New College Students...

I'm writing an early morning blog today as I didn't get time to write one last night.  Yesterday I spent the morning in the clinic with Dr S again.  The new drugs list is progressing as we are gathering information about cost and availability etc.  We should be able to finalise it for approval and adoption next week.

Then in the afternoon, we had the first of two gatherings of the students who have been successful at gaining admission to University from the slums this year.  The full list is now virtually known.  Competition for places has been very tight this year and the process has been time consuming and taxing for both students and Asha staff. There are about 100 students who have been admitted but that doesn't include those who are admitted to private institutions as the deadline for those is not yet passed. So about 45 students gathered together to celebrate...

...along with Asha staff, a British team working at Mayapuri at present, Bianca, my USA student flatmate, a second year student who you will recognise from a previous blog, and Yours Truly.  After  a brief introduction several of us took it in turns to give motivational and encouraging speeches.  So here is Reikha from Jeevan Nagar, whose tiny home I visited, mugging up on her notes, which she didn't refer to at all later.  She has just completed her second year Sanskrit Honours degree and shared a little about what it was like for her when she started.  She went on to share some tips from her experience.

A couple of students introduced themselves and shared their experiences and obstacles they had to overcome

And then it was Bianca's turn, translated into Hindi by the new Asha staff member, Ayesha.

Next up was me.  Now bearing in mind that Rekha had just been talking about when she was sitting there 2 years ago, someone from the UK had got up to speak, and she could still remember every word (!) you can imagine I was feeling just a little pressure!  So I introduced myself and said I was from the UK.  I asked them if they knew what was about to happen there in a few days.  They knew - the Olympics.  I then went on to talk about races and how when you're racing you don't look back but yours eyes are fixed forward towards the prize.  I nicked one of Freddy's texts from Sunday - Phil 3v13.  Anyway I was told later that it had gone down well so you never know - someone might remember in 2 years??

Then the floor was open to the students to share.  The first to volunteer was Roopa from Kalkaji slum, who I had had a long chat with before the celebration started...

They all expressed their gratitude to Asha and many told their stories.  Some were quite choked up as they shared - and not just the girls!  They really do feel grateful for this opportunity!  Several of them talked about how their families had to be persuaded to allow them to stay in education and were grateful for the time Asha staff had spent persuading parents.  One lass talked about her experience of Pushpa, one of the Asha nurses who went to College with her on repeated occasions to try and persuade the College staff to allow her admittance.  The College Administrator told Pushpa "you are trying to get a student admission here, not bartering for vegetables in the market"!  But her persistence paid off!

Lastly, I need to tell you about this lass who got up to speak, but was so choked up she couldn't explain her story...

So Soni got up, gave her a cuddle and explained on her behalf:

As part of the complex admission process there is a form to complete which must be photocopied.  Only the original is acceptable to gain admission.  Amongst the stress and mountain of papers, this lass had mislaid the original copy and her admission was therefore not accepted.  That evening, Soni went round to her house and prayed with her about it.  The very next morning the original form was found and her admission process proceeded!

Later today,   I hope to meet the second half of this group of students, when I will be speaking again...

By the way - a little tip in case you haven't discovered:  If you click on a photo it enlarges it and lets you see a slideshow of all the pics in that blog.

Also, I am completely unashamed in reminding you that you can give money to support these students through College by clicking on the Asha link on the right under my profile.  Asha needs all the support it can get to see these students through.  £450 is all it takes to pay for a full year of College expenses.  Any small amount will help!

Monday at the office...

I spent today at the Asha Office.  This morning I was in a very busy surgery (well it's Monday) with Dr S.  Mothers-in-law in India are no joke!  When you marry her son, you move in with her and she controls your life! We had a lady come in this morning in her 4th pregnancy.  Why the 4th pregnancy? Her Mum-in-law told her to!  Will I ever get to grips with this culture?  Anyway this the Asha office from the other side of the road:

and closer to...

and here are the two new clinic buses waiting to be put into use (funding for running costs needed)

Then after lunch in Freddy's office, Dr S, Dr R, Kiran and I had a meeting to discuss updating the drug formulary.  This is a list of drugs that Asha keeps in stock to sell at cost price to slum dwellers.  The list needs careful consideration and regular updating to ensure it is clinically appropriate and as cost efficient as possible.  As we discussed, the local pharmacist was popping backwards and forwards from his shop to advise about availability and costings.  We made quite a few changes which we hope will improve the standard of care offered, while keeping costs down as much as possible.  Here are Dr R and Dr S with our lists and books!

Now if you have read earlier blogs you will know what happens on a Monday evening...the fruit and veg market!  Bianca hadn't been before so we went early this evening to see what was there today.  We were in time to watch many of the stallholders setting up - and making their stalls look beautiful.  Do you prefer your artwork with carrots...

or spices and pulses...?

Anyway these are tonight's purchases.  I probably spent around £5-6 in total!

Bananas, mangos, a water melon, carrots, aubergines, okra, beans, a cabbage, tomatoes, and a veg that I have no idea yet what it is or what to do with it...but we'll experiment!

A Quiet Sunday

I have had a leisurely day today.  I got up at the usual time to make sure the pump was switched on for the water.  The water in this area of Delhi arrives between 7-8am each (most) mornings.  If you don't switch on the pump to fill your storage tank at the correct time you don't get water.

I had a slower than normal breakfast before I was picked up to go to church.  Freddy and Kiran attend an Assembly of God church about half an hour's drive from here.  They have 2 services in the morning - the first is in Hindi and English and the second is in English.  Their young people were away together this week in Dehra Dun.

Worshipping together:

The speaker this morning was one Mr Freddy Martin

After church I was taken out to lunch and brought home.  I have done my washing and ironing...so now you know how exciting real life is out here!

Oh Mayapuri, Mayapuri...

It is hard to conceive of a more desperate environment for human beings to live out their lives than Mayapuri.  It is frankly horrible! It is surrounded on one side by breakers yards with bits of metal and oil amongst the filthy muddy puddles. On the other side is a busy railway track which seems to double as a playground for the kids (there is no other space!)  It is about 1 mile long and contains around 10000 inhabitants.

I am pretty hardened to slum conditions by now but this...

These kids have been out collecting metal scraps and paused to show me the bag that they were struggling to lift between 4 of them:

While these other kids played with their kites on the playground...

...while every now and then one of these invaded their space:

This morning's clinic was completely different from yesterday's - not one antenatal, lots of diabetics and general aches and pains etc.  It was sometimes quite challenging to know what to do for the best!

After lunch I was introduced to this lovely crowd of girls...I was told the boys were out playing!

 Then I met some of the Community Health Volunteers

In amongst the filth of our slum visit I heard so much good news about what this community has achieved with Asha's help:  They told me for instance that despite the conditions, the number of cases of Tb treated this year had dropped from around 50 to 18 cases.  This has to be down to the hard work of these ladies and others finding new cases and ensuring each is treated quickly and fully.  Then we talked about the average number of children per family of 3.4.  This follows years of hard work taking the message of contraception out to each couple. Scenes such as this lass doing her Hindi homework...

...demonstrate the fact that nearly 100% of children attend school. There are 21 College students from Mayapuri with 3 more just admitted for next year.  Of those that fail to be admitted to University, many go on to do degree courses remotely by correspondence and still more do vocational training courses.  So, I was told, around 100 young people who have been brought up in these appalling conditions are in higher education.  One lass is doing a BSc in Chemistry and has said that she chooses to look forward, not back!

Now one last Mayapuri story: Just over 7 years ago a little girl was born.  She was unwanted and was flushed down the toilet of the passing Poojah Express train, and landed on the railway tracks by Mayapuri slum. Her cries were heard by slum dwellers and she was adopted into a family who had 2 boys but no daughter.  Those events happened just a few days before my wife visited Mayapuri at Easter in 2005.  Here is the appropriately named Poojah as a babe in arms then:

I was told that she had gone to visit her village today so I wouldn't be able to meet her.  Then as we walked past her home by the railway track we bumped into her!  She had just returned and I was introduced:

Zakhira Slum

Today I have been in Zakhira slum in NW Delhi.  This is a poor slum divided into 2 parts alongside the Delhi to Chandigarh railway line. It has a mainly muslim community.  This morning I ran a clinic with Ayesha translating.  She has only been working with Asha for 2 -3 days but she did brilliantly.  Previously she had been working with refugees in India, including some from Palestine.  The patients were mainly antenatal with a few other cases in amongst them.  This was my consulting room today:

After lunch I had an opportunity to meet the students, some of whom had been in College for 1 or 2 years, some were just admitted and others were waiting to hear whether or not they had a place.  I also met some at grade 11 and 12 which is equivalent to UK A level.  We had a long chat during which I found out more about those who are unsuccessful, and what their options are.  Here they all are:

Then the ladies group, the Mahila Mundal, told me what life was like before Asha came to Zakhira.  They never left their homes, and didn't know their neighbours.  It took 5-6 months of meeting before they felt comfortable with each other.  Now they meet every Monday and share a "pot luck lunch" together! They told me about their next campaign, which is to replace an old toilet block that keeps clogging up and overflowing:

Next I met the children's group, the Bal Mandal.  They showed me some hand crafted goods they had made which they sold to raise funds for the elderly in their slum, to buy them food etc.!  They then showed me the banners they had made in their campaign against addictions:

And these were the girls, and one guy who said they had been taught English by Ruth.  They are saying "Hi Ruth!":

After meeting the children I was taken on a brief tour of Zakhira.  I saw the railway where several people had been killed while trying to find somewhere to "go" while both the toilet blocks were out of action - one has been re-built.

A very encouraging sight we passed was this - a new house being built to replace a little hut.  It was being paid for out of the proceeds of a successful business, following the support of a micro-loan from a bank.  This is another of Asha's initiatives to help the urban poor.

That is Ayesha, in the pink outfit.  Finally, when Freddy last came to the UK he kindly gave me a beautiful leather wallet that he had told me was made by a craftsman in the slums.  Well today I had the privelege of meeting Razik in his home, where he showed me his range of products and the machine he uses to do the stitching - when he doesn't do it by hand!  I also met his wife and young son.

Tomorrow I go to Mayapuri...

The Intermission

Apologies for a break in service but for the last few days I have not had internet access!  Having done a whole week's work at Asha it was felt that I needed a holiday!  I have just been for an amazing tour of North India! Well...a bit of it...a very nice bit.  So if you find Pathankot on a map and go East to Kangra airport - a little further east is Palampur.  We stayed between there and Baignath.

The roads were interesting in places but we got there. We stayed overnight in Chandigarh, an interesting and surprisingly neat and tidy city.  In total it was about a 12 hour drive.  Needless to say the air in the hills was fresh and cool compared to Delhi.  The mountains were high around us with some snow visible.

The Kangra Valley is a tea growing area so in amongst the eucalyptus trees, bamboos and pine trees we saw frequent tea plantations along with rice fields.  These were often being ploughed with ox ploughs and planted as we passed by:

We opted to visit Mcleod Ganj on our first day, which is the area that India gave to the Tibetan refugees to settle.  The Dalai Lama's residence is there.  This is a fascinating place with a real mix of cultures in a beautiful setting.  After a Tibetan meal of Thupka (soup) Momos (dumplings) and a drink of honey lemon and ginger tea, we went exploring...

Lunch:

And to drink:

One of the highlights of the afternoon, apart from the company and the view...

...was the monastery which we were able to visit.  I had never been to a buddhist temple before.

Next day we visited a local tea factory...having sampled it in McLeod Ganj the day before

We explored the shopping centre in the rain

before enjoying a respite from a heavy downpour in Cafe Coffee Day!

I have never before found anywhere in India where I could not see another person.  We found this by missing the turning to the local buddhist temple which we explored later.

The temple was very impressive and really peaceful.

Our way out was blocked and we were delayed for about half an hour while they sorted this out...the lorry had got its front wheel lodged in the drain and had to be jacked up and pushed out!

We then visited an old Hindu temple before heading for home:

 All in all a beautiful trip with great company, great chat, great food and great views!  Now I'm back in Delhi and have a clinic in Zakhira slum tomorrow and Mayapuri on Saturday.