The biggest 2 lessons I learned today were:
1. I will never get used to auto rickshaws.
2. No matter what their circumstances, children always seem to exude happiness and that makes me smile.
I was pretty nervous for my first ride in an auto rickshaw this morning for several reasons, the major ones being: how easy it would be for the driver to rip me off because I'm a foreigner and how dangerous Delhi roads are. Given that, I had more trouble opening the door of my flat than hailing a rickshaw, giving the driver the correct address, AND not being ripped off. Except the fact that he didn't know what "You can stop here" meant so he ended up dropping us off around the corner from the Asha office. But since he gave us a flat fee of 60 rupees rather than going by the meter, I'll call it a win. Also, scarves are an absolute necessity here not as a fashion accessory but as a way to cover your nose and mouth so you don't breathe in all the dust blowing your way.
Annie and I went to Zakhira slum after a short orientation. Seeing an urban slum in person was incredible, especially after doing so much research on them for IH887. Words can't really do it justice, so you'll just have to wait until I can post pictures. We spent the first bit of our visit in the clinic, which serves mostly women and children. All of the staff - 5 community health volunteers (CHVs), a team leader, and senior programme assistant - are absolutely amazing. They are passionate about their community and are really proud of the work they do for the women in their slum, as they should be. We were able to sit in on the maternal health visits which was really great because we got to see how programs that we've read about in class actually work on the ground. Overall the women were comfortable with 2 foreigners being in the room during their visit and even let us take pictures of them. We also got to actually feel the baby's head through the womens's stomachs! It was pretty insane.
After a delicious lunch of rice and daal - which the CHVs kindly provided for us - we went on a tour of the slum. As I said earlier, words cannot do it justice but let me try: dirty, crowded, noisy, animals everywhere, dangerous (there was a railroad track right behind dwellings), and the odor wasn't very pleasant in certain areas. Nonetheless, everyone we came across was very friendly and welcoming. I don't know any Hindi but everyone was greeted with a smile and a "Namaste", which were returned graciously. Women offered us places to sit down and those who know English introduced themselves and asked us our names. Their circumstances are incredibly poor, to say the least, but no one we came across let it affect their demeanor and hospitality.
And the children! They are such a delight. They accompanied us throughout our tour, laughing and playing the whole way. They are all so beautiful and full of life, which is just amazing considering their situations. We were able to meet with several of them who belong to a youth group (Bal Mandel) back at the clinic. A few of them know English and we talked about everything from what they do in their youth group to who their favorite hero/heroine (Bollywood actor/actress) is. The meeting ended with me teaching them a little bit of French. We were all upset that Annie and I had to leave but I hope we get to see them tomorrow because they owe me a traditional Hindi song...
I am very excited for my second day at Zakhira tomorrow. I hope to be able to post pictures very soon so stay tuned!
All the best and more,
A
Annie and I went to Zakhira slum after a short orientation. Seeing an urban slum in person was incredible, especially after doing so much research on them for IH887. Words can't really do it justice, so you'll just have to wait until I can post pictures. We spent the first bit of our visit in the clinic, which serves mostly women and children. All of the staff - 5 community health volunteers (CHVs), a team leader, and senior programme assistant - are absolutely amazing. They are passionate about their community and are really proud of the work they do for the women in their slum, as they should be. We were able to sit in on the maternal health visits which was really great because we got to see how programs that we've read about in class actually work on the ground. Overall the women were comfortable with 2 foreigners being in the room during their visit and even let us take pictures of them. We also got to actually feel the baby's head through the womens's stomachs! It was pretty insane.
After a delicious lunch of rice and daal - which the CHVs kindly provided for us - we went on a tour of the slum. As I said earlier, words cannot do it justice but let me try: dirty, crowded, noisy, animals everywhere, dangerous (there was a railroad track right behind dwellings), and the odor wasn't very pleasant in certain areas. Nonetheless, everyone we came across was very friendly and welcoming. I don't know any Hindi but everyone was greeted with a smile and a "Namaste", which were returned graciously. Women offered us places to sit down and those who know English introduced themselves and asked us our names. Their circumstances are incredibly poor, to say the least, but no one we came across let it affect their demeanor and hospitality.
And the children! They are such a delight. They accompanied us throughout our tour, laughing and playing the whole way. They are all so beautiful and full of life, which is just amazing considering their situations. We were able to meet with several of them who belong to a youth group (Bal Mandel) back at the clinic. A few of them know English and we talked about everything from what they do in their youth group to who their favorite hero/heroine (Bollywood actor/actress) is. The meeting ended with me teaching them a little bit of French. We were all upset that Annie and I had to leave but I hope we get to see them tomorrow because they owe me a traditional Hindi song...
I am very excited for my second day at Zakhira tomorrow. I hope to be able to post pictures very soon so stay tuned!
All the best and more,
A
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