It’s back to the grind and I am not complaining at all. After a wonderful relaxing weekend, I found out that one of our donor agencies Project Concern International’s international Delegation from San Diego was arriving for a day long visit to one of the project areas in Meerut. We run a joint program with them on polio eradication. Sadly, to date, certain parts of India are still affected by polio due to a lack of proper hygienic conditions and poor awareness on the issue. SARD and PCI have been working since last year in Meerut, U.P to mobilize the local community to increase awareness on polio, provide vaccinations as well as pre-natal and antenatal support to women in rural villages. The campaign has received an amazing success over the past year. Last year there were approximately 55 cases of polio reported in Meerut. This year, that hasn’t even been one! It was amazing to see involvement of the self governing bodies within the community in mobilizing support. Religious leaders were also actively engaged in the promoting oral vaccinations for new born as well as in the education of proper health measures to avoid contracting polio.
At the ridiculously early time of 5 am, we set out to Meerut by car and well I basically passed out until we got to Meerut. The lodge that we were supposed to meet the delegation was shut down. So, we were invited to stay in a bed sheet emporium until the lodge opened. It was the strangest experience to stare at these piles of bed sheets neatly stacked up of various bright colors and prints. I kept thinking of the children’s story the princess and pea. For some reason, i wondered what would happen if there was a pea under all those sheets. (I know, it still doesn’t make sense to me either)
The international delegation was actually a group of women from San Diego who are so
full of life. They were excited about being in India and so full of passion for the cause they were working on. We managed to take them to three different villages all 20 km away from each other. Now, imagine a group of cars trying to by pass trucks, bullock carts and well poultry on a tiny one lane road in order to get to those villages. At one point, we waited for half hour for a cart carrying a load of sugar cane to get past us so that we could move on.
There is one thing I cant deny about the Indian culture- we know how to welcome guests. Even though these villages don’t have a lot of money and are in need of support, they still managed to provide our foreign guests with so much love and laughter that even they were blown away by it. Upon our arrival at the first village, the entire village came out with the dhol players (drums) and greeted our visitors with garlands and the traditional tilak ceremony where red vermillion is added to the forehead of the visitor to invite them into their homes. It was beautiful. The smell of fresh rose petals mixed with incense sticks filled the air as we made our way to the cluster office.
The turnout at the cluster office was amazing. Women from far and wide came to meet the international delegation. I was more than happy to act as a translator (I think my hindi is improving) and translate the questions from the audience. The coordinator explained the importance of pre and post care for babies and proper hygienic practices. The women were actually quite shy with their questions but by the end of the period, they opened up about their concerns. One being that the nutritional supplements they were given for their children often got lodged in their throats and was looking for an alternative. Hearing their concerns, it made me realize how small measures such as providing water soluble supplements can change a child’s life and make a true difference. It doesn’t take a world policy change to bring it about. It’s just a matter of listening to the concerns of the masses and actively participating to bring about change.
Realization of the day: it’s the simple acts of kindness that count. Confucius wrote- “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. All we need to do to bring about change in our lives is to take that simple step, that leap of faith...the rest will follow on its own.
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