This past week, we were told that we would be going on a tribal village visit. We weren’t given many details but let me just say that I was completely prepared to spend the few days outside, immersed into ‘village life.’ I am highly disappointed to say that this did not happen, but I would be lying if I said I did not come out with a slightly better understanding of the India around me.
Firstly, it was odd to roll into the small tribal village in 6 giant SUVs. Secondly, we had to stay about a half hour from the actual village in a hostel type room. 20 girls were put into one room with bunk beds, and the guys in the other. There was tight space, and there were two squat toilets for all of us… as well as some lovely brown water coming out of the tap in the sink. It was definitely one of the most interesting experiences I have had thus far- and most definitely some amusing moments to remember far into the future, haha.
The very next day, we were whisked away to an organic farm where were able to speak to representatives from an NGO called BAIF. This organization, over the years, has helped local farmers start the process of organic farming, and as a result, the NGO has helped the lives of many farmer families to improve (well, from what they said anyway). It was interesting to see the type of work BAIF did but I was really curious to know what actual farmers had to say—and again, I was disappointed that we could not talk to them and see how their lives had truly been affected- how they’ve changed- how they’ve improved or not improved- what BAIF could do better, etc.
We then headed over to the primary health care center, which was about the size of a small house with 4 tiny rooms. We briefly learned about the lack of quality care as well as the lack of qualified doctors to take care of the villagers in the area. Here, again, we simply got a tour of the facility and learned of the major problems. There was no interaction with any of the people that were there at the time- or even the main doctor unfortunately. However, we were able to visit a ‘sub-center’ being run by a nurse. I was completely inspired by this woman. Having been affected by polio from a young age, she made it her life mission to make sure that other children would be prevented from ever being infected with such an awful disease. Despite her disability, we learned that her sub center is considered to be an IDEAL one- and she runs it all by herself. We were told she came from an extremely poor family, where the members herded the cattle of other families to make money. And yet, with hard work, she was able to follow the path she wanted in order to make her dream come true. Even though we spent a total of 30 minutes with her, I could tell how sincere and genuine she was- just from her demeanor- no explanation was needed. Her story stuck with me, and will continue to stick with me for a long time to come.
The next day, we were able to go inside of an actual tribal village in order to visit two artists- one who was a warli painter (a type of tribal village artwork), as well as a woman who makes sculptures out of paper maché. We were invited into the home of the woman and were able to watch her as she effortlessly (she did it with such ease but it seemed super difficult to me) created a beautiful turtle sculpture! During our short time in the village, were able to get the closest glimpse to what the lives of the villagers were like- simply from observation of course. I am sad to say that I was not able to interact with any of them and find out about the course of their actual lives but yet, as I look back, I am simply grateful for having at least been exposed to it all.
A few days ago, I learned from one of the directors of my program that many villagers, across all villages in India (not just the one we visited) begin their days at about 5am and work late until about 7pm at night. They then come home to do chores and eat a meager dinner and then sleep before they have to rise again. At most, they make anywhere from about 50-200 rupees a day. For them, every day is about survival. Yet having learned this, I was surprised to see that an overwhelming majority of the huts that we passed by had small satellite TV dishes attached to them. It helped me link to what I had been learning in my development economics course; even the rural poor want to move up along the ladder, but they are willing to spend the little money they make on luxuries such as TVs and mobiles rather than spending it on food. But then there are the many families who can’t even afford shelter and resort to begging every day. Disparities even among the poorest of the poor… it’s hard to take it all in sometimes.
I go on trips like the village visit, and I am astounded to see what I read about in my economics textbook come to life. As one of my classmates said a few weeks ago, I fully realized that the people in these villages aren’t ‘test subjects’ in experimentations. Rather, they are people. They have a hard life, a different life. But it’s not to say they are entirely miserable. They have their own lives, their own families. They smile and they laugh. They make the best of what they have, or so it seemed to me. However, by no means are they content with where they are. Many of them or even all of them want to move up in life- make sure their children have better lives etc.
The more I see, the more curious I become. I want to talk to these families and these individuals- where do they come from, what are their aspirations, what motivates them, what frustrates them. Yes, I was sad that this did not happen on my trip to Jawhar (the village I went to), but I was able to open my eyes and soak in what I could. I found out about my internship today and discovered that I will actually have the chance to interact with these same types of individuals here in Pune.
And on a personal level, I realized how minuscule my every day worries and stresses are in the grand scheme of things. I am not able to turn a blind eye to what I see, ever. I make sure to look at every little thing around me, including the poverty- regardless of whether I am in the city or I am in a village- and let it all seep in. I’m taking it day by day- not trying to rush through anything, for fear of missing the tiniest bit of information, or the smallest observation.
Each day, the list of questions I have grows. But I am receiving answers as well. And little by little, I am beginning to understand the complexities of this great India…
To end on a quote, for those who may, like me, forget how insignificant their worries can be:
“is everything as urgent as your stress would imply?”
No comments:
Post a Comment