This morning we had our first day of classes... and Emily and I successfully took the rickshaw to the right location, our program center! We're making major strides in being able to travel around the city via rickshaw, especially at a decent rate. Our morning started with the first of many Hindi lessons - Aap se milkar khushii huee! (It's nice to meet you!) - and a grammatical lesson. But, our day was really focused on our first excursion.. a trip to the North Eastern corner of Delhi into the Sanjey Vihar slums.
We took a bus out to the slums and were met by the regional directors of the Hope Foundation, or Chotton Ki Asha as they are called here, who were the people taking us in to see the work they have been doing. We were led to their tiny office in the central area separating 2 different slums, which were divided by who owned the land (one side was the railroad corporation, and the other was the Iraq's Embassy). There we were briefed on the HOPE mission, which was to decrease maternal, neonatal and child morbidity within the slum area.
From the office we took our first steps down the streets, which were surprisingly paved with cement, and a small ditched separated the personal residences from the street. The ditch had a flow of water and trash, and we saw multiple children playing and peeing in it as we passed by. Each of the residences were probably no bigger than the average bathroom size, if not smaller, with only proper walls and a tarp covering for a roof. Each of the residences had siphoned off electricity though from the local power lines, as we weaved in and out of power lines coming from ever direction.. and we soon discovered that they also had drilled into the local water lines to siphon off their own water as well. This is one of the many reasons India is having such a problem with clean water.. it becomes polluted from the source and it is impossible to know where exactly your water has been before it arrives in your house. The slums? Who knows. We were led to a school of sorts along one of the slum streets, which had about 35 3-6 year olds inside learning a lesson and waiting for lunch (a food ration provided for children of this age, as part of the HOPE initiative). As we stopped to talk about this particular HOPE project, we had an opportunity to interact with some of the children in the slum. Most of the children were just as happy as ever, unaware of their living situation, and just excited to exchange a few sentences with each of us to test our Hindi or their English a bit. And as soon as a camera was brought out... all was lost. The children were SO EXCITED at the opportunity to have themselves photographed. In fact, they started requesting for me to bring my camera out and take their photo, promising to smile and hugging their friends in each of my pictures. Most of these children were born and brought up in the slums, and have a family history of living there for almost 30 years now, even though all of the residents are illegal squatters. These children know nothing else, and seem not to care that they're only receiving the bare minimum of nutrition... the outlook on life amazes me. Walking through a place such as this really gives me perspective on my life back home. Although our house is of average size, to anyone I have met here it would be a mansion of epic proportions. Having my own room, more than a handful of belongings... I urge you all to count your blessings in the coming years, because clearly your life is not as bad as it may seem.
After leaving the small school of children we were on our way out talking about pregnant mothers, and giving birth at home vs. giving birth in a hospital setting. In parts of India there is common ritual around the birth and therefore many women do not want to go to the hospital, even though it is much safer for themselves and the baby. Our guide was telling us about their initiative to get women to the hospital to deliver and see the doctor in the first months of the babies life to receive shots and immunizations. Just as our conversation was coming to a close, we happened upon a woman with a 12 HOUR old baby. Delivered just last night, in the private area just inside where she (the mother) was greeting us with her beautiful (and sleepy) baby girl. This is the first time I've seen such a young life.. and to see the conditions of the birth it was a miracle that the baby seemed to be healthy and doing fine, as well as the mother. She slept calmly in our professors Abid Ji's arms as he translated his conversation with the mother for us.
Truly and eye opening experience. And I know this is just the first of many.. we found out later that afternoon that 1200 people were housed in the slums where we were, and in Delhi alone there are about 1800 slum villages. 1800! The numbers are mind boggling. That's probably (well definitely) more people in the slums of Delhi than in the greater Canton area in Ohio. This afternoon a representative of the HOPE foundation came to tell us more about their organization, and what they have been providing for mothers and children in many slums around Delhi, and around the world. Basic education, childhood immunizations, care and food for those under 6, just to name a few. What an amazing thing they are doing!
I'll go to sleep more thankful than I was the night before. For the experience, for my family, for my life. As unsettling as it is for me to see people living the way they do, to see how happy they made me realize that life is not all bad. Staying positive is half the battle, right?
PS- click the links!
We took a bus out to the slums and were met by the regional directors of the Hope Foundation, or Chotton Ki Asha as they are called here, who were the people taking us in to see the work they have been doing. We were led to their tiny office in the central area separating 2 different slums, which were divided by who owned the land (one side was the railroad corporation, and the other was the Iraq's Embassy). There we were briefed on the HOPE mission, which was to decrease maternal, neonatal and child morbidity within the slum area.
From the office we took our first steps down the streets, which were surprisingly paved with cement, and a small ditched separated the personal residences from the street. The ditch had a flow of water and trash, and we saw multiple children playing and peeing in it as we passed by. Each of the residences were probably no bigger than the average bathroom size, if not smaller, with only proper walls and a tarp covering for a roof. Each of the residences had siphoned off electricity though from the local power lines, as we weaved in and out of power lines coming from ever direction.. and we soon discovered that they also had drilled into the local water lines to siphon off their own water as well. This is one of the many reasons India is having such a problem with clean water.. it becomes polluted from the source and it is impossible to know where exactly your water has been before it arrives in your house. The slums? Who knows. We were led to a school of sorts along one of the slum streets, which had about 35 3-6 year olds inside learning a lesson and waiting for lunch (a food ration provided for children of this age, as part of the HOPE initiative). As we stopped to talk about this particular HOPE project, we had an opportunity to interact with some of the children in the slum. Most of the children were just as happy as ever, unaware of their living situation, and just excited to exchange a few sentences with each of us to test our Hindi or their English a bit. And as soon as a camera was brought out... all was lost. The children were SO EXCITED at the opportunity to have themselves photographed. In fact, they started requesting for me to bring my camera out and take their photo, promising to smile and hugging their friends in each of my pictures. Most of these children were born and brought up in the slums, and have a family history of living there for almost 30 years now, even though all of the residents are illegal squatters. These children know nothing else, and seem not to care that they're only receiving the bare minimum of nutrition... the outlook on life amazes me. Walking through a place such as this really gives me perspective on my life back home. Although our house is of average size, to anyone I have met here it would be a mansion of epic proportions. Having my own room, more than a handful of belongings... I urge you all to count your blessings in the coming years, because clearly your life is not as bad as it may seem.
After leaving the small school of children we were on our way out talking about pregnant mothers, and giving birth at home vs. giving birth in a hospital setting. In parts of India there is common ritual around the birth and therefore many women do not want to go to the hospital, even though it is much safer for themselves and the baby. Our guide was telling us about their initiative to get women to the hospital to deliver and see the doctor in the first months of the babies life to receive shots and immunizations. Just as our conversation was coming to a close, we happened upon a woman with a 12 HOUR old baby. Delivered just last night, in the private area just inside where she (the mother) was greeting us with her beautiful (and sleepy) baby girl. This is the first time I've seen such a young life.. and to see the conditions of the birth it was a miracle that the baby seemed to be healthy and doing fine, as well as the mother. She slept calmly in our professors Abid Ji's arms as he translated his conversation with the mother for us.
Truly and eye opening experience. And I know this is just the first of many.. we found out later that afternoon that 1200 people were housed in the slums where we were, and in Delhi alone there are about 1800 slum villages. 1800! The numbers are mind boggling. That's probably (well definitely) more people in the slums of Delhi than in the greater Canton area in Ohio. This afternoon a representative of the HOPE foundation came to tell us more about their organization, and what they have been providing for mothers and children in many slums around Delhi, and around the world. Basic education, childhood immunizations, care and food for those under 6, just to name a few. What an amazing thing they are doing!
I'll go to sleep more thankful than I was the night before. For the experience, for my family, for my life. As unsettling as it is for me to see people living the way they do, to see how happy they made me realize that life is not all bad. Staying positive is half the battle, right?
PS- click the links!
rachael you are absolutely right we are blessed what an eye opener the baby is so cute all children are beautiful the pictures are amazing you look beautiful so does your roommate tell her your grammy says hello please remember to be careful we miss you very much leroy and i sends all our love xoxo can you beleive im doing this ha ha xoxo
ReplyDeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteThe HOPE foundation sounds like an amazing organization. Your posted inspired me to look into the HOPE foundation's website. I have been reading about all of the amazing, incredible, and fantastic work that this program does throughout the world. I couldn't agree more with you how being in an area that is not as privileged makes you realize how much you appreciate all of the wonderful opportunities we have been blessed with. I am absolutely loving reading your blog!!! Please keep writing as much as you can!
Lots of Love From Lehigh,
AMK