Three Months in India

I have returned to England 

My family wanted me to spend Christmas with them, something only achieved 5 times in the last 25 years because of my voluntary work in India. Lots of concerts and church services attended and exciting, albeit expensive, shopping trips. (I always think in terms of what the money spent here could buy in India!) 

 I arrived in  Mumbai on New Years Day 2019 having been requested by my old university friend, Ramesh Toshniwal, to visit his charitable foundation for senior citizens in the Western Ghat hills, three hours drive from Mumbai. For the first time I didn't have to buy my own plane ticket and  I was also given a couple of days to aclimatise in a  hotel and spend some time with the Toshniwal family. 

I remember Mr Toshniwal telling me of his idea, some 20 years ago, to open a home where elderly people who, for various reasons, were unable to live with their children in the traditional joint family. In some cases the parent had become estranged from the children, others were not able to be accommodated in the smaller homes of today, others were left behind when the children emigrated to the USA or the UK. Some were servants who had no where to go when they reached retirement age with only the smallest of state pensions.  This idea come to fruition about 12 years ago as 'Awaas Seva Sadan', a home for healthy senior citizens. I was asked to see what I could do, or suggest, to improve the life of the  residents.

I also had invitations to visit a disabled ex-colleague in Allahabad, to stay with my former physiotherapy colleague in Patna and to visit a special village for women with leprosy near the Nepal border.

 These visits were to be fitted into my main schedule and  purpose for coming to India, namely to visit, and live with the children of Brighter Future, particularly those with an HIV background,  as I had been doing for nearly 6 months every year since 2005.

Sadly, Victor told me he had no time to see me until April. The weather is at its hottest during that month but I managed to persuade him to let me come at the end of March instead. I had just three days to say goodbye to the children I have known and loved over the past 13 years, whilst staying in the newly built flat of the Shanti Nivas’s Warden.

Besides the HIV children on the Shanti Nivas site, nine college students, who at the moment  still live at Prem Nivas (the first Home for HIV orphans), came to see me, as did a couple of 'old boys' who have left Brighter Future and are now working. \they were able to provide me with  news of some of the others  who had left. Some of them have opted for college and degree courses while living at home with a relation. Victor said that occasionally he has visits from these 'old children'. He is planning to persuade them to support Brighter Future in recognition of what they have received in the past.

  

 Brighter Future is still finding HIV infected orphan children, mainly from the remoter areas of  Srikakulam and the rural areas of Visakhapatnam. Altogether there are now 63 HIV infected children at Brighter Future. The local village school at Ompalli now has an English Medium facility and  several of the HIV children have opted for this advantageous opportunity to access higher education and better jobs in the future. The Vocational Training unit is still  turning out boys skilled in plumbing and electrical work. They get plenty of opportunity to learn on site as new building spring up and repairs are always needed to the fabric of the buildings at Shanti Nivas Prem Nivas and the Rainbow Children's home.

Back in Awaas Seva Sadan I took up a paintbrush  and offered the residents choice of 6 colours for their front doors. They live in separate bed sitting rooms. Their colour choice was intended to allow them to express their individuality and personality. It certainly brightened up the place  and only two refused to be painted. The communal Awaas doors and main entrance gates were painted a uniform Oxford Blue.   The next job was to sort out the store room and office - something neglected for a long time. Lucky I had a good apprenticeship, from my husband, in DIY and  was able to sort out and label the electrical, plumbing, general fittings etc

 Next came the more difficult job of coaxing the residents out of their rooms where they watch TV or sit at  computers. The majority of the residents have blood pressure and sugar levels around normal for their age but the threat of heart attacks, stroke and diabetes is real, with large waistlines and increasing weight, mainly due to inactivity. There is now  monthly weighing and measuring to encourage those who are making an effort to become fitter,

My physiotherapy skills came in handy as I devised exercise charts which most residents now have on their bedroom walls. The exercises are divided into ones that can be done in bed, holding on to a bar or chair and floor exercises. Victor was complaining of back pain while I was at Shanti Nivas so I passed  a few of the exercises to him too.

Awaas has a newly planted orchard in the grounds with a walking path around it.

I used my walking poles to do a few rounds every morning and by the time I left there were two or three residents also doing the rounds using smart phones to measure their distances walked. One gentleman had bought two broom handles and was using them, calling them his 'Indian walking poles'.

My next job was to paint lines on the central courtyard to make a badminton court. Mr Vinod helped me with the painting and I helped him to learn the game. A few days before I left we had 4 residents willing to have a knock around at 7am - before the sun rose above the roofline and before it got too hot.

An attempt to start a film club was frustrated when first the DVD player gave up the ghost, and then the TV broke down. We did manage to show two films - classical black and white ones, very much appreciated by the ladies. Now the DVD player is replaced and a newer TV installed so I hope that the residents are taking the opportunity to watch some of the many DVD's and CD's donated by the Toshniwal family. I heard this week that the regular Karom players now put music on to accompany their games.

An Art club was started and the earliest sessions involved  freehand designs and using adult colouring books.

Gradually other projects evolved, thanks mainly to one of the residents who was a commercial artist.

We bought paints and canvases and set to work to brighten the place up.

Some residents opted to decorate shopping bags, others painted pictures to go on the walls.

Sainath our 'real' artist made a large 'Wedding Scene' in Warli tribal art style and a Madhubani style picture of the Sun.










It was certainly very interesting getting to know the residents. Many of them wrote me a little account of the years before they married.  Thirty individuals  with different  backgrounds, various foibles and phobias but all very interesting and  friendly. Most of them younger than me by 15 or 20 years! They gave me a grand send off  last week and said they'd like me to return.   

.Brighter Future has been my passion for 13 years, preventing deformity in

leprosy occupied  my ten most rewarding years and my fundraising began in 1994 when I did a 3000km solo bicycle ride along the Ganges from it's source to the mouth.

I should  retire but somehow I always find interesting opportunities.

Back in England

My time at Prem Nivas always flies, when not preparing for Christmas and festivals, birthdays and special events, I am usually  involved in teaching. I take the gifted in our primary school who want to go on the the English medium section of High School, as well as those  helping those who find learning a struggle and are shortly going to High school.  I have long emphasised the need to learn basic maths, tables and reading in the local language,  Every morning before the teachers arrive the children are encouraged to read a set of Telugu books  . I even had to drag out my very rusty Hindi when I found three High school boys who could not manage to read  the letters of this compulsory language of the curriculum.

The adult scooter that was bought by Sue and David can be ridden by all ages and is very popular in break times and after school. It is in such demand that we had to ration its use for smaller children to before 5pm! 




The cricket bat for the taller boys from Karen and Maura is used on Sundays  when the college and senior boys go out to a park to play with their school friends -  well away from our windows!

 

 One Sunday morning we got out some old lego  and  the children had a go at making vehicles.



I decided that they should be encouraged  to use their imaginations and ordered  some plastic meccano kits from Amazon India.courtesy of Sarah and Simon.

 These construction kits to build cars and aeroplanes arrived for the Prem Nivas children after I left but we had found some pieces in the toys room  to practice with. Besides learning how to follow the diagrams and  following instructions the children were encouraged to make things of their own design.

Sundays are chappati making days and I was pleased to see that since my last visit in March 2017 the is occupation is now undertaken by boys! The girls so sweeping and cleaning while these are being made.

 Perhaps the boys will have a go at washing and cleaning one day ?  

We had several birthdays and visits from Grandmothers too!

Gowri

Satya 

I was only able to stay one night at what was Shanti Nivas. The children from Karuna Nivas and the HIV children from Thompson House are now part of the Dewan Children's Village. They still go to the government schools at Ompali, are part of the Vocational Training Centre or at Inter College.

One thing led to another!

My Thank You letter to the DM cheekily told him that most of the children were very late for school that morning. Not because they didn't get up in time, or because there was no water to shower with. It was because the firewood was too green to catch light and produce enough heat to cook the breakfast. We had ordered our gas cylinder but being near the end of the month nothing was available. The DM  immediately contacted the boss of the gas agency telling them we were to be allotted 3 cylinders a month as an institution caring for children. Mr Venkat went the same day with another letter from me enclosing proof of our children's home status and returned with a cylinder of gas!

The next day we were informed that a local  government officer connected with education would visit us. The upshot of this visit was that the wheels were set in motion for all of our  children who are on  anti-retroviral (ART) therapy  should be able to receive a 'pension' of 300 rupees a month.(about £3) straight into a bank account. Wonderful news! A little Nest Egg building up for these òrphans for when they leave us.

We have been trying to get this 'pension' for our ART patients attending our  Feeding and Finding project and very few have been successful. Similarly we have not had much success getting widows' pensions for them They live in a neighboring district and are dependent on their local officials.

HIV infected women receiving monthly food parcels in 2016 

Yet More Holidays!

The new school term, the last of the academic year, began on Monday 22nd January but there were no lessons and only a half day attendance because it was Saraswarti's festival. 

Saraswarti is the Hindu goddess of learning, music and the arts, so she has many devotees  among teachers and those involved with  the arts. School children often bring small gifts for their teachers and there are programmes of dances, songs and sketches by the children at some schools. Jhansi, our girl with very poor sight, goes to a special school in the village. Jhansi says she did two  dances and other children sang songs. In the afternoon they ran races. Our High school children had half a day at school. 

On Wednesday we had a very important visitor, namely the  District Magistrate, of Gajapathinagaram district. He came with several advocates to meet the children and hear about them and about Prem Nivas. He wanted to get to know about organisations on his patch that provide a service to the people of India. He asked if we had any government help and of course the answer was no apart from providing the main medicines. He wanted to know about me and I told him the history of Prem Nivas. As Chief Judge he and  his advocates kindly invited me and all the children and staff to be guests at a function at the Court Building to celebrate Republic day.  He promised to provide transport for us to get there. He asked what he could do for the children. Swarti, our housemother, and Mr Venkat our teacher, told him that new uniform clothes would be very acceptable.       

Thursday was marked by the Coming of Age Ceremonies for  Nagamani. As a complete orphan, without any relatives, the traditional ceremonies associated with a girl starting her periods, maturing as they say in India, were performed for Nagamani by our staff and older children.

The first couple of days were spent in a little room into which only other matured people could enter. Nagamani sat on a mat and was washed with turmeric.

Her hair was dressed and sprinkled with yellow rice as a blessing by visitors. She applied kohl eyeliner inside her eyelids and people put red bindi mark on her forehead.

Staff and children gave money to buy gifts for Nagamani.It was decided that her main gift would be silver anklets.

Staff, from Shanti Nivas and from Prem Nivas came to bring Nagamani a half sari, jewellery and bracelets. Swarti lent her a very beautiful purple sari to wear as the others would be given later.

There was another turmeric wash the next morning and Nagamani put on her finery.

 

Friday 26th January was Republic Day, was very busy. Senior boys made a flagpole of a length of bamboo and decorated it. They learned how to secure the flag with the help of Mr Venkat our teacher. 

Sampath and Ashok tie up the petals in the flag

The staff and children had their flag ceremony and I was invited to pull the string to unfurl the flag and release the flower petals that had been enclosed within it. Just as the children finished their oath of allegiance the manager and staff of a local bank arrived ( a little later than arranged) to  give the children nutrition packs - lentils, ginger, jaggery and oil. 

Swathi's phone  rang to say that the ordered maxi taxi was about to arrive to take the children to the Court and that a car would be sent for me! 

On arrival at he Court the children gathered in the shade of a awning for tiffin - a breakfast of idli and chutneys. I was offered some and bravely took a plate but it was so hot with chilli that I passed it to a child and drank the offered sweet tea instead. The Chief Judge, who is also called the District Magistrate, and his staff engaged me in conversation until the official part of the gathering began. Formal introductions were made and the wish to do more for the socially deprived and neglected sectors of society were expressed. The Chief Justice was surprised that our home for HIV infected children, Prem Nivas, was not previously known to him or his staff  despite having been in Gajapathinagaram for more than 10 years.

After  more speeches and a couple of songs about India I was asked to tell my story and how Brighter Future started working with HIV/Aids children and adults. Everyone was impressed by my age and the things I have done for Indian people over the last twenty one years. I was presented with a garland of marigolds, a bunch of roses, a model musical instrument, made locally, and a shawl as a mark of respect. The children were presented with lots of material to make new dresses, tunics and trousers and a coordinating check material for shirts. Another guest at the function was the local state Bank of India manager and he too gave a gift of white dress material to the children.  Altogether it was an event to emphasise how those that can must give social service. The absence of  politicians from the event was notable. 
When the official part was over we were all invited to see the judges' chambers and the court. 
The children were impressed! My parting request was to be allowed two gas bottles for cooking as we are only officially allowed one.

That was the end of my day but the children went to Shanti Nivas to mark the opening of two new houses of the Dewan Foundation. More speeches, egg curry and not enough time to play cricket!

Pongal Holiday

ANOTHER CELEBRATION

The Children only had 2 days of school holiday for Christmas but the 14th January  is a bigger National holiday. Known as Pongal in South India including Andhra Pradesh, as Lohari in the Punjab and also Kitcheri (after one of the festival's food dishes).  All celebrating  the Hindi New Year known as Makar Sankranti. Officially the festival lasts for 2 days but the children have a week off school.
Our children with relations often go to stay with them. Special traditional foods, mainly sweets, are prepared or bought. Here in Bihar, where I came to see a colleague from my days working with leprosy patients, I will be treated to the new season's rice with a mixture of yoghurt, vegetables and lentils (the kitcheri). The special sweets are made from sesame seeds, flat rice or peanuts combined with jaggary, a form of sugar, and are offered throughout the day.

As with many major festivals it is often a time to give new clothes. Swathi told me that in her community the unmarried girls wear half saris. a separate waist length blouse and long skirt with a  shawl worn over it.

Swathi in her new Pongal half sari

My hosts are still feeding me with sweet goodies and my weight is increasing! It is time for me to return to the children - a 24 hour train journey.

Wishing our readers a Happy New Year

Apologies for not writing recently!  I have been on one of my forays to north India to visit colleagues from my days working to prevent deformity in leprosy patients.  Unfortunately I managed to choose some unseasonable weather with temperatures down to 6 degrees. My daughter informed me that Bury St Edmunds had 1degree but I reminded her that where I am staying there is no heating, no glass in some windows and hot water comes by sticking an electric coil in a bucket. Bare feet on stone floors is the rule as a form of respect  and outside doors are forever being left open as the kitchen is outside .
 The poor people suffer terribly from the cold. Yesterday morning I heard a lady walking along the street calling out like the vegetable sellers do. She was begging for a blanket and clothes for her children. The Bihar government are providing wood for bonfires around the town so that people may warm themselves.Last night I saw a TV appeal for blankets for the people in Delhi who sleep  anywhere they can find to lay their bodies all year round. Schools in the fog covered north, the whole of the Ganges valley, are closed for children up  to 8th year (14/15 yrs) and the exam year children can start at 10.30am while the cold continues - their normal winter start is between 7 and 8 am.It really make me appreciate my central heating and all mod con at home.
 Andhra Pradesh is basking in 29 degrees at the moment so don't worry about he Brighter Future children!

Some of the cards the Prem Nivas children made to thank local donors of meals, sweeets, biscuits and other things

The Children's Christmas party was a great success. 

Cutting the \Christmas cake

There were a few adjustments to the time-table and the whole event went more smoothly this year.The children were given their presents earlier in the day , distributed by various guests, including yours truly.
After the warm up of hymn singing led by Pastor Elisha the special guests took their places on the stage and the opening prayers and bible readings followed. Guests made speeches and the long awaited presentation of gifts to the children took place.

This year only the boys has new hostel uniform shirts, the girls had dresses of various designs and colours and wore them for their dances

The main meal of the day was at lunchtime and included chicken  two rice dishes, chutneys, sweets and fruit.

After a small break during which the older boys rearranged the chairs under the shamiana shade the cutting of the Christmas cake took place, followed by skits and sketches and a tub of ice cream for everybody.

The evening was devoted to dances set to Christian songs. These dances had been practiced for the last month. Children download songs to pen drives or to phones from where they are reproduced through the hired sound system at the party. The senior girls from DMC House compere the whole event and I must say they did it very well.

.Groups of children, boys as well as girls, from each of the homes vie with one another to produce the best dance arrangements.








 The stage was flood lit with disco lights and the whole party area as well as other areas of the campus were strung with fairy lights.The VTC boys who learn about plumbing and electrics were instrumental in setting all the lights under the overall supervision of their teacher, Srinu.

As the evening drew to a close with the candlelit singing of Silent Night the children had
another meal and  the stage was made available for dancing to film music. Anyone could volunteer and the first on the stage was Jhancy of Prem Nivas - the first time she had done anything as a solo!

The sound system, catering equipment and awnings had to be dismantled and rented chairs etc had to be packed up.Tthe Prem Nivas children had two taxis to take them home, the Visianagaram children and staff were ferried to their homes by a fleet of Brighter Future vehicles.

I got to Victor's town house by about 11 and he came back around midnight. The next morning, Christmas eve,  I was kindly driven to the airport by China Rao at 5.45am.

More pictures when I get back to warm and sunny Andhra Pradesh!

Getting Ready for Christmas

Having delayed as long as possible we finally started on the things children like to do preparing for Christmas. The crib figures were revamped, being the wooden peg figures from a good few years ago.

Swathi told the Primary children the Christmas story in Telugu and we talked about it in English. The older children had decided with Swathi what they would like in the way of decorations this year.


The boys were made responsible for the star to go on the roof and for the lighting of the crib area and the making of a Christmas tree with lights. Sampath, Govind and Giri are the most electrically aware in that they can connect wires to a plug. They are always most careful to turn the electricity supply on and off as necessary.

Sampath estimated the amount of wire needed for the star which was attached to the volleyball post with a piece of cook Kalyani-mamma's firewood.


He went to buy the bits and pieces and an extension lead - called a plug box here.


I had bought the hooks for the tree earlier and showed Sampath how to drill a few of the holes for the rawplugs.



We thought we had four sets of lights but once tested and carefully strung up the crib lights refused to work so tonight one of the boys will go and buy some more.

Govind

The girls are responsible for decorating their rooms. The Christmas tree lights would look better at night if there were more green ones at the top so they will be searched for too. One day Prem Nivas may have its own artificial Christmas tree  but meanwhile it is the children's own work.

The High School exams are from the 15th to the 22nd so dance practise is after homework time!I have started supervising homework time and have the opportunity to read my Kindle!

At lunchtime the little children watched Little Donkey and the 12 day of Christmas on my laptop and some of the children remembered bits of them from last year. They have made cards for Monkston school Year 1 class in Milton Keynes, to keep up the tradition started a few years ago.


 Last year the Monkston children had made origami Father Christmases for our children and this year we have strung them up on the Christmas tree.

Back row Prem, Raju. Rajesh, Madhavi
front row Prasanna, Prabhas, Lavanya

The children are all practising dances for the evening concert at the Christmas party at Shanti Nivas. The gyrating  dances are done to hymn tunes to keep the occasion Christian.