A lesson in perspective

According to Merriam Webster, perspective means "the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance". The time I have spent in urban slums in New Delhi over the past 4 days has given me the opportunity to reflect on my life and I realized yesterday that I have never truly appreciated everything I have until this week. I am far from petty but there are times I let minor inconveniences almost ruin my day or focus too much on what I don't have rather than be thankful for everything I do have. It is not only the slum women who go out of their way to make us feel comfortable (whether by making room for us to sit down in their cramped home or offering us sweets from a birth celebration), but also the Asha staff who dedicate their lives to bettering those of the slum population. 


I've been having quite a hard time wrapping my head around my feelings in the slums, because on one hand I am terribly saddened by what I see but I also find that I always have a smile on my face and come home happier than I was when I left in the morning. I think I am starting to understand that it is very difficult for me to be anything but happy with what I have after spending the day with people who are so happy despite having so little. Granted, this isn't something that should come as a surprise. We have always been told that we should be happy with what we have because there are people in the world who don't have anything. What we weren't told, however, that those people are not bitter or angry or hostile about not having anything. Rather, they are able to appreciate what they do have: family, love, community, and their religious beliefs (whether they are Hindu, Muslim, or Christian). On Thursday, we went to Seelampur slum...

We met a boy named Shiv who is a university student studying political science honors. He was studying for his February exams in the foyer of the Asha center in Seelampur. He is very proud of his accomplishments and is happy to be a role model for his younger siblings as well as other young members of his community. In his spare time he teaches young children English and other subjects they wish to learn. We told him where we were from and he said that after he graduates and becomes a teacher, he will be middle class and have the opportunity to travel to America.

We also came across a woman whose child is malnourished and has an unknown illness that causes his limbs to twist and freeze in awkward positions. He was referred to the local hospital (located right behind the slum) and stayed there for a month but even after observation and tests, doctors were still not able to diagnose him. Frustrated, the boy's maternal grandfather took him out of the hospital and brought him home. As the CHVs were discussing what could be done, the mother made faces and cooed at her child. The child, who I did not see blink or move before this, started to smile at his mother who whispered something to him and smiled herself. This was the first time I have come close to actually crying in a slum.

We also saw a woman who ran a shop on one of the slum's narrow streets. She took a 7000 rupee loan from the bank thanks to Asha's financial inclusion program in order to buy more goods to sell. She makes 150-200 rupees in profit every day, and as a result she is able to pay back her loan with monthly payments of 600 rupees. In addition to running her store, she checks up on the 25-30 houses on her lane as a lane volunteer for Asha. Her husband is a tailor and has 2 sons.

During another CHV visit, we saw a woman who had her first baby 2 weeks ago. Towards the end of visit as we were about to leave, her mother-in-law pulled 2 small silver boxes out of their refrigerator. The women in their community threw a celebration after the baby's birth and the boxes held leftover sweets. She offered us the sweets as a thank you for visiting her home and seeing her grandchild.

When we got back to the Asha center, there was a group of little girls hanging out in the courtyard. They gathered in a group around us and Soni, the Asha staff member who has been showing us around the various slums, asked them if they were happy when visitors came to Seelampur. One little girl said she was very happy, and when Soni asked her why she said it was because they came from very far away to see her.

The people of Seelampur welcomed us with open arms into their community and their homes. We were always greeted with a smile and life stories were shared with us enthusiastically. They did not have much, but they appreciate the things they do have: family, love, community, and their religious beliefs. 


In the evening, Annie, Siya, and I went to the mall near our flat to check out the sales. After going through a metal detector, we walked into the most beautiful mall we've ever seen. 

Although I picked out quite a few things at Zara, I asked myself whether any of them were items I couldn't live without. My mind went back to everything I saw and everyone I met at Seelampur. I walked out of the mall without making a purchase. I'm quite sure my materialistic ways will reappear very soon (most likely tomorrow during our trip to the market), but from now on I will always make sure to appreciate all I have and not focus too much on silly things that mean very little in the big scheme of things. 


Thank you all for reading,
A