Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Dali Bai
This was the second settlement that we visited. Here, a number of homes have electricity; there is a legitimate waterspout in the center of the settlement; and most homes or clusters of homes have outhouses. Additionally, there are a number of families that are managing to make semi-decent wages. But on the down-side, few people have citizenship and access to government services, and the only school in the area is private, which means not many children are in school.
A home in Dali Bai.
A bathroom.
The water spout.
A young man with his "shop."
The people of Dali Bai:
Kali Beri
We are conducting our assessment with three settlements. They each have distinct differences, so I thought I would put up a few photos and tell you a little about each.
The first settlement that we visited was Kali Beri. In terms of physical needs—electricity, water, sewage/sanitation, etc.—this settlement is the least equipped. No home has electricity, they entire community gets their water from a hole in the water line running through the settlement, and there are no bathrooms or even outhouses. It’s a pretty stark place. But on the other hand, most of the families have citizenship, which means they supposedly have access to more government services.
Goats on the road into the settlement.
A house in Kali Beri.
Children getting water at the makeshift water spout.
Carrying the water back to the house.
The people of Kali Beri:
Goats on the road into the settlement.
A house in Kali Beri.
Children getting water at the makeshift water spout.
Carrying the water back to the house.
The people of Kali Beri:
Household Report Cards
To be able to accurately serve and represent the settlements PVS needed to better understand the demographics of the communities. Therefore, as I mentioned before, we were asked to conduct a large-scale needs assessment of three of the five settlements surrounding
From our research we created a Household Report Card that used mostly pictures and checkboxes to gather information from a variety of categories. We then held a training session for two community leaders from each settlement, and taught them how to conduct the survey in their respective communities.
We now have all the cards back and are in the process of analyzing them… And it’s been interesting. The understanding varied greatly across the volunteers, so each settlement has a few questions that will not be very useful for us. It’s too bad that we didn’t get all the information that we wanted, but really more than anything I think this was an amazing learning experience for us. The International Education program at NYU is great, but very theoretical, so this experience has been the missing practical component, and I am learning so much from my time here.
I’m sure you’re all wondering what our card ended up looking like, so here it is:
Front (dealing specifically with individual information)
Back (dealing with household information)
Monday, June 28, 2010
My worlds collide...
I have been having some pretty crazy, vivid dreams lately... The other night's dream was too good not to share.
I dreamt that Steve did not have citizenship and was being deported to Reno, Nevada.
I dreamt that Steve did not have citizenship and was being deported to Reno, Nevada.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Colors of India
At an old Jain temple near Jaisalmer
In the Old City of Jodhpur
A light fixture at a restaurant in Jaisalmer
A light fixture from a hotel in Jodhpur
Children's dresses in the Old City
A ceiling from a home in Jaisalmer
My shirt :)
From a restaurant in the Old City
This last photo is thanks to D...
Jaisalmer
This past weekend I went on a trip with 8 other FSD interns. We went to the nearby city of Jaisalmer , known for it’s spectacular fort and also the starting point for camel safaris in the Thar Desert . In just two days we were able to experience both…
The trip started with an eventful overnight train ride from Jodhpur
Luckily I had some wet wipes and we all cleaned ourselves up as much as possible. We headed into town and walked through the fort and then watched the sunrise over the city. Built in 1156, the fort has 99 bastions around its circumference, and many of city’s residents still reside within the walls.
After breakfast we located our safari agent and worked out a nice deal. Then we wandered the city until 3:30 and then headed back for our jeep ride out of town.
They drove us about 50km outside of the city (at that point we were about 80km from the Pakistani border) and dropped us off with 9 camels and 5 guides. I named my camel Marlboro, but later learned his real name was Babalu. He was a lazy little bugger, who stopped to eat often, but he didn’t try to bite me, so it’s an improvement from my last camel ride.
We rode for about 2 hours and then the guides dropped us off at some amazing dunes and left us to watch the sunset while they set up camp. Unfortunately the sunset wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was amazingly quiet and the air was clean, so we were happy.
The guides whipped up dinner and we ate while the stars started to come out. Then we climbed onto our beds, turned on some music, watched the stars and fell asleep.
Just after wake-up call...
The guides woke us at sunrise, which we all opted to watch from our beds, and then made us a breakfast of toast, eggs and bananas. They packed up our camp, and we climbed back on our camels… Inherently less fun the second day. Today, it hurts just to sit down!
We rode for a little over an hour, into a town where our jeep met us and took us back to Jaisalmer. Z, D and I opted out of more exploring and instead took showers and got massages… $10 well spent!
A few of us managed to get upgraded on the return train. 3AC, which means 3-tier sleeper with AC. Still a lot of people in a small space, but infinitely better! Definitely the way to get around India
PVS
The partition of India in 1947 created a massive refugee problem, forcing millions of people to flee across the newly created border between India and Pakistan
The Hindu-Pakistanis living in and around Jodhpur and other border towns were, before partition, lived a practically nomadic life in the Thar Desert , moving with the seasons for subsistence farming. After partition many opted to settle in Pakistan Pakistan became a Muslim state, and the religious persecution of Hindus began and with it their migration to India India
Pak Visithapit Sangh (PVS) was started in 1999 by Hindu Singh Sodha, himself a Hindu-Pakistani refugee, to improve citizenship attainment and rehabilitation programs. In 1977 a change in the government of India
In spite of these obstacles, PVS has been successful in pressuring the government to grant citizenship to over 13,000 refugees. However there are still more living in the settlements, and more arriving every year. In addition, PVS has begun pressing the government to provide basic amenities—adequate ration cards, schools, health care facilities, electrical lines, water, sewage, etc.—to those who have been granted citizenship.
So where do we come in?
As I said before we are working on an assessment of three of the settlements. We have created a survey card that is in the process of being filled out and then we will be conducting one-on-one, in-home interviews. Through this we hope to gain a better understanding of the current conditions and needs of the settlements and then will compare our findings with similar non-refugee populations in the area to demonstrate the inadequacy of provisions received. It is our hope that our final report will be useful in the many government meetings Hindu Singh Sodha attends on behalf of the settlements.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Book Recommendation
The White Tiger
by Aravind Adiga
Another FSD intern read it and recommended it to me, and I couldn't put it down. It's new, just published in 2008, and vividly and accurately depicts the India that I am experiencing it now. It's a novel and really easy read, so if you want to have a great picture of the little details of life that I am witnessing, I highly recommend picking it up.
by Aravind Adiga
Another FSD intern read it and recommended it to me, and I couldn't put it down. It's new, just published in 2008, and vividly and accurately depicts the India that I am experiencing it now. It's a novel and really easy read, so if you want to have a great picture of the little details of life that I am witnessing, I highly recommend picking it up.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
FSD
I thought since I am throwing around a lot of names that maybe I should explain a few things. FSD – Foundation for Sustainable Development, is a San Fran based organization that places people, primarily students, in-country to do an internship with a grassroots organization working to better their community. FSD has various sites around the globe that students can choose from and then at each site, various organizations with different focuses. Each location has a program director (in Jodhpur that’s Smita) and local program coordinator (that’s Madhu) that coordinates the host organization and host family, plans the orientation and midterm retreats, and is a main contact for students during their stay.
My group, D, Z and myself, came through NYU, so we did not get a choice of location or organization, but we are still grouped with all the other interns. There are currently 15 interns (the most they have ever had) and on Saturday they are getting 10 more! It’s been pretty crazy as they adjust to having more students, but also an amazing opportunity with lots of hands-on experience.
Going Native, Part 5...
One thing that I appreciate about India
My sunglasses broke a few days ago, so in that spirit I bought some superglue from the corner store and repaired them myself! They looked great… Until D dropped them the next day and they broke again. Fortunately I still had some superglue left, so here’s a picture of repair number 2:
Going Native, Part 4...
I love getting henna, so I have been itching to go since we landed. One afternoon last week we had a little time to kill before Hindi class, so we walked over to National Hand Loom (the local Walmart) where there are a couple boys who whip up amazing designs in just a few minutes.
Originally they wanted $500Rs per hand, but our wicked haggling skills got them down to $100Rs total, which is what it should be.
Just for Alyssa I requested a peacock design:
The only problem now is that they used some crappy henna and now I look like I have skin disease! It's peeling off and looks nasty... I’ll spare you the photos!
Originally they wanted $500Rs per hand, but our wicked haggling skills got them down to $100Rs total, which is what it should be.
Just for Alyssa I requested a peacock design:
The only problem now is that they used some crappy henna and now I look like I have skin disease! It's peeling off and looks nasty... I’ll spare you the photos!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Squatting Success
I have traveled to many countries with squat toilets, and in the past I have avoided them like the plague. I'd rather go home constipated than use them!
While my host family has a Western toilet for us to use, our office does not, so I have had to overcome my fears of peeing on my leg and pooping into the unknown...
I am here to say that I have been quite successful!
Just thought you'd like to know. :)
While my host family has a Western toilet for us to use, our office does not, so I have had to overcome my fears of peeing on my leg and pooping into the unknown...
I am here to say that I have been quite successful!
Just thought you'd like to know. :)
Chapati
Also known as roti, it is the unleavened bread that is widely eaten in India. Not only is it a staple of every meal, it is the utensil as well.
Last night, Nani-ji brought D and I into the kitchen to teach us how she makes chapati. It is amazingly simple. The dough is corn flour, wheat flour and water. She rolls it thin, and then places it a hot caste iron skillet (no butter or oil). 15 seconds on each side and then she places it directly on the flame to puff it up. Another 10 seconds on each side and it is done. She probably makes around 60 a day, so she makes it look easy!
Each morning Nani-ji makes two additional chapatis: one for a cow, half for a dog, and half for a crow. The half for the crow she leaves on the rooftop terrace, and the others go to the lucky stray dog and cow that happen to wander by the gate.
Last night, Nani-ji brought D and I into the kitchen to teach us how she makes chapati. It is amazingly simple. The dough is corn flour, wheat flour and water. She rolls it thin, and then places it a hot caste iron skillet (no butter or oil). 15 seconds on each side and then she places it directly on the flame to puff it up. Another 10 seconds on each side and it is done. She probably makes around 60 a day, so she makes it look easy!
Each morning Nani-ji makes two additional chapatis: one for a cow, half for a dog, and half for a crow. The half for the crow she leaves on the rooftop terrace, and the others go to the lucky stray dog and cow that happen to wander by the gate.
The way things work update.
I left you hanging about the conclusion of our Foreign Resident Office registration, so here it is.
At 4:30 we headed back to the office. We stood waiting at the same first room for 20 minutes. A woman emerged with a large stack of papers and we all hurried behind her to keep up. We stopped in front of another office and waited another 10 minutes. A man emerged and we hurriedly followed the man and woman. They took us to a large office where we again waited... Five minutes later they ushered us into the air conditioned room (a rarity) with a large desk and equally large man. He sat all importantly at his desk and didn't look at any of us. Around him were three peons, they watched us, like hawks. I felt like a criminal.
He called us one-by-one. While he signed each and every page (remember all the copies?!), we had to quietly leave the office. It was unnecessary and totally antiquated.
What's worse is realizing that the people we are working for, the Hindu Pakistani refugees, must do the exact same thing, but the huge difference is that no Indians want them here...
At 4:30 we headed back to the office. We stood waiting at the same first room for 20 minutes. A woman emerged with a large stack of papers and we all hurried behind her to keep up. We stopped in front of another office and waited another 10 minutes. A man emerged and we hurriedly followed the man and woman. They took us to a large office where we again waited... Five minutes later they ushered us into the air conditioned room (a rarity) with a large desk and equally large man. He sat all importantly at his desk and didn't look at any of us. Around him were three peons, they watched us, like hawks. I felt like a criminal.
He called us one-by-one. While he signed each and every page (remember all the copies?!), we had to quietly leave the office. It was unnecessary and totally antiquated.
What's worse is realizing that the people we are working for, the Hindu Pakistani refugees, must do the exact same thing, but the huge difference is that no Indians want them here...
Love is in the Air…
I wanted to send a couple of shout-outs as this is a big weekend for friends and family back home…
First, my cousin Carolyn is getting married today in Ohio. Carolyn and Andrew – congratulations and all the best in this next chapter. I wish you many years of happiness and love.
Then tomorrow, our friends Ed and Rachel will get married in upstate New York. Steve is a high school friend of Ed’s and is a groomsman in the wedding. Ed and Rachel – I’m so sorry I can’t be there to celebrate with you in person; I am so excited for you two! Congratulations and all the best!
And finally, a huge congratulations to my parents. This weekend they are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. Steve and I will be celebrating our first anniversary next week and I can only hope we’ll make it another 39. I truly admire my parents' and their relationship together and hope that we will have the same. Congratulations, I love you both very much!
First, my cousin Carolyn is getting married today in Ohio. Carolyn and Andrew – congratulations and all the best in this next chapter. I wish you many years of happiness and love.
Then tomorrow, our friends Ed and Rachel will get married in upstate New York. Steve is a high school friend of Ed’s and is a groomsman in the wedding. Ed and Rachel – I’m so sorry I can’t be there to celebrate with you in person; I am so excited for you two! Congratulations and all the best!
And finally, a huge congratulations to my parents. This weekend they are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. Steve and I will be celebrating our first anniversary next week and I can only hope we’ll make it another 39. I truly admire my parents' and their relationship together and hope that we will have the same. Congratulations, I love you both very much!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The way things work...
Z, D and I are attempting to get our project moving, but there are hurdles at every turn... Really, too many to count. Today we had to register at the Foreign Resident Office, the outing was completely unrelated to our work, but I thought it would give a nice picture of what it is like to work in India... Especially when you are not willing to pay the bribes, which FSD is not.
We met at the FSD office at 11:00am. 11:30 we left.
Once at the office, we stood at the first room for 15 minutes while our two FSD workers talked with the officials. Then we walked to the next room and stood there for another 10 minutes. We went back to the first room and they talked for an additional 20 minutes. Then we got the forms...
5 different forms, the oldest dating back to 1939... (They don't revise in India, they just add new forms.)
Each form needs to be filled out and signed. Then we need copies of our passport, visa and entry stamp, all signed. 7 photos. And then everything needed to be copied 5 times... Can we say identity theft?!
After that back to the first room. More talking, more waiting. Finally at 1:30 we got to leave...
But we have to go back at 4:30 and who knows what that will bring!
We met at the FSD office at 11:00am. 11:30 we left.
Once at the office, we stood at the first room for 15 minutes while our two FSD workers talked with the officials. Then we walked to the next room and stood there for another 10 minutes. We went back to the first room and they talked for an additional 20 minutes. Then we got the forms...
5 different forms, the oldest dating back to 1939... (They don't revise in India, they just add new forms.)
Each form needs to be filled out and signed. Then we need copies of our passport, visa and entry stamp, all signed. 7 photos. And then everything needed to be copied 5 times... Can we say identity theft?!
After that back to the first room. More talking, more waiting. Finally at 1:30 we got to leave...
But we have to go back at 4:30 and who knows what that will bring!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Children
There are so many adorable kids here, and they all LOVE having their photo taken! Being able to see the photo immediately after it is taken is huge for them... They keep coming back from more!
This little guy was shy at first...
but eventually gave me a great smile!
I took these photos on our trip into the Old City of Jodhpur. We went strolling yesterday and also visited the fort. I'll post photos from that soon.
This little guy was shy at first...
but eventually gave me a great smile!
I took these photos on our trip into the Old City of Jodhpur. We went strolling yesterday and also visited the fort. I'll post photos from that soon.
Going Native, Part 2...
The toe-rings were a gift from Nani-ji, our host grandmother. The anklets were a gift from my host mother when I came to India in 2002 with Semester at Sea. The nail polish was purchased at National Hand Loom, the local Walmart.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The Singh Family
Thursday was a busy day! In addition to a challenging visit to the settlement, we also moved into our host family in the evening! They'll never compare to my amazing Brasilian host families, but it's nice to have the experience. :)
Danielle and I are staying with the Singh family - a grandmother & grandfather, their daughter & son-in-law, and grandson (17). Nani-ji, the grandmother is adorable and quite helpful despite little English. Abi, the son, is a typical teenage boy interested in video games and cricket (well, typical for Indians). Vanita, the daughter/mother, is soft spoken, but very kind. The two older men make themselves scarce... Not sure why this is, but I am hoping that they'll warm up to us!
We have a bedroom, bathroom and sitting room on the second floor. There is no AC, so we are braving the heat. When it's just too hot we're practicing the bucket shower technique to cool us down!
After a week of restaurant food, we are happy to be eating lighter fare. And fortunately for us because of past interns they have learned that American guests are not-so-hungry gods. :)
Danielle and I are staying with the Singh family - a grandmother & grandfather, their daughter & son-in-law, and grandson (17). Nani-ji, the grandmother is adorable and quite helpful despite little English. Abi, the son, is a typical teenage boy interested in video games and cricket (well, typical for Indians). Vanita, the daughter/mother, is soft spoken, but very kind. The two older men make themselves scarce... Not sure why this is, but I am hoping that they'll warm up to us!
We have a bedroom, bathroom and sitting room on the second floor. There is no AC, so we are braving the heat. When it's just too hot we're practicing the bucket shower technique to cool us down!
After a week of restaurant food, we are happy to be eating lighter fare. And fortunately for us because of past interns they have learned that American guests are not-so-hungry gods. :)
PVS
I just finished my third full day of work (that's right, Indians work on Saturday). We had a few meetings before that, but really got started on Thursday.
The organization that I am working with is called PVS. It was started in 1999 to provide aid to Hindu Pakistani refugees living along the border, particularly in the process of getting Indian citizenship. They have been fairly successful in getting villagers citizenship, and now are hoping to broaden their services.
For our project, we will be doing an an assessment of three settlements around Jodhpur. We will look at broad demographics, access/quality of education, access/quality of health care, job availablity, women's rights, etc. Then we will compare it to district and national data to see where government services in the settlements are lacking. And hopefully with this information PVS will be able to better fight for the necessary services, and create settlement specific programs. It's a large project, but we planned out our remaining five weeks and are excited to get started.
In addition to lots of meetings, we visited the first settlement on Thursday evening. It was a powerful experience. Perhaps most depressing was the water situation... There is a pipe that runs through the settlement carrying water to the city. It sprung a leak and that is where they gather their water. Where it pools below, that's where they wash their clothes. There is no electricity. There are no latrines. There are schools, but the teachers never come. The people in the settlements are agricultural laborers used to migrating according to the seasons. Now their land is so dry and rocky, they can not cultivate it. They held a community meeting to introduce us and let them know what we were going to be doing over the next weeks. They begged us to help them.
I hope we can.
The organization that I am working with is called PVS. It was started in 1999 to provide aid to Hindu Pakistani refugees living along the border, particularly in the process of getting Indian citizenship. They have been fairly successful in getting villagers citizenship, and now are hoping to broaden their services.
For our project, we will be doing an an assessment of three settlements around Jodhpur. We will look at broad demographics, access/quality of education, access/quality of health care, job availablity, women's rights, etc. Then we will compare it to district and national data to see where government services in the settlements are lacking. And hopefully with this information PVS will be able to better fight for the necessary services, and create settlement specific programs. It's a large project, but we planned out our remaining five weeks and are excited to get started.
In addition to lots of meetings, we visited the first settlement on Thursday evening. It was a powerful experience. Perhaps most depressing was the water situation... There is a pipe that runs through the settlement carrying water to the city. It sprung a leak and that is where they gather their water. Where it pools below, that's where they wash their clothes. There is no electricity. There are no latrines. There are schools, but the teachers never come. The people in the settlements are agricultural laborers used to migrating according to the seasons. Now their land is so dry and rocky, they can not cultivate it. They held a community meeting to introduce us and let them know what we were going to be doing over the next weeks. They begged us to help them.
I hope we can.
Going Native...
According to Arun, a consultant for our organization, I've already mastered the Indian nod.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Orientation
We were picked up for orientation on Saturday morning. Other interns were still arriving, so we (the 3 NYUers – D, Z and myself) hung out in our swanky air-conditioned room for the afternoon.
Here’s a picture of me in front of our hotel with my fancy new scarf! Surprisingly having the scarf over your head and neck really helps with the heat.
In India guests should be treated as gods. And apparently gods are always very hungry, because I have been full since I arrived… Orientation seems to revolve around food; we haven’t stopped eating! Thankfully it’s amazing, but I think I need to skip a meal or two to give my stomach a break.
In addition to eating, we have been doing a lot of shopping. Jodhour is quite conservative, and since many of us will be working out in small villages, we’ll need far more traditional clothing than any of us anticipated. I had planned on shopping, but in big groups, being herded like cattle it is not fun. I am hoping once we get to our host families we’ll be able to try it again.
In between shopping and eating we’ve had some interesting discussions on Indian culture, gender relations, the caste system, etc. I’m sure it’s been very helpful to the rest of the group who are young undergrads, many out of the country for the first time, But truthfully for the three of us from NYU, it is all pretty basic, and we’re feeling antsy to get working.
Monday night we were invited to our first wedding! It was the wedding of our Hindi teacher, Madhu. The actual ceremony was over the weekend, but traditional Indian weddings last multiple days. We were invited to the last big event, the reception for over 2000 family and friends. It was crazy! You walked through this carnival-like tunnel and then it opened up into a huge outdoor stadium. Around the edges on three sides were tables and tables of food. And then at the far end was a platform where the couple stood the entire evening. As is customary, he smiled and she frowned, and there was a constant line of people taking photos with them.
But the colors were incredible… The saris women were wearing were amazingly bright and elaborate. It was stunning.
And then the music started… And Madhu insisted on teaching us an Indian Dance... Needless to say we had a bigger crowd than the bride and groom... The freaks from West as Z said! :)
At the wedding: Danielle, me, groom & bride (plus a random guy in the back), Zaineb, Audrey and Markus.
Here’s a picture of me in front of our hotel with my fancy new scarf! Surprisingly having the scarf over your head and neck really helps with the heat.
In India guests should be treated as gods. And apparently gods are always very hungry, because I have been full since I arrived… Orientation seems to revolve around food; we haven’t stopped eating! Thankfully it’s amazing, but I think I need to skip a meal or two to give my stomach a break.
In addition to eating, we have been doing a lot of shopping. Jodhour is quite conservative, and since many of us will be working out in small villages, we’ll need far more traditional clothing than any of us anticipated. I had planned on shopping, but in big groups, being herded like cattle it is not fun. I am hoping once we get to our host families we’ll be able to try it again.
In between shopping and eating we’ve had some interesting discussions on Indian culture, gender relations, the caste system, etc. I’m sure it’s been very helpful to the rest of the group who are young undergrads, many out of the country for the first time, But truthfully for the three of us from NYU, it is all pretty basic, and we’re feeling antsy to get working.
Monday night we were invited to our first wedding! It was the wedding of our Hindi teacher, Madhu. The actual ceremony was over the weekend, but traditional Indian weddings last multiple days. We were invited to the last big event, the reception for over 2000 family and friends. It was crazy! You walked through this carnival-like tunnel and then it opened up into a huge outdoor stadium. Around the edges on three sides were tables and tables of food. And then at the far end was a platform where the couple stood the entire evening. As is customary, he smiled and she frowned, and there was a constant line of people taking photos with them.
But the colors were incredible… The saris women were wearing were amazingly bright and elaborate. It was stunning.
And then the music started… And Madhu insisted on teaching us an Indian Dance... Needless to say we had a bigger crowd than the bride and groom... The freaks from West as Z said! :)
At the wedding: Danielle, me, groom & bride (plus a random guy in the back), Zaineb, Audrey and Markus.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
