Back in Mayapuri!

Last night I was kept awake by loud neighbours and then a thunderstorm! I woke excited to be going back to visit Mayapuri slum again. First we had to negotiate the Delhi traffic made worse by lots of standing water.  Breathe in!

Then my excellent driver helps me negotiate my way to the community building via well placed bricks.  Spare a though for Thressi, the Asha staff member who walks this way every day to work! And of course the people who live amongst it.

I was pleased to see on the notice board memories of my last visit, meeting little Pooja:

The clinic was quite short due to the mud, and the difficulty people had getting out of their homes. We had lunch before I sat down with Thressi and the Community Health Volunteers and we revised lifestyle advice for diabetics together. They showed me some beautiful clay money boxes that the children had made to raise funds for the Bal Mandal (children's group) I bought one!

That is Gobi on the right, who is the computer teacher.  I gatecrashed one of his lessons:

And then I met these three little ones; Asha, Parti and Jyoti.  We had a game of throw the harti (elephant):

Well, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", you know!

How to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon in Delhi?

Today has been a pleasant quiet day to help me recover from the night flight before starting in the clinics tomorrow.

My generous hosts are both not on top form unfortunately and trying to gather energy for the week ahead! So here is how I spent my afternoon:

First I watched and learned as my lunch was cooked for me... a paneer curry and a fish curry (who knew those big black bits left in the pan were tamarind?)

and then the chapatis.

After a rest and recuperation (!) while the rain stopped I went out for a walk to explore the neighbourhood. Less than 100yds up the road are some historic ruins:

and just a little further is a useful looking bookshop, next to the shirt wala!

Up the main road a little way is Delhi's most famous kebab restaurant:

A bit further up is the Metro station which can whisk me into the centre of town in no time

Past several local medical clinics including this one...some of those procedures might come in handy soon:

(You wouldn't want one of those jumping bunnies in your bronchi though!)

And round the block to the local market area which has food stalls, and all sorts of shops plus no less than 3 coffee shops, one of which I stopped at before heading home as it started to drizzle with rain again!

And now - time for a rest!

Back in Delhi!

Just flown into Delhi for another short visit to Asha. I was collected at the airport and taken straight to the office where I was greeted like a long lost friend.  It was great to see everyone again, and some new faces.

One new face in the Office is Usha who started her job about one month ago.  She has come through the Bal Mandal (childrens' group), has completed a University degree and been through the Internship Programme. She was quite little when we first met her!

Here she is giving a speech!  Aaaah!

And here she is in her new role, next to me - with Shuhbra and Jibin:

I have been given a full programme for the fortnight which involves clinics, teaching, meeting the CHVs, children and students.

But first...some sleep! zzzzzzzzz

Our last day with Asha!

Saturday, 4th August - and our last day with Asha.  Tomorrow we fly home! :-(  Never mind - a return trip is planned for Feb 2013! :-)

We spent the morning back at Kalkaji.  Asha had arranged for deaf residents from 3 slums to meet for a session with JT.  So we had representatives from Kalkaji, Ekta Vihar and Tigri.

They were people who were deaf, and their families. JT addressed them - encouraging them and giving them advice about how to communicate.  She demonstrated to them how to mouth words clearly so that they could be lip-read.  Using common Hindi words like "pani" (water) to demonstrate - she encouraged them to practise...practise...practise!

They all seemed very appreciative although some of the deaf were better at pronouncing the words, forming them with their mouths, than others.  After we finished, everyone was given a samosa and a drink.

As we left, we were given big smiles and waves especially from the minibus as they waited to be driven home!

Our last afternoon in Delhi was spent doing some final shopping followed by a meal in the Asian restaurant back at the hotel, before packing.

Home on Sunday.  Back to work on Monday!  Jet lag 'til about Thursday!

Mayapuri morning and Shanti Vihar afternoon

So it was Friday Aug 3rd...

In the morning we all visited Mayapuri again.  I suggested that the others should have a chance to visit this slum because it is so different and made an impact on me.  We came in to be greeted by little Poojah in a smart dress, ready to meet JH!  She looked lovely!

Later we met the boys and listened to their stories before JT taught them some BSL signs - which they enjoyed...

The boys left to go to school and then we got to meet some of the deaf people in the slum, children and adults.  Some of the children had multiple problems - blind or with cerebral palsies too.  It was quite hard to know how to encourage them.

We talked about the five senses and that even if some were not working - others could be stimulated - and should be.  Many of them seemed to us to be excluded and misunderstood by the community they lived in.  Vijay was a young, apparently bright lad who had no opportunity for school and not used to people trying to communicate with him.  JT did a fantastic job, sitting on the floor opposite him with good eye contact and showing Mum how to mouth his name clearly so he could lip-read.  She got a good response and a smile!

Then the Community Health Volunteers stayed and JT gave them a brief introduction to " deaf awareness" issues.  They were really receptive and keen to learn.

We all went for a tour round the slum so that the others could see for themselves the conditions these people were enduring.  Here are N&S by the railway:

After a quick lunch we departed for an altogether different destination.  Shanti Vihar is a community in the west of the city which has residents who tell familiar stories of how their slum lives used to be - and go on to explain how with Asha's help, they no longer live in a slum!

We saw thriving businesses, a clean, quiet environment with plants, and attractive homes.  The people own the land their houses are built on and therefore are secure.  Most people have good jobs and for example work in some of the foreign embassies nearby.  We were told that they regard themselves as middle-class Indians now!  We were made to feel welcome with drinks and biscuits in this lovely home, served by these 3 young ladies:

We then headed back to Asha HQ where JH met a family we have got to know well over the years who live in a nearby slum.  Another baby had arrived since last time - number 3 - but we were told "no more"!  Meanwhile I met with the doctors to finalise the new updated drug formulary that we had been working on:

Back to Delhi

When we got back to Delhi we unexpectedly had a day off as Asha was closed for the Rakhi festival when sisters buy wristbands for their brothers and brothers promise to protect their sisters!  I had always wanted to visit the Qutab Minar - which we could see from our hotel...so we did!

I have no idea why it has taken me seven visits to Delhi to do this - it was an amazing place:

Beautiful detail on the stonework:

Surrounded by beautiful ruins of an old mosque and College etc.

I learnt a new word - a good one too: this sort of corner shelf that supported the domed roof is apparently known as a...squinch!

On the flightpath to Delhi airport - ancient and modern...

Then, we caught a metro to AIIMS to visit our favourite airconditioned coffee shop in South Extension before going to explore our favourite Delhi bookshop!

After the bookshop we went a few doors further to a dress shop where all the girls bought clothes.  Fortunately, we were served with a cup of tea while we waited for alterations to be made on the spot!

Shimla

Belatedly and determinedly, I want to try and finish this blog.  After a period with no internet I am home and thrown into the maelstrom of busyness.  Here's another post...

On Sat 28th July, bright and early the five of us caught the early Shababti express train to Kalka from New Delhi station

From Kalka we took a taxi for a 3 hour ride to Shimla. The temperature was cool - in the mid 20's and it was misty with intermittent rain

Shimla was the summer centre of Government during British Raj days so there is a great blend of Britishness...

and Indian charm...

We enjoyed the shopping with a view...The Ridge was especially pretty and reminiscent of a Lowry painting:

Next day we went for a ride on the narrow guage mountain railway or "Toy train" as it's known, followed by a tour of the local sights

It was quite atmospheric in the mist:

After visiting a Hindu temple we went to the Viceroy's Lodge at about 3000m:

before visiting a "Tree House" in the middle of the forest for lunch.

When we got back to the hotel we discovered that Shimla, along with 1/4 of India had a power cut!
Next day it decided to throw rain at us in buckets but, undaunted, Julie decided she wanted to do more shopping while the rest of us wanted to climb the mountain to visit the Jakhu temple on the top, dedicated to the monkey god, and teeming with monkeys

Down the mountain again, we were soaked through despite umbrellas and really fancied a cup of tea.  Unfortunately, no tea was available as there was another power cut.  This time 1/2 of India's population were affected. Trains were stopped and traffic in the cities was even more chaotic than normal due to lack of traffic lights!

I have never seen so many umbrellas...

By the next day everything was back to normal, and apart from a short hold-up at a landslide on the way down the mountain, we made it to Delhi in good time.

Back to Asha the next day...