself an audioguide and wandered round in the heat and humidity.  The grounds are extensive and the buildings impressive, at least what's left of them after various raiders have ransacked them (Persians) or shot at them (British).













This is impressive - the building where Emperor Shah Jahan used to hold court.  He's the guy who built the Taj Mahal as a memorial for his wife.

And this is where the ladies used to hang out.  Pretty isn't it?

After exploring the Fort it was back to the bustle of Old Delhi to fight my way back to the Metro.

The Metro was packed and on the short journey back, 2 trains I was on got "evacuated" due to technical problems.  Indian crowded trains are different to the London Underground where people tend to stand aside and let people off first.  In India it's more like the driving: everyone just pushes in the direction they want to go!  I managed to get the bus back to the flat - for 5 rupees (6p) for about 4 km.

Welcome to Trilokpuri...

I went into the Office first thing where I was asked to see one patient by Dr S.  While there I had 2 more quick consultations with Asha staff!  Then Freddy drove me to Trilokpuri - a slum on the other side of the Yamuna river.  We passed the Commonwealth Games village to get there.  Apparently the flats there are being sold for  $500,000 each!

This is what greeted me on arrival at Trilokpuri:

I had quite a long clinic in Trilokpuri.  I hope I was useful.  I saw all sorts from 2 months to 80 plus, and from depression to dyspepsia!  This was my consulting room today:

Ayesha and Sweeta helped me in translation etc. Ayesha was feeling under the weather too.

This is the remains of my lunch - a trusty cereal bar, 2 bananas and a Pepsi supplied by the CHV's!

Suitable for my weak western stomach!

Then I met the students 

at various stages of their careers, from Neetu, who only heard 2 days ago that she had got in to a Sanskrit Honours course, and attended College today for the Freshers Orientation Day

(she told me she had enjoyed it, seen her classroom and made friends with some of her class mates), and these two who had just qualified and are looking for jobs.

The girl did Sanskrit Honours and is planning to take a secretarial course, and the lad did mechanical engineering.  

Then I met the lovely smiling kids who after a long chat decided that they wanted to sing and dance for me so I am experimenting in uploading a video so I can share it with you:

Here's a photo of the kids:

Then I met the ladies who were about to start their weekly prayer meeting.  They shared what God had done in their lives and I shared from John 17.

OK, the first movie seems to have worked so lets try another - the ladies singing a worship chorus:

By the way, my flatmate Bianca is also now doing a blog.  In case you hadn't noticed there is a link under my profile which takes you there.

Kalkaji...

Today I did a morning clinic in Kalkaji.  When I say "morning", it went on until gone 2pm!  It was busy - we saw around 45 patients.  I visited Kalkaji 2 years ago when I sat in with Lily, a Nurse Practitioner who was running an antenatal clinic.

Kalkaji has grown to be a huge slum and apparently has a population of 40000 - the same as Yeovil!  This is the view as you approach the Community Centre Building:

 The centre itself is the only one in Asha I have been to that has a little courtyard.  It's actually quite a pretty building:

 Here are Lily and Dr R who led the clinic.  We discussed some of the more difficult cases as we went along.

One of our patients was a six day old baby with a fever:

When the clinic had finally finished and I had demolished a couple of trusty cereal bars for lunch, I met the five Community Health Volunteers, one of which had worked with Asha for 22 years and another for 20 years.

We discussed how life had been before Asha:  All the houses were poor quality and small.  No children went to school.  One of the CHV's had lost her own 11 month old son to diarrhoea because she didn't know what to do.  Women were afraid to be delivered in hospital. Many died in childbirth.  Many children were malnourished and died. Measles was common and severe.  We compared that with life now:  They estimated that only about 5% of houses are poor quality by their estimation.  All children up to age 15/16 are in school with about 10% staying on to year 12. Few children die and measles is only seen occasionly and is mild due to near 100% immunisation. Few are malnourished. Nearly all women deliver in hospital and maternal deaths are rare.  Most people have jobs.

Then I met the Bal Mandal girls (boys attend school in the afternoon).  They were once again welcoming with their smiles and we had a brief chat.

Unfortunately my visit was cut short as the driver had come to collect me early for some reason lost in translation.  I was quite sad to leave them so soon but they gave me a lovely send off with smiles and waves and cries of "Goodbye Sir"!

As I got back to the flat earlyish I went for a stroll to some of the further shops, where Freddy told me I could print some photos.  I found it and the staff were friendly and helpful (the shop had A/C :-)) and I got some 7x5 inch pictures for 12 rupees each (15p)  They took an hour to do so I wandered further and found an air conditioned Mall with an even bigger supermarket on 3 floors.  So I bought some more bits including some more Tiger biscuits and wandered home via the photoshop.  I was desperate for a shower and cup of tea - Assam today - which is still my favourite.

More amazing students!

This morning I was in the clinic again with Dr S.  This is the last clinic with her before she goes for a few days break.  I saw 2 young children this morning who had come in from an orphanage in Gurgaon in the south of the city.  The children there are all children of sex workers.  Dr S told me later that they have to allow the children home once a year with their parent(s).  Last year one girl went for a home visit and never came back.  There are great concerns about where she is now.  There seems to be little oversight of care of children here...very disturbing!

Dr S is beginning to use some of the new drugs on our list now - although it is not yet finalised.

This afternoon was the second Celebration for the new students.  As yesterday there were about 50 students there.  Vinola gave a brief introduction.  She is very good with them.

Again several of the students gave a speech including Sanju who had good English and had spent time chatting with me beforehand.

 Here are some others:

 One of the second years talked about her experience of starting College and encouraged those just starting out.

The rest of the team from Mayapuri came...

Hannah and Jenny (1st and second left) remembered me from both 2010 when they were both teaching English in Tigri, and also 2008 when we briefly visited the slum they were decorating!  The other important bit of information is that Jenny (2nd left) accepted Rupert's (far right) proposal of marriage last week outside Humayan's Tomb!  Jenny thought she was just posing for a photo as Rupert filmed the whole thing!

Hannah gave an inspiring talk explaining about Peter's experience when he got out of the boat and began walking on water towards Jesus, but then began to sink.  She suggested that when the students begin to feel overwhelmed in the future, they should do what Peter did and look to Jesus as He holds out his hand to lift them up.

And then it was my time to repeat the message I gave yesterday:

After a Q&A session the students were asked to give a short explanation of something they liked or appreciated about their Asha worker.  These guys and gals have worked their socks off over the last few weeks and need a bit of appreciation!!!  Here they are appreciating David:

The Tigri students were there! It was lovely to meet them and Sunita who came with them.  One of them, Rekha, who wants to be a Policewoman, shouted after me when I left: "Sir....Sir!"  She introduced herself as the sister of Suhil.  In 2010 our church back home had raised some funds and had some leftover from the project costs.  Suhil was starting a course in Animation studies and was struggling because he could only gain access to a computer at College for about 20 minutes each day.  How can you study Animation like that? So Freddy asked us if it was OK to use the money to buy him a computer.  We were only too pleased to say yes:

And here is his beautiful younger sister asking a question at the Q&A session:

Now I'm home and being air-conditioned!