Following the Pay-Day experiences, we just barely made it onto the bus on time. As I may have mentioned previously, since we had been granted special privileges to drive through the wildlife preserve, at a greatly reduced fee, we had to comply with the time frame of when the gates were opened and closed. This meant at the end of each work day, we may have had time for tea, but had to be on the bus no later than 4:30 p.m. in order to arrive at the gate prior to 5:00 p.m. Otherwise, we would be forced to have to take the circuitous route back to the hotel and that route would add about two hours. It had been difficult to say goodbye to the villagers and the laborers. Several of us had donated our clothing to be divvied up among the workers, for them and their families, and that scene in the dining tent was quite emotional. We were pleased to be able to share our wealth with them, and they all seemed to be quite touched by our generosity. Enough said, only that we then basically ran to the bus. Our drier was waiting, and already had the bus turned around in the right direction, and we were off!
Does the expression “Take no prisoners” have any meaning to you? Well, once we were on board the bus, there was no question our driver and conductor had one task in mind – get to the gate before 5:00 p.m., no ifs, ands or buts about it. Naturally, as is so often the case while traveling in India, and particularly when trying to operate within a specific time frame, every obstacle seemed to be before us. Two small herds of goats were sauntering down the road, with no real need to allow us to pass; two oxen came really close to being nudged out of the way; and finally, in the village between the work site and the gate, there is one major turn at the intersection, and it seemed everyone and every vehicle within a ten kilometer radius had decided to congregate at that turn! Our driver, who had heretofore seldom used his horn (except on the “laughing” trip to Kesroli) found a new attachment to it and the horn seemed to take on a life of its own. Rather than the “honks”, there was also a pulsating claxon effect that informed the pedestrian, “This guy really means business!”
As we approached that turn in the center of the town, more and more people seemed to cluster right smack in our path. The conductor opened his window and motioned people out of the way as the driver continued honking, and merely seconds before potential impact, the seas parted as if for Moses, and we were able to make the right-hand turn safely. Actually a better description would be we made the turn without further incident. I will never presume to offer an opinion as to how safely people in India drive. We now were at the very perimeter of the wildlife preserve. We could actually see the gate in the distance.
At that moment, several of us glanced at watches, I looked down at my mobile phone and we all had the same time – 4:59 p.m. Is it possible? Would we make it? Our estimate was easily a mile further to go, and this bus could not be driven much more than thirty kilometers per hour. Almost in concert, several team members suggested, “Hold on to your seats!” With horn honking and breaths held, we arrived at the gate in the nick of time. We were processed through and as we drove along through the preserve, we looked back and saw the gate being closed for the last time that day, and the gatekeepers walking away, outside the gate. A collective sigh of relief and we were off to the hotel for our final dinner there, and packing for the next part of our adventure.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
VISIT TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL – February 12, 2010
It was almost as though we were bursting at the seams… All of us had brought lots of trinkets along to share with the children of the village, and today was the day to share these with them. The drill would be that whatever we wanted to give to the children of the village, we would bring to the dining tent. At that point, Kelly Wike was “in charge” of the sorting process. She, along with her roommate, Jill Olsen, and a few others, including Susan Wischhusen, had the task of sorting through what we had brought and then trying to deal with these gifts in an equitable manner.
Our goal was to bring happiness to the children. However, we also wanted to convey a very important message to the village – if you go to school and attend regularly, you will be rewarded. This meant Kelly had to get a number from the foreman or one of the members of the Panchayat as to how many children actually attended school regularly. The next bit of information was to learn the gender breakdown among those students. Now, with those bits of knowledge, it was then up to the sorting team to delineate our gifts into two sections – boys and girls. As it ended up, there were four cartons and a couple of plastic bags which we carried to the school. We caused quite a stir in the streets of the village as we approached the school yard.
Since Atul Dev – one of the other Rotarians from Delhi, who was also intimately involved with the dam projects – had driven out with another member of his Rotary Club, we invited them to come along for our “fun” portion of the day. It turns out that Atul Dev was a great help to us. Since Sanjiv was filming all of our activities, I asked if Atul Dev would be willing to address the children on our behalf and provide our “message” to them. He agreed.
What he told the children was, “These folks, who are Rotarians from USA, Canada, France and Russia have come here to your village at their own expense. They have left their families and their jobs so that they might come to Teenchvala to work on the construction of the dam, in order to benefit your village. In addition, they have brought some gifts to you, but these gifts are only for children in the village who regularly attend school. This is your reward for being good and attentive students.” He then suggested they give us a round of applause. The gun-shot precision of their clapping was startling, to say nothing of nearly deafening, even though we were all sitting outside in the school yard. The teachers had grabbed an old tarp-carpet and covered a raised platform at one end of the playground, and invited the team members to sit there. He had also provided about five chairs and asked that Atul Dev, Kelly, two other team members and me to sit there, in front of all of the children who sat on the dusty ground, cross-legged.
Once the applause subsided, Atul then instructed the teaching staff to have the youngest girls and the youngest boys to come forward to receive their gifts. Each child received a “Frisbee” – either one of the more traditional plastic ones, or one of the fabric disks that seem to be all the rage nowadays. In addition, each girl was given a small doll or a bit of jewelry (or as it is spelled in India, JEWELLERY). Each of the boys also received a “Frisbee” as well as a nerf baseball or a nerf football or the like. These children were so much more orderly than the children in the village of Chahalka where our teams had worked for the past three years, and they actually seemed to be very appreciative of their gifts. In an effort to cement relationships even more, I asked that Atul mention to the older children that we would so much appreciate it if they would come to the worksite and stand alongside us and help to pass the rocks or the masala mix. This way, we hoped the children, and therefore their families, would take some pride of ownership in the dam project that will benefit them all for years to come. Once again, Atul suggested a round of applause for us and once more, that gun-shot precision of clapping lasted for about twenty seconds. In turn, our team stood and applauded the students for being students and for attending school regularly.
At that point, I suggested that two of our team members, Vanessa and Sarah go out behind the students who were still sitting on the ground and to catch the Frisbees I was going to fling out to them. I thought this would be a good way to show the kids how these funny disks actually work. I flung out the disks to the children’s great pleasure. I then invited the older boys to join us out at the other end of the playground and we tossed the tiny footballs and the softballs, as well as flung the Frisbees. Several of the team members joined in this exercise and we all seemed to be able to blow off some steam, and really enjoy becoming kids again!
We left the school and walked back to the dining tent for lunch.
Our goal was to bring happiness to the children. However, we also wanted to convey a very important message to the village – if you go to school and attend regularly, you will be rewarded. This meant Kelly had to get a number from the foreman or one of the members of the Panchayat as to how many children actually attended school regularly. The next bit of information was to learn the gender breakdown among those students. Now, with those bits of knowledge, it was then up to the sorting team to delineate our gifts into two sections – boys and girls. As it ended up, there were four cartons and a couple of plastic bags which we carried to the school. We caused quite a stir in the streets of the village as we approached the school yard.
Since Atul Dev – one of the other Rotarians from Delhi, who was also intimately involved with the dam projects – had driven out with another member of his Rotary Club, we invited them to come along for our “fun” portion of the day. It turns out that Atul Dev was a great help to us. Since Sanjiv was filming all of our activities, I asked if Atul Dev would be willing to address the children on our behalf and provide our “message” to them. He agreed.
What he told the children was, “These folks, who are Rotarians from USA, Canada, France and Russia have come here to your village at their own expense. They have left their families and their jobs so that they might come to Teenchvala to work on the construction of the dam, in order to benefit your village. In addition, they have brought some gifts to you, but these gifts are only for children in the village who regularly attend school. This is your reward for being good and attentive students.” He then suggested they give us a round of applause. The gun-shot precision of their clapping was startling, to say nothing of nearly deafening, even though we were all sitting outside in the school yard. The teachers had grabbed an old tarp-carpet and covered a raised platform at one end of the playground, and invited the team members to sit there. He had also provided about five chairs and asked that Atul Dev, Kelly, two other team members and me to sit there, in front of all of the children who sat on the dusty ground, cross-legged.
Once the applause subsided, Atul then instructed the teaching staff to have the youngest girls and the youngest boys to come forward to receive their gifts. Each child received a “Frisbee” – either one of the more traditional plastic ones, or one of the fabric disks that seem to be all the rage nowadays. In addition, each girl was given a small doll or a bit of jewelry (or as it is spelled in India, JEWELLERY). Each of the boys also received a “Frisbee” as well as a nerf baseball or a nerf football or the like. These children were so much more orderly than the children in the village of Chahalka where our teams had worked for the past three years, and they actually seemed to be very appreciative of their gifts. In an effort to cement relationships even more, I asked that Atul mention to the older children that we would so much appreciate it if they would come to the worksite and stand alongside us and help to pass the rocks or the masala mix. This way, we hoped the children, and therefore their families, would take some pride of ownership in the dam project that will benefit them all for years to come. Once again, Atul suggested a round of applause for us and once more, that gun-shot precision of clapping lasted for about twenty seconds. In turn, our team stood and applauded the students for being students and for attending school regularly.
At that point, I suggested that two of our team members, Vanessa and Sarah go out behind the students who were still sitting on the ground and to catch the Frisbees I was going to fling out to them. I thought this would be a good way to show the kids how these funny disks actually work. I flung out the disks to the children’s great pleasure. I then invited the older boys to join us out at the other end of the playground and we tossed the tiny footballs and the softballs, as well as flung the Frisbees. Several of the team members joined in this exercise and we all seemed to be able to blow off some steam, and really enjoy becoming kids again!
We left the school and walked back to the dining tent for lunch.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
PAY DAY AT WORK - February 12, 2010
PAY DAY AT WORK - February 12, 2010
Although we had been informed of this at the beginning of the work week, I am not sure that any one of our ROTARY DREAM TEAM really comprehended the fact that we were to be paid wages for our work. We were to receive precisely the same remuneration as any of the local laborers, commensurate with our productivity. A short time after lunch, we were all called to order and the paymaster, Dinesh signed off in the pay book and instructed Sanjiv to call each of our names and request for each member to come and receive his or her pay.
Essentially, for four days of work, each of us was paid a total of 400 Rupees (the rough equivalent of $10.00). Sit back for a minute or two and ponder the work I have previously described - carrying basins of wet or dry concrete mix on your head, while walking up and down a hill, and all of this under a hotter sun than most would be used to experiencing on a typical winter day. As each of us went forward to collect our pay, I believe we had a renewed "reality check" as to what it is to be a day laborer in India. Our fellow workers were tireless in their toil, never pausing, except for an occasional swallow of water from the water truck or perhaps a hand-rolled cigarette. Never once during our time at the village did I hear any moaning or groaning or complaining from the local labor force. However, each one of us, at one time or another, felt a muscle spasm or back strain or a joint popping. Having said this, with the exception of a cut finger or a scratch, not one person experienced any injury for the time we worked. Although the locals generally wore flip-flops on their feet, or went barefoot, even they did not incur injuries. On the second or third day, however, one of the Masala ladies got some cement dust in her right eye, which was obviously causing discomfort. I happened to have some eye wash drops in my pocket, so after one or two attempts to explain that I was going to help her situation and relieve the pain, she tipped back her head and let me squeeze a couple of drops of the soothing liquid into her eye. The other Masala ladies stopped their work just long enough to watch me administer the drops. I am sure a few boundaries were crossed and maybe even knocked down - a white Westerner, and an older male lending a hand to a local Indian woman. A pretty good feeling, no? Trust transcends cultural differences - what a concept!
At the end of each of us receiving our pay, I then moved to the front of our group. For some reason, each member of the local work team had ceased work and all of them were sitting on the wall of the dam or just on piles of sand or rocks. They watched intently as we received our pay. However, I don't think they expected what happened next. I asked if I could have someone translate for me, which Sanjiv volunteered to do. I wanted to share with these people a bit more about who we were and why we came. I explained that each of us had left our homes and our families and our own jobs and, at our own expense, had traveled to India for the purpose of immunizing children against polio, but just as important, we had come to their village, to work alongside them to improve the lives of all of the people in the village through the construction of this catch-dam. Further, in a gesture of good will and better friendships, each of us was going to turn back our full pay, with an agreement for an equal match from the Panchayat, so that together we would be paying for a storage tank for safe and clean drinking water. One by one, each of the team members came forward and passed their pay back to me. Once collected, I passed the funds on to a member of the Panchayat and all of the villagers and laborers, once they had the translation, vigorously applauded the team. We had made a positive contribution to the construction of the catch dam, but we had made a further contribution to the betterment of an entire community through this water harvesting project. Interestingly enough, as I looked into the eyes of each of the team members as they came forward to return their pay, and almost without exception, either tears or pretty watery eyes appeared. With none of us speaking Hindi, but relying upon gesturing and signals and a grunt or two, we had learned to communicate pretty well with these folks, and they with us. I am sure they were as warmed by our smiles as we were by theirs.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The next few days - February 9-11
The next few days - February 9 - 11, 2010
Each of the next few mornings, we awoke to go to the dining room to have breakfast and then board our bus for a ride through the wildlife preserve. Sariska Palace was located at one entrance to the wildlife preserve, and our work site was only a few kilometers away from the gate at the other end of the preserve. It only made sense for us to be able to travel to and from the work site going through the preserve - this taking approximately one hour. An extra bonus was to be able to see many forms of wildlife as we made our way through each morning and each afternoon. Although we did not see any tigers, our driver stopped a few times, and shut down the bus, because he had heard the cries of various animals, warning the approach of a tiger. Each morning, we passed by a pool in the jungle, where between ten and fifteen different species were drinking. There seemed to be total harmony in this place, where perhaps on other occasions, one animal might be the predator over another. As I have mentioned previously, it was imperative that we stay on a tight schedule, particularly at the end of the work day, because the gates to the preserve close to the public at 5:00 p.m. sharp! That could be the one and only time in my travels to India over the past ten years, that people adhered to a precise schedule. If for some reason, we ever missed entering the preserve at the end of the day, we would have been forced to travel the entire perimeter of the jungle, which would have taken approximately three hours. Obviously, this would have substantially cut into our work project and seriously diminished our progress.
On day two, the Masala Ladies were awaiting our arrival, bent over and tirelessly cutting cement mix into the piles of sand which had been dumped the night before. They smiled when they saw us, and those who were assigned to "Masala duty" immediately formed bucket brigade lines and began passing the mix down from the top of the hill to the masons who were waiting to trowel it between stones or sling it into voids among the rocks that had been placed somewhat vertically. The "rock guys" Jim, Wally, Mark, Arnold set about hefting the larger boulders up and over the back wall of the dam most of the day. A tractor was driven as close to the wall as possible and the load of boulders was dumped ion a pile for transporting to the wall. Off and on, at lunch, Jim talked with several of us about the possibility of fabricating a lift to make our productivity greater and our chance of injury a great deal less. We scouted the area for some of the straight sappling-type upright supports used in building construction so we could then brace them together, attach another pole to be set at the fulcrum and then, with a rope sling tied to one end, we could raise and lower the boom, lifting these large boulders while not straining our backs. Jim suggested it to one of the foremen and the concept was met with about as much enthusiasm as the first time we introduced the idea of a bucket brigade line for passing Masala. Work on day two went amazingly well, although some of the group failed to stay properly hydrated and grew a bit faint. I had brought along some packets of electrolytes to put into the bottled water, and urged some of the team to drink these about every half hour and to take longer periods of rest.
Each team I have led finds its own cadence and this team was no different. Some people just do not work well passing basins of Masala. Others need to work a bit more on their own. Our group was no exception. Perhaps the greatest example of this individual need arose in Elena from Russia. As she had pointed out in her Email to me, just prior to arriving in India, she is a big woman who is very strong. She insisted upon carrying each basin or hod of mix, rather than passing it along a line of fellow workers. She also seemed to exhibit a rather stolid personality, and just kept walking, in a slow but steady rhythm up and down the hill. At one point, a couple of us sort of chanted out the tune to the Volga Boatman. I am not sure if Elena particularly appreciated this or not, but she smiled and yelled out, "I am strong woman!"
Each day, at two or three different times, Jim Wischhusen took photos of our progress from particular vantage points, in hopes of making a sort of flip book showing our continued progress. We were moving this project forward and I think even the local project supervisor, Dinesh, was surprised and approving. As I had previously stated, each of us seemed to find our particular niche and produced at our own respective speeds and capacities. Sara was concerned about some of her studies while she was with us in India, so Kelly Wike worked with her on her geometry problems - she being a former mathematics teacher in a previous life. It always fascinates me to learn of the various strengths a team like this has, and our resources seem to be boundless.
Lunch meals each day were better than the previous day, and we came to appreciate the abilities of the two cooks from Sanjiv's staff, as well as the two local boys who were assisting them. Almost without anyone asking, bottles of mineral water arrived just as some of us were needing a water break. A little later in the day, boxes of fruit juice were brought down to each of us, to help us keep hydrated. Each day we had rice of some kind, a couple of veggie entrees, perhaps a mutton or a chicken dish and always curd (freshly made yogurt). The curd served to help the digestive system, and also keep people's systems in check so we did not have to suffer from DELHI BELLY.
A temporary toilet facility had been set up, away from the food tent, behind some screens, and according to the women in our group, "It even has a toilet seat!" This was really helpful to those who were not yet accustomed to the local practice of squatting over a hole in the ground. Just another creature comfort offered to our group.
On the third day, after making several mock-up sketches, Jim, Susan and I scouted the area for some of those support poles I had mentioned. I had asked Sanjiv if he knew where we might find them and he did not know. Well, second best choice was four bamboo tent poles. These seemed relatively sturdy, and so we proceeded to move forward with the plan to "work smarter not harder". Arnold Quaranta had brought along a packet of 100' of nylon rope (none of us still have any remote idea as to what his thinking was, but thanks to him, we could move forward.) Evan had brought along his "leatherman" tool and so we were able to cut the rope in small strips of about four feet each. Jim, Susan and I worked together lashing two of the poles together and then the other two. Jim then placed the two sets of poles at right angles, the one cross piece placed about a third of the way down from the top of what would serve as the uprights. We then stood up our apparatus, placing the feet of the upright poles into a crevice of the enormous boulder that served as the anchor of one end of the dam. We tossed in small rocks to jam down into the hole alongside the uprights, and then added some larger ones, making it more stable, so the apparatus could stand on its own. A rope was then tied near to the back end of the cross piece (lever) and another rope was tied near the other end (the dipping end) of that cross member or lever. Jim then was able to find some heftier rope from one of the boys in the food preparation tent, and tied that rope to the nylon rope at the dipping end and proceeded to make a sling out of the heavier rope. (Hopefully, most people reading this BLOG have had the rudimentary laws of physics somewhere along the way of their education, so they can understand what I am trying to describe.)
Well, the moment had arrived. We were ready to test a small rock, securing it into the sling, having Jim command me to pull down on the opposite end of that lever, thereby lifting the rock onto the shelf he had tucked in against the gigantic boulder. We then repeated the process and the rock was lifted with great ease up and over the wall of the dam. YAHOOOOOO! Success. With a few minor adjustments. the three of us worked in concert with one another lifting one after another after another of the really large boulders up and over the wall to set on top of the dam for the next level. I can still hear the commands: "PULL! HOLD! SLACK! PULL! HOLD! SLACK! and finally another rock had reached its destination.
Each of the next few mornings, we awoke to go to the dining room to have breakfast and then board our bus for a ride through the wildlife preserve. Sariska Palace was located at one entrance to the wildlife preserve, and our work site was only a few kilometers away from the gate at the other end of the preserve. It only made sense for us to be able to travel to and from the work site going through the preserve - this taking approximately one hour. An extra bonus was to be able to see many forms of wildlife as we made our way through each morning and each afternoon. Although we did not see any tigers, our driver stopped a few times, and shut down the bus, because he had heard the cries of various animals, warning the approach of a tiger. Each morning, we passed by a pool in the jungle, where between ten and fifteen different species were drinking. There seemed to be total harmony in this place, where perhaps on other occasions, one animal might be the predator over another. As I have mentioned previously, it was imperative that we stay on a tight schedule, particularly at the end of the work day, because the gates to the preserve close to the public at 5:00 p.m. sharp! That could be the one and only time in my travels to India over the past ten years, that people adhered to a precise schedule. If for some reason, we ever missed entering the preserve at the end of the day, we would have been forced to travel the entire perimeter of the jungle, which would have taken approximately three hours. Obviously, this would have substantially cut into our work project and seriously diminished our progress.
On day two, the Masala Ladies were awaiting our arrival, bent over and tirelessly cutting cement mix into the piles of sand which had been dumped the night before. They smiled when they saw us, and those who were assigned to "Masala duty" immediately formed bucket brigade lines and began passing the mix down from the top of the hill to the masons who were waiting to trowel it between stones or sling it into voids among the rocks that had been placed somewhat vertically. The "rock guys" Jim, Wally, Mark, Arnold set about hefting the larger boulders up and over the back wall of the dam most of the day. A tractor was driven as close to the wall as possible and the load of boulders was dumped ion a pile for transporting to the wall. Off and on, at lunch, Jim talked with several of us about the possibility of fabricating a lift to make our productivity greater and our chance of injury a great deal less. We scouted the area for some of the straight sappling-type upright supports used in building construction so we could then brace them together, attach another pole to be set at the fulcrum and then, with a rope sling tied to one end, we could raise and lower the boom, lifting these large boulders while not straining our backs. Jim suggested it to one of the foremen and the concept was met with about as much enthusiasm as the first time we introduced the idea of a bucket brigade line for passing Masala. Work on day two went amazingly well, although some of the group failed to stay properly hydrated and grew a bit faint. I had brought along some packets of electrolytes to put into the bottled water, and urged some of the team to drink these about every half hour and to take longer periods of rest.
Each team I have led finds its own cadence and this team was no different. Some people just do not work well passing basins of Masala. Others need to work a bit more on their own. Our group was no exception. Perhaps the greatest example of this individual need arose in Elena from Russia. As she had pointed out in her Email to me, just prior to arriving in India, she is a big woman who is very strong. She insisted upon carrying each basin or hod of mix, rather than passing it along a line of fellow workers. She also seemed to exhibit a rather stolid personality, and just kept walking, in a slow but steady rhythm up and down the hill. At one point, a couple of us sort of chanted out the tune to the Volga Boatman. I am not sure if Elena particularly appreciated this or not, but she smiled and yelled out, "I am strong woman!"
Each day, at two or three different times, Jim Wischhusen took photos of our progress from particular vantage points, in hopes of making a sort of flip book showing our continued progress. We were moving this project forward and I think even the local project supervisor, Dinesh, was surprised and approving. As I had previously stated, each of us seemed to find our particular niche and produced at our own respective speeds and capacities. Sara was concerned about some of her studies while she was with us in India, so Kelly Wike worked with her on her geometry problems - she being a former mathematics teacher in a previous life. It always fascinates me to learn of the various strengths a team like this has, and our resources seem to be boundless.
Lunch meals each day were better than the previous day, and we came to appreciate the abilities of the two cooks from Sanjiv's staff, as well as the two local boys who were assisting them. Almost without anyone asking, bottles of mineral water arrived just as some of us were needing a water break. A little later in the day, boxes of fruit juice were brought down to each of us, to help us keep hydrated. Each day we had rice of some kind, a couple of veggie entrees, perhaps a mutton or a chicken dish and always curd (freshly made yogurt). The curd served to help the digestive system, and also keep people's systems in check so we did not have to suffer from DELHI BELLY.
A temporary toilet facility had been set up, away from the food tent, behind some screens, and according to the women in our group, "It even has a toilet seat!" This was really helpful to those who were not yet accustomed to the local practice of squatting over a hole in the ground. Just another creature comfort offered to our group.
On the third day, after making several mock-up sketches, Jim, Susan and I scouted the area for some of those support poles I had mentioned. I had asked Sanjiv if he knew where we might find them and he did not know. Well, second best choice was four bamboo tent poles. These seemed relatively sturdy, and so we proceeded to move forward with the plan to "work smarter not harder". Arnold Quaranta had brought along a packet of 100' of nylon rope (none of us still have any remote idea as to what his thinking was, but thanks to him, we could move forward.) Evan had brought along his "leatherman" tool and so we were able to cut the rope in small strips of about four feet each. Jim, Susan and I worked together lashing two of the poles together and then the other two. Jim then placed the two sets of poles at right angles, the one cross piece placed about a third of the way down from the top of what would serve as the uprights. We then stood up our apparatus, placing the feet of the upright poles into a crevice of the enormous boulder that served as the anchor of one end of the dam. We tossed in small rocks to jam down into the hole alongside the uprights, and then added some larger ones, making it more stable, so the apparatus could stand on its own. A rope was then tied near to the back end of the cross piece (lever) and another rope was tied near the other end (the dipping end) of that cross member or lever. Jim then was able to find some heftier rope from one of the boys in the food preparation tent, and tied that rope to the nylon rope at the dipping end and proceeded to make a sling out of the heavier rope. (Hopefully, most people reading this BLOG have had the rudimentary laws of physics somewhere along the way of their education, so they can understand what I am trying to describe.)
Well, the moment had arrived. We were ready to test a small rock, securing it into the sling, having Jim command me to pull down on the opposite end of that lever, thereby lifting the rock onto the shelf he had tucked in against the gigantic boulder. We then repeated the process and the rock was lifted with great ease up and over the wall of the dam. YAHOOOOOO! Success. With a few minor adjustments. the three of us worked in concert with one another lifting one after another after another of the really large boulders up and over the wall to set on top of the dam for the next level. I can still hear the commands: "PULL! HOLD! SLACK! PULL! HOLD! SLACK! and finally another rock had reached its destination.
DAM PROJECT - February 8, 2010
DAM PROJECT – February 8, 2010
We were all up at about 6:30, re-packed and baggage outside our doors by 7:15 and then down for breakfast. Again, I felt sorry for the bellboy who was assigned the job of schlepping my heavy bags down to mountain (it certainly seemed like one) to the bus. Gavin and I shared a room on the upper level, where access was through a very narrow and steep stairway, with very high and uneven stone steps.. The bags all made it to the bus, were packed, after each of us checked his or her bag to make sure it was loaded, and then we were off to part two of our adventures as the ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010.
We departed our heritage hotel at about 8:00 and over back, winding roads to the village where we would be working for the week. In order to gain some extra time on the site, Sanjiv suggested that not go to the hotel first, but rather that we go directly to the site and begin working as soon as possible. We arrived in the village of Teenchwala and climbed down off the bus. Vanessa and I distributed work gloves to each who wanted them and kept the rest on the bus for spares. Quite a group of locals had gathered inside and outside a tent near the actual dam construction site, awaiting our arrival. I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Sharma - a tireless supporter and advocate for these dam construction projects. WE were ushered into the tent and invited to sit in the chairs provided. We sat and many of the locals, including the Panchayat (five member elder council) filled in the empty seats. When quiet was finally established. a gentleman who had drive out from Delhi to meet us addressed the group. Each of us was personally welcomed with a tikka (red or orange smear of cumm powder on our foreheads) and a garland of marigolds.
following the remarks of the Sar Panch (the leader of the Panchayat) each male member of the team received the honor of being turbaned by a local gentleman. Our ladies received head scarves from the wives of local members of the Panchayat. We were then offered fresh buttermilk and it was off to walk about one hundred yards to the work site.
Before I forget to mention this - several years ago when I led a team of Rotarians to work on a tsunami relief building project in the area of Cuddalore, near the Indian Ocean, we were inundated with rain each day. It made our work more difficult. However, one morning, when we arrived for work, nobody was working. It had been told to us that the work supervisor realized we had never had a pujya (prayer and blessing ceremony) prior to beginning work. So before we began work that day, back in 2005, we dedicated the construction of the building to the gods and had a very meaningful but simple prayer service. It is something I will never forget. Even as we conducted the service, it was raining. However, within about two minutes of finishing the ceremony, the sun broke through the clouds and it never rained the rest of the time we were working on the project - construction of a building at an orphanage, in cooperation with the India Heritage Research Foundation, headed by His Holiness, Swami Chidanand Saraswati. The reason I raise this point now is that when we exited the food tent, following the welcoming prayer ceremonies, it began to sprinkle rain. Generally, it does not rain at this time of year in this region. On and off during the first work day, it sprinkled. Many of the locals viewed this as an auspicious sign and felt the project was the right one at the right time and would bring about the formation of a reservoir for irrigation of crops in the future.
Already our arrival had caused quite a stir and a stop in the work at the site. Imagine what was in the minds of the laborers at the site, when they saw a group of some thirty-five white Westerners, many of whom are clearly senior citizens, several of whom are a bit on the hefty side (I include myself), approaching the site, each sporting a pair of pristine white work gloves with the bright blue rubberized palms! To intimate they might have looked askance at us would be an understatement. Each of us climbed down to various levels of the site, after having been divided into six different work groups, pairing younger with older, males and females, stronger and not so strong, and experienced (several of the team members had been in India with me in the past and were conversant with local labor practices) and the not so experienced. At projects such as these, construction follows local custom, with little deviation. Masala (concrete mix, both dry and wet) is mixed by the paid local laborers. This mix is then carried to wherever the masons need it. There seemed to be about a half-dozen masons and their tenders working at the different levels of the dam. In the case of the Masala, it was women who were mixing this for us to carry to our new bosses. Great loads of sand and even greater loads of rock - from fist sized to boulders, were dropped along the construction line. In addition, there was a water tank, about one-third the size of what we know as an oil tank truck that delivers heating oil to our homes. This was strategically placed in the area close to where the women were mixing the Masala, so they could add it to their dry mix, in varying consistencies.
I was assigned to work with two of the masons, actually along the face of what will be the downstream side of the dam wall. Each was asking for different sized rocks, which I handed to them and they troweled in some Masala to secure the rock in place and we moved along that section. Evan Kurtz had been working the "hose detail" and after a couple of hours, offered to trade jobs with me. When dry Masala basins were brought to the masons, it was then my responsibility to add sufficient water from the hose descending from the water tank, so the masons could mix everything to the correct consistency. I looked across the area and watched while my fellow teammates were carrying basins of Masala or smaller rocks down the hill to the masons. It was time for me to suggest that we try to work smarter rather than harder.
"If we form a line, with every other person facing opposite one another, and stretch the line down from the Masala ladies to the masons, we could become far more efficient." Several members, who had been carrying basins of the mix down the hill and then walking the empty basin back up for refilling, welcomed the change. The local foremen were not so convinced this was a good idea and told us to continue carrying individual basins down the hill. With a minor test of wills, I urged the team to continue in the Masala line format, and finally the foremen realized we were becoming more productive and with less strain on our bodies. We were also able to split the line so we could serve two sets of masons simultaneously. In the meanwhile, Wally Ochterski, Mark Larson, Jim Wischhusen and one or two others were working on moving the large boulders from the pile up onto the "floor" of the dam. These were set into the surface in a sort of rip-rap manner to provide strength and stability. Elena Sergeeva (who had previously led us to believe that she was shy and retiring) stolidly walked up and down the hill, carrying basins full of Masala and then the empties. Somehow, during this process, Elena emerged from her shell of shyness, and we all could hear her from whatever vantage point we occupied at the moment. A water break was called and one of the boys from the cook tent brought a case or two of bottled water to us for sharing. Although the day was somewhat overcast, the temperature was in the sixties or low seventies, and it was important to stay hydrated.
Back to work for another hour and then lunch break was announced. For the sake of ease and efficiency, Sanjiv had arranged for two cooks from his trekking company to be with us for the whole week, preparing our lunches for us, as well as snacks to accompany tea at the end of the day. This way, each of us could also be confident that the food would be good, healthy, tasty and safe to eat - even the fresh fruits, uncooked vegetables and the salads. Each day a new soup was prepared and each was better than the previous one. We returned to the food tent, where the welcoming ceremony had taken place, and sat to eat our lunch meal. The plan each day was for us to work from about 8:30 until 4:00 with about a half hour for lunch. Following lunch, we returned to work until it was time for tea at the end of the day. The real need was for us to finish at 4:00 and be on the bus to drive to our hotel, no later than 4:30.
Our hotel was located on the other side of an area wildlife sanctuary and preserve, and if we did not want to be forced to travel about three hours each way, every day, we had been able to work out a special arrangement with the park people to allow us to travel through the park in the morning and late afternoon, thereby providing us the maximum work time. This afternoon, since we had driven directly from Kesroli to the work site, we had not even checked into our hotel - Sariska Palace, so we were eager to ride through the wildlife preserve, observing spotted and Sambar deer, peacocks, wild boar, fox and more. Following the main road - riddled with potholes and other obstacles, we made it safely through and on to our hotel. I am sure at the height of the era of the Maharajas, this palace was one of the more spectacular, but had fallen upon hard times in recent years. However, the entrance presented a grand appearance. We disembarked from the bus and ascended the grand staircase onto the portico and then entered the reception hall. There we were greeted by staff offering a welcome drink of fruit juice, while we waited for our room assignments. Gavin and I grabbed our room key and walked down the front steps, around to the right, past the gift shop that we found to be only sporadically attended, through gardens and quadrangles and then turned left down our portico to Room 503. Our unit consisted of a large bedroom with sitting area, a dressing room and a full bath. We unpacked and returned to the main palace building to have our first dinner. Following dinner, we returned to the room, unpacked a bit more and then retired for the night, after a good first day of work on the dam site.
That night, following dinner, as we walked back to our rooms, it began to rain and then we heard loud claps of thunder that we judged were about fifteen kilometers away. All night long, the thunder and lightning served as our percussion, and it seemed as though torrential rains had accompanied those claps of thunder. The next morning, we were told about two tenths of an inch had fallen.
We were all up at about 6:30, re-packed and baggage outside our doors by 7:15 and then down for breakfast. Again, I felt sorry for the bellboy who was assigned the job of schlepping my heavy bags down to mountain (it certainly seemed like one) to the bus. Gavin and I shared a room on the upper level, where access was through a very narrow and steep stairway, with very high and uneven stone steps.. The bags all made it to the bus, were packed, after each of us checked his or her bag to make sure it was loaded, and then we were off to part two of our adventures as the ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010.
We departed our heritage hotel at about 8:00 and over back, winding roads to the village where we would be working for the week. In order to gain some extra time on the site, Sanjiv suggested that not go to the hotel first, but rather that we go directly to the site and begin working as soon as possible. We arrived in the village of Teenchwala and climbed down off the bus. Vanessa and I distributed work gloves to each who wanted them and kept the rest on the bus for spares. Quite a group of locals had gathered inside and outside a tent near the actual dam construction site, awaiting our arrival. I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Sharma - a tireless supporter and advocate for these dam construction projects. WE were ushered into the tent and invited to sit in the chairs provided. We sat and many of the locals, including the Panchayat (five member elder council) filled in the empty seats. When quiet was finally established. a gentleman who had drive out from Delhi to meet us addressed the group. Each of us was personally welcomed with a tikka (red or orange smear of cumm powder on our foreheads) and a garland of marigolds.
following the remarks of the Sar Panch (the leader of the Panchayat) each male member of the team received the honor of being turbaned by a local gentleman. Our ladies received head scarves from the wives of local members of the Panchayat. We were then offered fresh buttermilk and it was off to walk about one hundred yards to the work site.
Before I forget to mention this - several years ago when I led a team of Rotarians to work on a tsunami relief building project in the area of Cuddalore, near the Indian Ocean, we were inundated with rain each day. It made our work more difficult. However, one morning, when we arrived for work, nobody was working. It had been told to us that the work supervisor realized we had never had a pujya (prayer and blessing ceremony) prior to beginning work. So before we began work that day, back in 2005, we dedicated the construction of the building to the gods and had a very meaningful but simple prayer service. It is something I will never forget. Even as we conducted the service, it was raining. However, within about two minutes of finishing the ceremony, the sun broke through the clouds and it never rained the rest of the time we were working on the project - construction of a building at an orphanage, in cooperation with the India Heritage Research Foundation, headed by His Holiness, Swami Chidanand Saraswati. The reason I raise this point now is that when we exited the food tent, following the welcoming prayer ceremonies, it began to sprinkle rain. Generally, it does not rain at this time of year in this region. On and off during the first work day, it sprinkled. Many of the locals viewed this as an auspicious sign and felt the project was the right one at the right time and would bring about the formation of a reservoir for irrigation of crops in the future.
Already our arrival had caused quite a stir and a stop in the work at the site. Imagine what was in the minds of the laborers at the site, when they saw a group of some thirty-five white Westerners, many of whom are clearly senior citizens, several of whom are a bit on the hefty side (I include myself), approaching the site, each sporting a pair of pristine white work gloves with the bright blue rubberized palms! To intimate they might have looked askance at us would be an understatement. Each of us climbed down to various levels of the site, after having been divided into six different work groups, pairing younger with older, males and females, stronger and not so strong, and experienced (several of the team members had been in India with me in the past and were conversant with local labor practices) and the not so experienced. At projects such as these, construction follows local custom, with little deviation. Masala (concrete mix, both dry and wet) is mixed by the paid local laborers. This mix is then carried to wherever the masons need it. There seemed to be about a half-dozen masons and their tenders working at the different levels of the dam. In the case of the Masala, it was women who were mixing this for us to carry to our new bosses. Great loads of sand and even greater loads of rock - from fist sized to boulders, were dropped along the construction line. In addition, there was a water tank, about one-third the size of what we know as an oil tank truck that delivers heating oil to our homes. This was strategically placed in the area close to where the women were mixing the Masala, so they could add it to their dry mix, in varying consistencies.
I was assigned to work with two of the masons, actually along the face of what will be the downstream side of the dam wall. Each was asking for different sized rocks, which I handed to them and they troweled in some Masala to secure the rock in place and we moved along that section. Evan Kurtz had been working the "hose detail" and after a couple of hours, offered to trade jobs with me. When dry Masala basins were brought to the masons, it was then my responsibility to add sufficient water from the hose descending from the water tank, so the masons could mix everything to the correct consistency. I looked across the area and watched while my fellow teammates were carrying basins of Masala or smaller rocks down the hill to the masons. It was time for me to suggest that we try to work smarter rather than harder.
"If we form a line, with every other person facing opposite one another, and stretch the line down from the Masala ladies to the masons, we could become far more efficient." Several members, who had been carrying basins of the mix down the hill and then walking the empty basin back up for refilling, welcomed the change. The local foremen were not so convinced this was a good idea and told us to continue carrying individual basins down the hill. With a minor test of wills, I urged the team to continue in the Masala line format, and finally the foremen realized we were becoming more productive and with less strain on our bodies. We were also able to split the line so we could serve two sets of masons simultaneously. In the meanwhile, Wally Ochterski, Mark Larson, Jim Wischhusen and one or two others were working on moving the large boulders from the pile up onto the "floor" of the dam. These were set into the surface in a sort of rip-rap manner to provide strength and stability. Elena Sergeeva (who had previously led us to believe that she was shy and retiring) stolidly walked up and down the hill, carrying basins full of Masala and then the empties. Somehow, during this process, Elena emerged from her shell of shyness, and we all could hear her from whatever vantage point we occupied at the moment. A water break was called and one of the boys from the cook tent brought a case or two of bottled water to us for sharing. Although the day was somewhat overcast, the temperature was in the sixties or low seventies, and it was important to stay hydrated.
Back to work for another hour and then lunch break was announced. For the sake of ease and efficiency, Sanjiv had arranged for two cooks from his trekking company to be with us for the whole week, preparing our lunches for us, as well as snacks to accompany tea at the end of the day. This way, each of us could also be confident that the food would be good, healthy, tasty and safe to eat - even the fresh fruits, uncooked vegetables and the salads. Each day a new soup was prepared and each was better than the previous one. We returned to the food tent, where the welcoming ceremony had taken place, and sat to eat our lunch meal. The plan each day was for us to work from about 8:30 until 4:00 with about a half hour for lunch. Following lunch, we returned to work until it was time for tea at the end of the day. The real need was for us to finish at 4:00 and be on the bus to drive to our hotel, no later than 4:30.
Our hotel was located on the other side of an area wildlife sanctuary and preserve, and if we did not want to be forced to travel about three hours each way, every day, we had been able to work out a special arrangement with the park people to allow us to travel through the park in the morning and late afternoon, thereby providing us the maximum work time. This afternoon, since we had driven directly from Kesroli to the work site, we had not even checked into our hotel - Sariska Palace, so we were eager to ride through the wildlife preserve, observing spotted and Sambar deer, peacocks, wild boar, fox and more. Following the main road - riddled with potholes and other obstacles, we made it safely through and on to our hotel. I am sure at the height of the era of the Maharajas, this palace was one of the more spectacular, but had fallen upon hard times in recent years. However, the entrance presented a grand appearance. We disembarked from the bus and ascended the grand staircase onto the portico and then entered the reception hall. There we were greeted by staff offering a welcome drink of fruit juice, while we waited for our room assignments. Gavin and I grabbed our room key and walked down the front steps, around to the right, past the gift shop that we found to be only sporadically attended, through gardens and quadrangles and then turned left down our portico to Room 503. Our unit consisted of a large bedroom with sitting area, a dressing room and a full bath. We unpacked and returned to the main palace building to have our first dinner. Following dinner, we returned to the room, unpacked a bit more and then retired for the night, after a good first day of work on the dam site.
That night, following dinner, as we walked back to our rooms, it began to rain and then we heard loud claps of thunder that we judged were about fifteen kilometers away. All night long, the thunder and lightning served as our percussion, and it seemed as though torrential rains had accompanied those claps of thunder. The next morning, we were told about two tenths of an inch had fallen.
NID Day - February 7, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Today, each member of the two teams of Rotarians - ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010 and ROTARY POLIO-VISION TEAM were to meet midway between Sohna and Kesroli. This meant that our team, after a very long day's journey into night (great title for a book no?) and a climb equal to the last three hundred meters of Everest, had to be at breakfast by 5:30 a.m. and be on the bus, ready to depart, no later than 6:00 a.m. The goal was for the two buses to meet near the hospital in Mandikhera - a town in the Mewat District, where my teams had worked for the past three years. As we slowed down, just past the main entrance to the hospital, we coasted over to a parking spot, just as the other team's bus arrived from Sohna. Perfect timing!
From there, we drove about ten minutes to another area in the center of the town, where we were met by Dr. Singh of the World Health Organization, as well as other physicians in the area. The first item on the morning's agenda was for us to participate in NID activities, namely a drummer band would lead us through the streets, where we were to clap loudly and dance and sing and do whatever we could to encourage people to bring their children to be immunized. The drummers arrived - four of them, two dressed in turquoise silk costumes and two in hot pink silk costumes, plus a fifth man, who I believe must have been the manager of the group. "Let the procession begin," called out Dr. Singh, and the drummers began banging their sticks on each end of the drums they were carrying, and we began our walk through the town. I probably have experienced louder noise, but I cannot recall when. These guys were amazingly gifted in shattering ear drums for anyone who happened to be within about fifty feet of them. The object of this exercise was to follow Past Rotary International President Frank Devlyn's theme for the year I served as District Governor - CREATE AWARENESS ~ TAKE ACTION! Well, if we did not succeed in this, then we must have been somewhere else. Not only were we about fifty strong, all wearing out yellow team shirts, but all but three in out total were, or at least appeared to be, white Westerners - who for some in this village were the very first of our kind to be seen there. We were part of the attraction, in addition to the drummers.
Our teams snaked our way through the streets and alleys of the town, all the while clapping as loud as we could and dancing in the streets. The fifth man of the group, whom I mentioned previously, was carrying a moracca of noise maker, and I asked if I could use it. Somehow, I had ended up nearly in the middle of the drummers, and shook the noise maker until I felt my arm might fall off! At one point, Aruna Khousik from Toronto (a member of one of my previous teams) and I met in the street and we began dancing together to the great pleasure of the crowds which had gathered, lining the streets. I think the drummers were even entertained (you notice I did not say they were impressed!) and our dancing only served to encourage them to raise the decibel level and the pace of the drum beats. Even Dr. Singh, who had up until now been rather reserved in his manner, was astounded that we were dancing and enjoying ourselves and I feel he was also amazed that we were so successful in attracting the positive attention of the locals, who hopefully would respond to our invitation to bring their children to be immunized. We danced and clapped for nearly forty minutes straight and then returned to where the buses had been parked.
Upon our return, our team re-boarded our bus, along with the two turquoise drummers, and drove on to other villages. Half of our team was to cover the Punahana area, along with one drummer, while the rest of us would move on to another nearby town, Bisru. It was of particular significance that we should really do our best to "drum up business" in Bisru, because within the past week a new case of polio had been confirmed, while only two months before, another case had been diagnosed and confirmed. For some reason, these particular towns were not bringing their children to receive the polio vaccine, and I was concerned that might be because the towns people, principally the Muslim villagers were distrusting of the entire process. Several years ago, about the same time of year, I learned that Muslims, in particular, felt the immunization program was responsible for the sterilization of their male children, and therefore, refused to have their children immunized. It was principally through the intervention of Rotary International that this myth was overturned, and people began to bring their children to be immunized. Unfortunately, due to lack of education, so many people still do not realize they do not have to subject their children to the paralysis and possible death, caused by poliomyelitis.
When my half of our team arrived in Bisru, we still had one of the drummers and again hiked our way through the village, stopping at the various vaccine distribution booths, and dropped off members of the team who would be working there for the next few hours. Along our route, Dr. Singh asked if I would care to see one or both of the relatively recently diagnosed cases. He and I separated from the group for a few minutes and walked to the home where one child was thought to live. Her grandmother came to the door, carrying the little girl, and it was one of the saddest sights I had ever seen. The little girl could not have been more than one year of age. Her grandmother cradled her in her arms, while supporting her with one hand under her buttocks. The little girl's legs just flopped lifelessly, like two flaccid gelatinous stumps.
From this house, Dr. Singh and I walked back to the main street and on to another one of the polio vaccine distribution booths. This one would be particularly special for me, because it was here that a member of DREAM TEAMS 2008 and 2009 was dispensing the vaccine. Linda Nicole, who had been such an integral part of our previous teams, came to India on her own, not only to participate in another NID, but also to donate her time and her talents to those children in the Mewat who suffer from polio. Since Linda first joined me in 2008, she has returned to India twice - each time to participate in NIDs, but last year, she also worked on our team project, as well as striking out on her own to share her compassion and talent as a massage therapist with children who are victims of polio. In 2009, she stayed here for nearly two months and worked as a volunteer in the hospital near Mewat, living with two local physicians. Her mission was to teach care givers and/or parents of polio victims the proper way to massage the limbs of their children, to maximize the therapeutic benefits of massage for rehabilitation. As I waled down the narrow street, I saw Dr. Balla, Linda's host. He called to Linda who came from her booth and saw me and smiled. It was so wonderful to see her after nearly a year. Her same bright smile and caring manner continues to shine through. We chatted, I gave her one of our DREAM TEAM shirts for 2010, and then I had to move on to my own booth with Cheryl Draper. We promised to try our best to re-connect within the remaining time I would be in India, since she would also be staying for at least that time.
Cheryl and I walked on until we reached a turn in the alley and met the local folks who were distributing vaccine. At first, as is so often the case, the locals looked askance at us, not knowing why we were there and not really wanting to relinquish the control of the vaccination process to a couple of total strangers. By the time we reached the distribution site, most of the children in that neighborhood had already received their drops and had their pinkies painted purple/ However, with a bit of a fascination factor in play, some people walked by to gawk at us (don't believe many had ever seen white Westerners). As an ancillary benefit to this, several parents and older children brought their youngsters to be immunized. Since I had immunized literally hundreds of children over the years, I wanted to give drops to just one child and then to pass this honor to my partner Cheryl - a retired veterinarian from Ontario. She would give the drops, I would mark the pinky purple and we would move on to the next children. We walked a bit through the neighborhood, in hopes of attracting sufficient attention to ourselves, that more children would be brought to us for receiving the drops.
One young girl of about fourteen years walked by us a few times, carrying what I would guess was her baby. I motioned to her to bring the child to receive the vaccine, but each time she turned away shyly and continued to walk on. I shared this with Cheryl, hoping she might be more successful in persuading the girl to bring her baby to us for vaccination. At one point, I thought Cheryl was going to succeed, but just then, a young man, presumably her husband, uttered a few inaudible grunts and the girl not only walked away, but also entered a building nearby, never to return. A few minutes later, a different young man, who spoke English with an educated manner, came to us and began talking about the NID and the village. He told me that in the event we needed anything, he would arrange it. He also invited us to his home for tea and biscuits. We declined, saying we really needed to stay at the booth in order to fulfill our obligation to Rotary, WHO and the rest of our team. He left and returned in a few minutes with two cups of wonderfully fragrant chai ( kashmiri spices, I believe) and we paused for a minute or two to enjoy our refreshment.
A few minutes after we finished the tea, an older woman approached our "booth". She stood perfectly still, alongside some younger ladies and girls of the village. I noticed her and offered that she might wish to sit on my chair. She demurred but I persisted and motioned for her to come forward. She finally approached me and the young man whom I mentioned earlier told me the old woman wanted to give me a blessing. I removed my cap and leaned forward so she could easily reach up to touch the top of my head. She placed her hands on my head and then drew them down past my eyes to my cheeks and then off my jaws - an incredible feeling of well being coming over me. I knelt down to touch her feet and as I began to stand up, she took my hands in hers, then smiled and nodded to me. She never did sit down and when I inquired of the young man why she had done this, he said it was because we had come to her village and neighborhood and had administered polio vaccine drops, perhaps to her children's children, and she wanted to acknowledge our presence and our mission.
A short while later, I received a call from Arnold Quaranta who said his booth had run out of vaccine and would I bring some to him. I asked our young gentleman if he knew where we might find some extra vials of vaccine. He checked and we did not have any to spare, so we walked to another booth to find out if they could send some of their supply to the booth where Arnie was working. They agreed the young man would take it with him and ride on his motorcycle to the booth. We returned to our booth and finished up, just about the same time as a car arrived, that had been sent to collect us.
When we returned to the bus and met each sub-team, we heard varying stories of success and confusion. All in all, however, our team was very successful first in supporting the local effort; next by actually giving drops to children; and finally, by encouraging the locals to continue on in this effort in the coming months so that next year at this time, we could return to find NO NEW POLIO cases, one year later. All of us gathered on our bus, including one drummer, and moved on to Punahana to meet the rest of our team members. Two by two, they re-joined the group and we recapped the day.
If I were to offer an observation or two, and perhaps a couple of recommendations, to the WHO personnel, they would be as follows:
WHO should provide basis training to any and all who might be serving to distribute drops in the future
Training needs to be CONSISTENT
Volunteers must be shown how to be assertive, in order to encourage, cajole or bribe people to bring their children to be vaccinated. These folks need to become empowered to finish the job!
Volunteers need to learn how NOT to frighten children who are brought to be vaccinated. Sometimes the children simply scream and cry, while flailing their arms, avoiding the purple pinkies.
Now it was back on the bus, a two hour ride and then dinner at Hill Fort at Kesroli. We would eat outside, beneath the stars, enjoying the sonderful tastes and smells of the local cuisine.
Today, each member of the two teams of Rotarians - ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010 and ROTARY POLIO-VISION TEAM were to meet midway between Sohna and Kesroli. This meant that our team, after a very long day's journey into night (great title for a book no?) and a climb equal to the last three hundred meters of Everest, had to be at breakfast by 5:30 a.m. and be on the bus, ready to depart, no later than 6:00 a.m. The goal was for the two buses to meet near the hospital in Mandikhera - a town in the Mewat District, where my teams had worked for the past three years. As we slowed down, just past the main entrance to the hospital, we coasted over to a parking spot, just as the other team's bus arrived from Sohna. Perfect timing!
From there, we drove about ten minutes to another area in the center of the town, where we were met by Dr. Singh of the World Health Organization, as well as other physicians in the area. The first item on the morning's agenda was for us to participate in NID activities, namely a drummer band would lead us through the streets, where we were to clap loudly and dance and sing and do whatever we could to encourage people to bring their children to be immunized. The drummers arrived - four of them, two dressed in turquoise silk costumes and two in hot pink silk costumes, plus a fifth man, who I believe must have been the manager of the group. "Let the procession begin," called out Dr. Singh, and the drummers began banging their sticks on each end of the drums they were carrying, and we began our walk through the town. I probably have experienced louder noise, but I cannot recall when. These guys were amazingly gifted in shattering ear drums for anyone who happened to be within about fifty feet of them. The object of this exercise was to follow Past Rotary International President Frank Devlyn's theme for the year I served as District Governor - CREATE AWARENESS ~ TAKE ACTION! Well, if we did not succeed in this, then we must have been somewhere else. Not only were we about fifty strong, all wearing out yellow team shirts, but all but three in out total were, or at least appeared to be, white Westerners - who for some in this village were the very first of our kind to be seen there. We were part of the attraction, in addition to the drummers.
Our teams snaked our way through the streets and alleys of the town, all the while clapping as loud as we could and dancing in the streets. The fifth man of the group, whom I mentioned previously, was carrying a moracca of noise maker, and I asked if I could use it. Somehow, I had ended up nearly in the middle of the drummers, and shook the noise maker until I felt my arm might fall off! At one point, Aruna Khousik from Toronto (a member of one of my previous teams) and I met in the street and we began dancing together to the great pleasure of the crowds which had gathered, lining the streets. I think the drummers were even entertained (you notice I did not say they were impressed!) and our dancing only served to encourage them to raise the decibel level and the pace of the drum beats. Even Dr. Singh, who had up until now been rather reserved in his manner, was astounded that we were dancing and enjoying ourselves and I feel he was also amazed that we were so successful in attracting the positive attention of the locals, who hopefully would respond to our invitation to bring their children to be immunized. We danced and clapped for nearly forty minutes straight and then returned to where the buses had been parked.
Upon our return, our team re-boarded our bus, along with the two turquoise drummers, and drove on to other villages. Half of our team was to cover the Punahana area, along with one drummer, while the rest of us would move on to another nearby town, Bisru. It was of particular significance that we should really do our best to "drum up business" in Bisru, because within the past week a new case of polio had been confirmed, while only two months before, another case had been diagnosed and confirmed. For some reason, these particular towns were not bringing their children to receive the polio vaccine, and I was concerned that might be because the towns people, principally the Muslim villagers were distrusting of the entire process. Several years ago, about the same time of year, I learned that Muslims, in particular, felt the immunization program was responsible for the sterilization of their male children, and therefore, refused to have their children immunized. It was principally through the intervention of Rotary International that this myth was overturned, and people began to bring their children to be immunized. Unfortunately, due to lack of education, so many people still do not realize they do not have to subject their children to the paralysis and possible death, caused by poliomyelitis.
When my half of our team arrived in Bisru, we still had one of the drummers and again hiked our way through the village, stopping at the various vaccine distribution booths, and dropped off members of the team who would be working there for the next few hours. Along our route, Dr. Singh asked if I would care to see one or both of the relatively recently diagnosed cases. He and I separated from the group for a few minutes and walked to the home where one child was thought to live. Her grandmother came to the door, carrying the little girl, and it was one of the saddest sights I had ever seen. The little girl could not have been more than one year of age. Her grandmother cradled her in her arms, while supporting her with one hand under her buttocks. The little girl's legs just flopped lifelessly, like two flaccid gelatinous stumps.
From this house, Dr. Singh and I walked back to the main street and on to another one of the polio vaccine distribution booths. This one would be particularly special for me, because it was here that a member of DREAM TEAMS 2008 and 2009 was dispensing the vaccine. Linda Nicole, who had been such an integral part of our previous teams, came to India on her own, not only to participate in another NID, but also to donate her time and her talents to those children in the Mewat who suffer from polio. Since Linda first joined me in 2008, she has returned to India twice - each time to participate in NIDs, but last year, she also worked on our team project, as well as striking out on her own to share her compassion and talent as a massage therapist with children who are victims of polio. In 2009, she stayed here for nearly two months and worked as a volunteer in the hospital near Mewat, living with two local physicians. Her mission was to teach care givers and/or parents of polio victims the proper way to massage the limbs of their children, to maximize the therapeutic benefits of massage for rehabilitation. As I waled down the narrow street, I saw Dr. Balla, Linda's host. He called to Linda who came from her booth and saw me and smiled. It was so wonderful to see her after nearly a year. Her same bright smile and caring manner continues to shine through. We chatted, I gave her one of our DREAM TEAM shirts for 2010, and then I had to move on to my own booth with Cheryl Draper. We promised to try our best to re-connect within the remaining time I would be in India, since she would also be staying for at least that time.
Cheryl and I walked on until we reached a turn in the alley and met the local folks who were distributing vaccine. At first, as is so often the case, the locals looked askance at us, not knowing why we were there and not really wanting to relinquish the control of the vaccination process to a couple of total strangers. By the time we reached the distribution site, most of the children in that neighborhood had already received their drops and had their pinkies painted purple/ However, with a bit of a fascination factor in play, some people walked by to gawk at us (don't believe many had ever seen white Westerners). As an ancillary benefit to this, several parents and older children brought their youngsters to be immunized. Since I had immunized literally hundreds of children over the years, I wanted to give drops to just one child and then to pass this honor to my partner Cheryl - a retired veterinarian from Ontario. She would give the drops, I would mark the pinky purple and we would move on to the next children. We walked a bit through the neighborhood, in hopes of attracting sufficient attention to ourselves, that more children would be brought to us for receiving the drops.
One young girl of about fourteen years walked by us a few times, carrying what I would guess was her baby. I motioned to her to bring the child to receive the vaccine, but each time she turned away shyly and continued to walk on. I shared this with Cheryl, hoping she might be more successful in persuading the girl to bring her baby to us for vaccination. At one point, I thought Cheryl was going to succeed, but just then, a young man, presumably her husband, uttered a few inaudible grunts and the girl not only walked away, but also entered a building nearby, never to return. A few minutes later, a different young man, who spoke English with an educated manner, came to us and began talking about the NID and the village. He told me that in the event we needed anything, he would arrange it. He also invited us to his home for tea and biscuits. We declined, saying we really needed to stay at the booth in order to fulfill our obligation to Rotary, WHO and the rest of our team. He left and returned in a few minutes with two cups of wonderfully fragrant chai ( kashmiri spices, I believe) and we paused for a minute or two to enjoy our refreshment.
A few minutes after we finished the tea, an older woman approached our "booth". She stood perfectly still, alongside some younger ladies and girls of the village. I noticed her and offered that she might wish to sit on my chair. She demurred but I persisted and motioned for her to come forward. She finally approached me and the young man whom I mentioned earlier told me the old woman wanted to give me a blessing. I removed my cap and leaned forward so she could easily reach up to touch the top of my head. She placed her hands on my head and then drew them down past my eyes to my cheeks and then off my jaws - an incredible feeling of well being coming over me. I knelt down to touch her feet and as I began to stand up, she took my hands in hers, then smiled and nodded to me. She never did sit down and when I inquired of the young man why she had done this, he said it was because we had come to her village and neighborhood and had administered polio vaccine drops, perhaps to her children's children, and she wanted to acknowledge our presence and our mission.
A short while later, I received a call from Arnold Quaranta who said his booth had run out of vaccine and would I bring some to him. I asked our young gentleman if he knew where we might find some extra vials of vaccine. He checked and we did not have any to spare, so we walked to another booth to find out if they could send some of their supply to the booth where Arnie was working. They agreed the young man would take it with him and ride on his motorcycle to the booth. We returned to our booth and finished up, just about the same time as a car arrived, that had been sent to collect us.
When we returned to the bus and met each sub-team, we heard varying stories of success and confusion. All in all, however, our team was very successful first in supporting the local effort; next by actually giving drops to children; and finally, by encouraging the locals to continue on in this effort in the coming months so that next year at this time, we could return to find NO NEW POLIO cases, one year later. All of us gathered on our bus, including one drummer, and moved on to Punahana to meet the rest of our team members. Two by two, they re-joined the group and we recapped the day.
If I were to offer an observation or two, and perhaps a couple of recommendations, to the WHO personnel, they would be as follows:
WHO should provide basis training to any and all who might be serving to distribute drops in the future
Training needs to be CONSISTENT
Volunteers must be shown how to be assertive, in order to encourage, cajole or bribe people to bring their children to be vaccinated. These folks need to become empowered to finish the job!
Volunteers need to learn how NOT to frighten children who are brought to be vaccinated. Sometimes the children simply scream and cry, while flailing their arms, avoiding the purple pinkies.
Now it was back on the bus, a two hour ride and then dinner at Hill Fort at Kesroli. We would eat outside, beneath the stars, enjoying the sonderful tastes and smells of the local cuisine.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
... and they would be laughing for twenty minutes! (February 6, Part 2)
Part Two - February 6, 2010
Following the wonderful meal served at Sanjiv's farm, our team rode the bus a short distance down to the village of Chahalka, where the three previous teams had worked since 2007. The first team had raised funds and constructed two washing platforms in the village of about two thousand, in order to restore the water quality of the community water supply to safe for drinking. Heretofore, the women and girl children of the village had customarily dipped into the well and pulled up buckets of water for household use. However, before leaving the well, they would wash their clothes, household linens, pots and pans, dishes and yes, even their water buffaloes. As a result of this first project, the quality of water did, in fact, return to safe for drinking within one year.
The second year, we funded and renovated a vacant government building in the village to a Computer Training Center and a Day Care Center. Not only did we transform this derelict building into something for which the villagers could be proud, but also a safe place for mothers to bring their children to leave them while they work in the surrounding areas. At the computer training center, we have graduated some sixty young men through the basic courses of Digital Operating Systems (DOS), Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and several other programs. The end result of this means these young men will be able to enter the job market with skills and potentially earn a decent wage to bring home to their families for support. Additionally, that year's DREAM TEAM raised sufficient funds to pay for some thirty computers, desks, chairs, a diesel generator (since consistent power is uncertain, at best), and hire and pay the salary for an instructor for a minimum of three years.
The third year, we worked on the construction of a sanitation enhancement facility, where women and girl children will be able to toilet in a safe and clean facility. The building will house some twenty-five toilets and twenty-five showers. Our monies raised will also create a fund whereby a watchman will be employed, as well as someone to clean the facility on a regular basis, both for a period of three years.
The purpose today for our visit was to visit the computer training center and to confer certificates of completion for nine young men. It was wonderful for me to revisit the center, and for a few of the this years DREAM TEAM who had been with me two years ago and had worked on this project. Each of us was invited to shake the hand of each graduate, and congratulate him on his accomplishments. We were also pleased to learn that as of this coming school term, young women in the village will also be allowed and yes, encouraged to take advantage of the classes offered - however, being smaller and single gender classes.
From here, we left on our bus ride to the Hill Fort at Kesroli - in Alwar, a rather remote region of Rajasthan. From what I have read, the Hill Fort is a fourteenth century fort and now is operated as a Heritage Hotel. Since jet lag was beginning to catch up with some of us, several slept on the bus and others chatted or read books, etc. We were told this would be a ride of about two-and-half hours. Along the way, we stopped - once for fuel and once for a "loo stop". While traveling in this manner in India, a "loo stop" can mean stopping at a hotel or a restaurant and using their toilet facilities, or merely stopping the bus on the side of the road, where determined safe, and having all of those who need to do so, disembark from the bus and walk a short distance to a more private area behind trees or a wall. At one gas station, the loo was unusable and so we were forced to use the great out of doors, behind the station.
Roads on this journey were horrible, due to a massive road construction project. Truly, not one section of road was without huge ruts, potholes or boulders in the road to mark boundaries. Therefore, not only due to road conditions was the two-and-a-half hours extended considerably, but also that old adage in America, that "guys don't stop and ask for directions". We drove on and on and according to our conductor, who rides in the front of the bus with the driver, we should reach Kesroli in a matter of minutes.
A few of us, namely Jim and Susan Wischhusen, Arnie and Rose Quaranta and I, seemed to have a running comedic commentary on the progress we were (or were not) making. Snappy one-liners, the occasional (?) side remark, (or is it SNIDE remark?), and basically a three-man Comedy Central routine, which lasted for over an hour. Duble entendre was the practice that evening, and comments were flying around the front half of the bus and the hilarity was contagious. Perhaps the best lines came from Jim, and a great deal may be lost in the "translation" but I will give it a try. First, however, one must close one's eyes and try to recall any Indian movie or the conversational patterns of many people from India, and then imagine you are listening to our bus driver and his conductor.
Can you believe it? You and I would be stopping the bus on the side of the road, where there would be no street
lights, and we would be leaving the bus parked there. We would be walking away from the bus, leaving all passengers
on board, and then we would be watching from the woods while they sat there for more than twenty minutes and all
they would be doing would be laughing! Can you believe it!
This is basically what happened not once but twice, as our trusty and very skilled, I might add, driver and conductor attempted to gather directions to Hill Fort. We nearly became a part of a wedding procession, since while turning a corner in a village, while the timid-looking groom and his best man, road ramrod straight atop two ornately adorned white horses, as their mates cheered them along down the street. Unfortunately, nobody warned them that a rather sizeable tourist bus would be attempting to maneuver a left-hand turn, right in the middle of their procession! As it turned out, that turn was an error and once more we found ourselves in the "middle of bloody nowhere" as Valerie Philips commented. We actually sat in amazement as our driver articulated a three-point turn in reverse, and did it magnificently. Although we returned to the same street corner, the wedding party had long since disappeared and we then made a different turn, and headed to the entrance road of the Hill Fort in Kesroli. Although it was by now about 9:30 p.m. when we arrived at the gate, the staff was awaiting our arrival with a welcoming drink of fruit juice, a distribution lottery of room keys and finally, a buffet dinner.
Yes, we HAD arrived, but little did we know that we would have to enter the fortress in much the same manner marauders of times of yore would - on foot, climbing a virtual Everest, while lugging, carrying or dragging bags, carry-ons, etc. Gavin Bryant, who shared my room, and I had chosen our room key, and learned that it was on the very top floor of the fortress, and we felt sorry for the porter(s) who would be forced to carry our bags to the top of the ramparts! Actually, our room was fantastic - sitting area, two beds, a bath with door to a side balcony and then the piece-de-resistance - our very own turret entered from the bedroom, which had no rood, but provided spectacular views of the starry heavens above. Sleep could not come too soon to our weary bodies, which we were told had to be awake and ready to have breakfast at 5:30 and depart Kesroli no later than 6:00 a.m.
Following the wonderful meal served at Sanjiv's farm, our team rode the bus a short distance down to the village of Chahalka, where the three previous teams had worked since 2007. The first team had raised funds and constructed two washing platforms in the village of about two thousand, in order to restore the water quality of the community water supply to safe for drinking. Heretofore, the women and girl children of the village had customarily dipped into the well and pulled up buckets of water for household use. However, before leaving the well, they would wash their clothes, household linens, pots and pans, dishes and yes, even their water buffaloes. As a result of this first project, the quality of water did, in fact, return to safe for drinking within one year.
The second year, we funded and renovated a vacant government building in the village to a Computer Training Center and a Day Care Center. Not only did we transform this derelict building into something for which the villagers could be proud, but also a safe place for mothers to bring their children to leave them while they work in the surrounding areas. At the computer training center, we have graduated some sixty young men through the basic courses of Digital Operating Systems (DOS), Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and several other programs. The end result of this means these young men will be able to enter the job market with skills and potentially earn a decent wage to bring home to their families for support. Additionally, that year's DREAM TEAM raised sufficient funds to pay for some thirty computers, desks, chairs, a diesel generator (since consistent power is uncertain, at best), and hire and pay the salary for an instructor for a minimum of three years.
The third year, we worked on the construction of a sanitation enhancement facility, where women and girl children will be able to toilet in a safe and clean facility. The building will house some twenty-five toilets and twenty-five showers. Our monies raised will also create a fund whereby a watchman will be employed, as well as someone to clean the facility on a regular basis, both for a period of three years.
The purpose today for our visit was to visit the computer training center and to confer certificates of completion for nine young men. It was wonderful for me to revisit the center, and for a few of the this years DREAM TEAM who had been with me two years ago and had worked on this project. Each of us was invited to shake the hand of each graduate, and congratulate him on his accomplishments. We were also pleased to learn that as of this coming school term, young women in the village will also be allowed and yes, encouraged to take advantage of the classes offered - however, being smaller and single gender classes.
From here, we left on our bus ride to the Hill Fort at Kesroli - in Alwar, a rather remote region of Rajasthan. From what I have read, the Hill Fort is a fourteenth century fort and now is operated as a Heritage Hotel. Since jet lag was beginning to catch up with some of us, several slept on the bus and others chatted or read books, etc. We were told this would be a ride of about two-and-half hours. Along the way, we stopped - once for fuel and once for a "loo stop". While traveling in this manner in India, a "loo stop" can mean stopping at a hotel or a restaurant and using their toilet facilities, or merely stopping the bus on the side of the road, where determined safe, and having all of those who need to do so, disembark from the bus and walk a short distance to a more private area behind trees or a wall. At one gas station, the loo was unusable and so we were forced to use the great out of doors, behind the station.
Roads on this journey were horrible, due to a massive road construction project. Truly, not one section of road was without huge ruts, potholes or boulders in the road to mark boundaries. Therefore, not only due to road conditions was the two-and-a-half hours extended considerably, but also that old adage in America, that "guys don't stop and ask for directions". We drove on and on and according to our conductor, who rides in the front of the bus with the driver, we should reach Kesroli in a matter of minutes.
A few of us, namely Jim and Susan Wischhusen, Arnie and Rose Quaranta and I, seemed to have a running comedic commentary on the progress we were (or were not) making. Snappy one-liners, the occasional (?) side remark, (or is it SNIDE remark?), and basically a three-man Comedy Central routine, which lasted for over an hour. Duble entendre was the practice that evening, and comments were flying around the front half of the bus and the hilarity was contagious. Perhaps the best lines came from Jim, and a great deal may be lost in the "translation" but I will give it a try. First, however, one must close one's eyes and try to recall any Indian movie or the conversational patterns of many people from India, and then imagine you are listening to our bus driver and his conductor.
Can you believe it? You and I would be stopping the bus on the side of the road, where there would be no street
lights, and we would be leaving the bus parked there. We would be walking away from the bus, leaving all passengers
on board, and then we would be watching from the woods while they sat there for more than twenty minutes and all
they would be doing would be laughing! Can you believe it!
This is basically what happened not once but twice, as our trusty and very skilled, I might add, driver and conductor attempted to gather directions to Hill Fort. We nearly became a part of a wedding procession, since while turning a corner in a village, while the timid-looking groom and his best man, road ramrod straight atop two ornately adorned white horses, as their mates cheered them along down the street. Unfortunately, nobody warned them that a rather sizeable tourist bus would be attempting to maneuver a left-hand turn, right in the middle of their procession! As it turned out, that turn was an error and once more we found ourselves in the "middle of bloody nowhere" as Valerie Philips commented. We actually sat in amazement as our driver articulated a three-point turn in reverse, and did it magnificently. Although we returned to the same street corner, the wedding party had long since disappeared and we then made a different turn, and headed to the entrance road of the Hill Fort in Kesroli. Although it was by now about 9:30 p.m. when we arrived at the gate, the staff was awaiting our arrival with a welcoming drink of fruit juice, a distribution lottery of room keys and finally, a buffet dinner.
Yes, we HAD arrived, but little did we know that we would have to enter the fortress in much the same manner marauders of times of yore would - on foot, climbing a virtual Everest, while lugging, carrying or dragging bags, carry-ons, etc. Gavin Bryant, who shared my room, and I had chosen our room key, and learned that it was on the very top floor of the fortress, and we felt sorry for the porter(s) who would be forced to carry our bags to the top of the ramparts! Actually, our room was fantastic - sitting area, two beds, a bath with door to a side balcony and then the piece-de-resistance - our very own turret entered from the bedroom, which had no rood, but provided spectacular views of the starry heavens above. Sleep could not come too soon to our weary bodies, which we were told had to be awake and ready to have breakfast at 5:30 and depart Kesroli no later than 6:00 a.m.
Pre-NID Activities - Saturday, February 6, 2010,
Saturday, February 6, 2010
After a sleepy-eyed breakfast, we had our bags brought down to the lobby and then loaded onto our motor coach - our rolling home-away-from-home for the ensuing days. We boarded the bus and said good-bye to the hotel. The incoming president of the Delhi-Megapolis Rotary Club, Vikram Sahny, had met us in the hotel lobby (as well as the previous night at the airport) and he would be our guide for the day.
He wanted to take us to a project with which his family has been involved since 1996. It was located on the outskirts of Delhi, known as Najafgarh.
The facility served as a home and school for destitute children - those who were the offspring of leprosy sufferers, who were considered unclean or untouchable, although none of them actually suffered from the same disease - tainted by association. The gentleman who is overseeing this particular facility has a dream - to build a hospital facility where everyone, including the poorest of the poor will be able to find care. At present, there is no medical facility of any kind within a twenty-mile radius.
When we arrived, we could see what had grown from one tiny building located on a less than a quarter acre, to several buildings that served as dormitories and classrooms, as well as the beginnings of a hospital facility set apart from the main buildings. We were taken on a tour of this facility, where all construction materials have been donated by one source or another. The structure is three stories, with critical care and medical office to be located on the ground level, and treatment rooms and patient wards on the upper two levels. What is so very special about Rotary is the amazing networking which occurs almost without prompting. Within only a few minutes of beginning our tour of the building shell, two or three members of our ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010 offered suggestions for obtaining perfectly good but used medical equipment which hospitals in the USA are compelled to discard, simply because of age. The founder indicated this would be all well and good, but was concerned because of the different electrical current in the United States and India. Immediate answer from John Steen. "since all such items including EKG, CT Scanners, Ultrasound equipment, etc, use 220 current, there will be no issue." Along with us from the local Rotary Club, in addition to Vikram was another member, who happens to be employed in customs and immigration. We checked with him, and although duty will have to be paid on this equipment, it will be at a low level, since the equipment is used and therefore, diminished in value, at least for taxation purposes.
Following our tour of this dream hospital, we walked across the lot to the school yard where about fifty children and staff members greeted us with wonderful smiles and an enthusiastic "Welcome, suh" to all of us. When each of us entered the school yard through the gate, two girls of about twelve years of age, showered each one with rose and marigold petals. In addition, the men of our group were all garlanded by boy students, while the women received their 
garlands of marigolds, from girls. The master went on to explain that one of the women who works there had been found in a ditch several months, raped and left for dead. Since local police knew of the benevolence of our new friend and head of school, "the police literally dumped her at our gate for us to care for her." After several weeks of loving care, this woman was restored to good health, although permanently scarred from a psychological standpoint, but rather than walking away, she wishes to repay her benefactors by volunteering at the facility. It was also explained to us that several of the children are mentally handicapped, but upon greater observation, we felt that many of them were simply victims of physical and psychological trauma, and were very fortunate to have been brought here.
After a few more minutes, we returned to our bus for a ride of about three hours to Sanjiv's farm near Sohna. There we would once again meet up with the POLIO VISION TEAM, as well as officials from the WHO and local medical facilities and some members of the Rotary Club of Delhi-Megapolis. We would enjoy a wonderful lunch and hear several presentations about current statistics regard
ing polio in India, more specifically in Haryana, as well as a presentation by a member of another Rotary Club from Delhi - Atul Dev, who would inform all of us as to the scope of the water harvesting project where we would be working in Teenchvala for the week following the NID. We learned from Dr. Singh that only a few days ago, perhaps one week, a new case of polio had been confirmed in Bisru, where some of us would administer drops of vaccine the following day. Also joining us at this luncheon was Past Rotary International Director, Sushil Gupta, who had driven all the way from Delhi, just to be with us to not only encourage us in our efforts to END POLIO NOW, but also the share his personal involvement with the water harvesting projects and the foundation which oversees them. We were served a delicious meal, with something for everyone's palat
e. During all of this time, the "money man" came to provide personal currency exchange services to all of us who needed them. A few members of our team also distributed our team shirts to all of the members. This year, our shirts were sponsored by Mikini Embroidery of Sanford, Maine and Club Wizard - a provider of software for Rotary Clubs everywhere, for maintenance of Club and District websites. We are so fortunate to have this support.
Time to depart from the farm and drive to our home for the coming two days - the Hill Fort in Kesroli. That trip requires its very own entry!
After a sleepy-eyed breakfast, we had our bags brought down to the lobby and then loaded onto our motor coach - our rolling home-away-from-home for the ensuing days. We boarded the bus and said good-bye to the hotel. The incoming president of the Delhi-Megapolis Rotary Club, Vikram Sahny, had met us in the hotel lobby (as well as the previous night at the airport) and he would be our guide for the day.
He wanted to take us to a project with which his family has been involved since 1996. It was located on the outskirts of Delhi, known as Najafgarh.
The facility served as a home and school for destitute children - those who were the offspring of leprosy sufferers, who were considered unclean or untouchable, although none of them actually suffered from the same disease - tainted by association. The gentleman who is overseeing this particular facility has a dream - to build a hospital facility where everyone, including the poorest of the poor will be able to find care. At present, there is no medical facility of any kind within a twenty-mile radius.
When we arrived, we could see what had grown from one tiny building located on a less than a quarter acre, to several buildings that served as dormitories and classrooms, as well as the beginnings of a hospital facility set apart from the main buildings. We were taken on a tour of this facility, where all construction materials have been donated by one source or another. The structure is three stories, with critical care and medical office to be located on the ground level, and treatment rooms and patient wards on the upper two levels. What is so very special about Rotary is the amazing networking which occurs almost without prompting. Within only a few minutes of beginning our tour of the building shell, two or three members of our ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010 offered suggestions for obtaining perfectly good but used medical equipment which hospitals in the USA are compelled to discard, simply because of age. The founder indicated this would be all well and good, but was concerned because of the different electrical current in the United States and India. Immediate answer from John Steen. "since all such items including EKG, CT Scanners, Ultrasound equipment, etc, use 220 current, there will be no issue." Along with us from the local Rotary Club, in addition to Vikram was another member, who happens to be employed in customs and immigration. We checked with him, and although duty will have to be paid on this equipment, it will be at a low level, since the equipment is used and therefore, diminished in value, at least for taxation purposes.
Following our tour of this dream hospital, we walked across the lot to the school yard where about fifty children and staff members greeted us with wonderful smiles and an enthusiastic "Welcome, suh" to all of us. When each of us entered the school yard through the gate, two girls of about twelve years of age, showered each one with rose and marigold petals. In addition, the men of our group were all garlanded by boy students, while the women received their 
garlands of marigolds, from girls. The master went on to explain that one of the women who works there had been found in a ditch several months, raped and left for dead. Since local police knew of the benevolence of our new friend and head of school, "the police literally dumped her at our gate for us to care for her." After several weeks of loving care, this woman was restored to good health, although permanently scarred from a psychological standpoint, but rather than walking away, she wishes to repay her benefactors by volunteering at the facility. It was also explained to us that several of the children are mentally handicapped, but upon greater observation, we felt that many of them were simply victims of physical and psychological trauma, and were very fortunate to have been brought here.After a few more minutes, we returned to our bus for a ride of about three hours to Sanjiv's farm near Sohna. There we would once again meet up with the POLIO VISION TEAM, as well as officials from the WHO and local medical facilities and some members of the Rotary Club of Delhi-Megapolis. We would enjoy a wonderful lunch and hear several presentations about current statistics regard
ing polio in India, more specifically in Haryana, as well as a presentation by a member of another Rotary Club from Delhi - Atul Dev, who would inform all of us as to the scope of the water harvesting project where we would be working in Teenchvala for the week following the NID. We learned from Dr. Singh that only a few days ago, perhaps one week, a new case of polio had been confirmed in Bisru, where some of us would administer drops of vaccine the following day. Also joining us at this luncheon was Past Rotary International Director, Sushil Gupta, who had driven all the way from Delhi, just to be with us to not only encourage us in our efforts to END POLIO NOW, but also the share his personal involvement with the water harvesting projects and the foundation which oversees them. We were served a delicious meal, with something for everyone's palat
e. During all of this time, the "money man" came to provide personal currency exchange services to all of us who needed them. A few members of our team also distributed our team shirts to all of the members. This year, our shirts were sponsored by Mikini Embroidery of Sanford, Maine and Club Wizard - a provider of software for Rotary Clubs everywhere, for maintenance of Club and District websites. We are so fortunate to have this support.Time to depart from the farm and drive to our home for the coming two days - the Hill Fort in Kesroli. That trip requires its very own entry!
DELHI - FINALLY!!!
February 5, 2010
Although we had departed from Newark about an hour later than scheduled, we finally landed at Indira Ghandi International airport in Delhi, two minutes from the time Sanjiv had told me we would land, even though that was not the time as posted in any official schedule I had seen, either on-line or at the airport. We deplaned and then followed the crowd of passengers and began forming in queue for immigration. Since I have a ten-year visa for India, and since the passport into which that visa was issued has recently expired, it is now necessary for me to use two passports when entering India. It kind of makes one imagine being an undercover agent, being able to switch from one passport to another, but only for a minute or two!
We passed through immigration and entered the baggage claim hall, waited (some of us) for at least a half-hour, before retrieving our bags and then exited that hall into the reception area. Wheeling the baggage cart up the ramped exit, I could see Divan, one of the folks from Hi-Points Expeditions, waiting with a smallish placard at the top of the ramp. I waved to him and then pushed my cart around to the left and looked for my niece, Pallavi Saran Mathur, daughter of Sanjiv and Jyotsna Saran. There she was, wearing a KICK POLIO OUT OF INDIA baseball-type cap, and clutching her clipboard with her lists of names of the fifty-four team member names. As I may have mentioned in a previous entry, there were actually two teams arriving at the same time - ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010 and the POLIO VISION TEAM, comprised of folks from USA and Canada. This second team was the brainchild of two of my former team members - Aruna and Shiva Khousik from Toronto area. Their mission on this trip was to participate in the Polio NID on Sunday, and then to work at various eye camps in the greater Delhi area for a few days, before departing on the travel portion of their team.
Also, waiting for us were two of my dearest friends in India, Sanjiv's cousin, Ravi Dayal and his lovely wife, Jyotsna, who over the years has become like a little sister to me. It was so wonderful to see them after a year, and to catch up with them about their two children Myhima and Madhur. I still recall working with Ravi, then president of his Rotary Club, when I came to India in January 2001 - my first polio NID.
As each of the team members pushed his or her baggage cart up the ramp, we flagged them down and they were welcomed by Pallavi, Jyotsna and Ravi, and their names were ticked off the list, after each received the traditional garland of marigolds. It was the old, "HURRY UP AND WAIT!" situation, but finally, all were present and accounted for, so we moved from the reception hall out into the warm Delhi smoggy, moist air to walk to our bus, awaiting on the other side of the parking area. Each of us made sure we watched as our individual bags were loaded into the back end of the bus and then we boarded. Now we were entering the next leg of our journey - the drive to the hotel, a newly opened member of the Ramada hotel chain. Bell men were their to greet us, wearing typical Indian costumes, and we each received a refreshing glass of juice when we entered the lobby. We waited while keys were distributed for our room assignments and then ascended to our respective floors. In addition, two other members of our team - Bob Weel from Anchorage, Alaska and Elena Sergeeva from Russia came down to the lobby to welcome us. Gavin, a young man, also from Anchorage, was to share my rooms with me over the next eighteen days, and I went up to our room, dropped our bags and then returned to the lobby coffee shop for some food (as if we needed any) and some light refreshment (as Hyacinth Bucket from British comedies would say). Several members of the team drifted into the coffee shop over the next hour or so and we enjoyed good fellowship. Kingfisher beers were the libation of choice for most, and although we were informed that the bar had closed and the late comers would not be able to buy any liquor, I talked with the management, and bolstered by confirmation from my teammates, we were successful in persuading the manager to allow the wait staff to serve Kingfishers to us as late into the wee hours of the morning as desired. Gavin and I retired to our small but comfortable room and tried to get some sleep before we would be awakened with a call from the front desk only four hours later!
Pleasant dreams???
Although we had departed from Newark about an hour later than scheduled, we finally landed at Indira Ghandi International airport in Delhi, two minutes from the time Sanjiv had told me we would land, even though that was not the time as posted in any official schedule I had seen, either on-line or at the airport. We deplaned and then followed the crowd of passengers and began forming in queue for immigration. Since I have a ten-year visa for India, and since the passport into which that visa was issued has recently expired, it is now necessary for me to use two passports when entering India. It kind of makes one imagine being an undercover agent, being able to switch from one passport to another, but only for a minute or two!
We passed through immigration and entered the baggage claim hall, waited (some of us) for at least a half-hour, before retrieving our bags and then exited that hall into the reception area. Wheeling the baggage cart up the ramped exit, I could see Divan, one of the folks from Hi-Points Expeditions, waiting with a smallish placard at the top of the ramp. I waved to him and then pushed my cart around to the left and looked for my niece, Pallavi Saran Mathur, daughter of Sanjiv and Jyotsna Saran. There she was, wearing a KICK POLIO OUT OF INDIA baseball-type cap, and clutching her clipboard with her lists of names of the fifty-four team member names. As I may have mentioned in a previous entry, there were actually two teams arriving at the same time - ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010 and the POLIO VISION TEAM, comprised of folks from USA and Canada. This second team was the brainchild of two of my former team members - Aruna and Shiva Khousik from Toronto area. Their mission on this trip was to participate in the Polio NID on Sunday, and then to work at various eye camps in the greater Delhi area for a few days, before departing on the travel portion of their team.
Also, waiting for us were two of my dearest friends in India, Sanjiv's cousin, Ravi Dayal and his lovely wife, Jyotsna, who over the years has become like a little sister to me. It was so wonderful to see them after a year, and to catch up with them about their two children Myhima and Madhur. I still recall working with Ravi, then president of his Rotary Club, when I came to India in January 2001 - my first polio NID.
As each of the team members pushed his or her baggage cart up the ramp, we flagged them down and they were welcomed by Pallavi, Jyotsna and Ravi, and their names were ticked off the list, after each received the traditional garland of marigolds. It was the old, "HURRY UP AND WAIT!" situation, but finally, all were present and accounted for, so we moved from the reception hall out into the warm Delhi smoggy, moist air to walk to our bus, awaiting on the other side of the parking area. Each of us made sure we watched as our individual bags were loaded into the back end of the bus and then we boarded. Now we were entering the next leg of our journey - the drive to the hotel, a newly opened member of the Ramada hotel chain. Bell men were their to greet us, wearing typical Indian costumes, and we each received a refreshing glass of juice when we entered the lobby. We waited while keys were distributed for our room assignments and then ascended to our respective floors. In addition, two other members of our team - Bob Weel from Anchorage, Alaska and Elena Sergeeva from Russia came down to the lobby to welcome us. Gavin, a young man, also from Anchorage, was to share my rooms with me over the next eighteen days, and I went up to our room, dropped our bags and then returned to the lobby coffee shop for some food (as if we needed any) and some light refreshment (as Hyacinth Bucket from British comedies would say). Several members of the team drifted into the coffee shop over the next hour or so and we enjoyed good fellowship. Kingfisher beers were the libation of choice for most, and although we were informed that the bar had closed and the late comers would not be able to buy any liquor, I talked with the management, and bolstered by confirmation from my teammates, we were successful in persuading the manager to allow the wait staff to serve Kingfishers to us as late into the wee hours of the morning as desired. Gavin and I retired to our small but comfortable room and tried to get some sleep before we would be awakened with a call from the front desk only four hours later!
Pleasant dreams???
Attention Ladies and Gentlemen (February 4-5, 2010)
February 4, 2010
As one after another member of our team trickled into the airport, we wandered toward the meeting place we had pre-determined - GALLAGHER'S STEAKHOUSE in Terminal C. Since we were drawing closer to the time - 5:00 p.m., I decided to check with the hostess desk at Gallagher's and make sure we had our room reserved. Two years prior, Susan Wischhusen had spoken with the management indicating we had about twenty people gathering and was able to secure the "back room". I had made the same arrangements for last year's group, as well. When I spoke to the hostess, I explained that we had about twenty-five Rotarians arriving in the next couple of hours and we would appreciate having the "back room" as we had in years past. She smiled assuredly, and said she would go check to make sure the arrangements had been made and the room set up. She returned to tell me it would be about ten more minutes before they were ready for us. Finally, Ndeye returned and asked us to follow her. By this time about twelve of our crew had arrived.
As one after another member of our team trickled into the airport, we wandered toward the meeting place we had pre-determined - GALLAGHER'S STEAKHOUSE in Terminal C. Since we were drawing closer to the time - 5:00 p.m., I decided to check with the hostess desk at Gallagher's and make sure we had our room reserved. Two years prior, Susan Wischhusen had spoken with the management indicating we had about twenty people gathering and was able to secure the "back room". I had made the same arrangements for last year's group, as well. When I spoke to the hostess, I explained that we had about twenty-five Rotarians arriving in the next couple of hours and we would appreciate having the "back room" as we had in years past. She smiled assuredly, and said she would go check to make sure the arrangements had been made and the room set up. She returned to tell me it would be about ten more minutes before they were ready for us. Finally, Ndeye returned and asked us to follow her. By this time about twelve of our crew had arrived.
The first people I saw, when Vanessa and I approached the area in front of Gallagher's were John and Judy Hutcherson. They had traveled with me last year, from San Antonio. Then we met Wallie and Barbara Ochterski, then Kelly Wike, John Steen and Gavin Bryant, who had just arrived from Anchorage, Alaska! Pete and Sarah Miller came in from their limo ride to the airport; as well as Barb Harper and Jill Olsen. Evan Kurtz checked in followed by Mark Larson, another member from Alaska, who met his roommate for the next two weeks, John Steen. Two more ladies came in, introduced themselves as Carol and Anita, both wearing Rotary apparel. In a couple of minutes, we determined they were with another group but we were pleased to invite them to stay with us. They were with the NID - VISION Group, that had been organized by Bob Gallagher. As we talked more, we figured that the strangest thing had happened - both Bob's group and my group had reserved the same room for the same time on the same day for our respective groups of Rotarians traveling to India to immunize children again polio! Coincidence? Who knows? Maybe it is the Magic of Rotary playing out its hand! At the very least, it was auspicious. Finally, Susan and Jim Wischhusen and Arnie and Rose Quaranta arrived. Other than our three ladies who were flying in from Toronto, our team was complete.
Gay Ratcliffe, Cheryl Draper and Valerie Philips all were scheduled on a flight due to arrive at 7:45 p.m., barely an hour prior to our scheduled departure time of 8:45. Most of us enjoyed a meal and perhaps a drink, and then decided we ought to head toward our boarding area - Gate 123. In the meanwhile, Bob Gallagher's group began to flush out and had about twelve or fourteen folks, sitting at a table the restaurant staff had hastily arranged, just outside the room where we had gathered. We wold them we would save good seats for them at the gate.
Although I was still concerned about Gay, Cheryl and Valerie, I took comfort in the fact that I knew two members of the other team who were scheduled on the same flight - Aruna and Shiva Khousik. They had been a part of my team two years ago, and I had every confidence there would be no way on earth that they would not make it in time. My suspicions were right - a few minutes before we began the boarding process, I turned and saw Aruna and Shiva standing with the other group - they had arrived! I went back to greet them and received the warmest and most heartfelt greeting from dear friends, which seemed as though very little time had passed since we had last seen each other. Within the next few minutes, I found Gay, Valerie and Cheryl and although somewhat tentative in our anticipation of the next fifteen hours, we moved with the crush of passengers toward the gate.
Once boarded and having crammed way more "carry-on" pieces into the overhead compartments (did I previously indicate that generally speaking, in my experience, most folks traveling to India, bring nearly all of their possessions and there is scarce little room remaining for the rest of us?) we were asked to take our seats and prepare for take-off. Funny, it did not seem like we were ready - the flight attendants moving around the cabin and not enforcing the "take your seat" rule. The captain's voice came through the public address system, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. I was to welcome you all aboard Continental's non-stop direct flight from Newark's Liberty Airport to Delhi. Our flight well take twelve hours and thirty-six minutes. We would ask that you take your seats so we can get underway." Most of us had already squashed into our cocoons by this time, so we just sat and chatted with one another. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen. "Ladies and Gentlemen," we heard again, "we seem to be encountering some difficulty with the catering company, so sit back and relax and we will have you off the ground in another ten minutes." I was impressed that I heard no moaning and groaning from my fellow passengers. "Attention, Ladies and Gentlemen. We had determined that the food for this flight has just arrived on another plane (or did he say had been loaded ONTO another plane) but should arrive shortly." Again, there was no stirring or angst shown by any passenger.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, May I have your attention, please. This is your captain again, and the good news is the catering truck has arrived and attendants are unloading our food and we should have the doors closed and be underway in just a few more minutes." Well, the food did get loaded and the doors did close and we pushed back from the skyway. However, it was several more minutes before we finally were queued with the rest of Continental's jets traveling to God knows where. Our aircraft slowly made a 90 degree turn to the right, revved up the engines and away we went careening down the runway and were sky borne by 9:52 p.m. bound for passing along the Maine coast, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, Greenland and beyond. Our destination map indicated flying over Moscow, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kabul and Islamabad before beginning our descent into Delhi.
Following dinner, I was actually able to sleep (mostly) for about six hours, far longer than my normal night's sleep, so woke up ready to do some floor exercises to get the blood flowing again, and to take a walk about the cabin. Evidently, a good portion of the rest of the passengers awoke at a similar time and determined it to be a great time to walk about and get some exercise. Judy and John Hutcherson are my seat mates, so we enjoyed chatting about last year's group and what we have to look forward to doing this year.
The flight map now indicates we are traveling at 567 miles per hour at an altitude of 36,502 feet, with an outside temperature of -84 degrees Fahrenheit and that we will land in Delhi in about three hours and twenty-four minutes. We will have another snack and perhaps even something to drink. Maybe it is time for me to put this away, shut off the light and try to catch another few minutes of sleep. Ya think?
.
Made it through the first leg (February 4, 2010)
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Once my wife dropped me off in Portland at the airport and we met Vanessa Attfield, and said good-bye to her mother, Gayle, it was time to drag the checked luggage to the check-in counter for tagging. Since I had to take all of the team shirts with me, I had very little room for my own clothes and the work gloves. I had already touched base with Vanessa and asked if she had any room in her case to add some shirts and gloves. Out in the parking lot, we packed some shirts, gloves and Nerf baseballs in her case and then checked in.
Although I thought I would have to pay $50 for my second piece of checked luggage, somehow that got missed and we proceeded through to security. Once through that process, we sat and waited for our flight to be called. When that time arrived, Vanessa and I were both surprised to see TSA agents checking every bottle of water. Each person carrying water or other drinks was asked to remove the cap. The agent then held a small white stick about a half-inch above the opened bottle, removed it and then placed one drop of chemical on the stick. Evidently they are trying to detect specific gases which might be explosive, and then confiscate the bottle from the passenger. Fortunately, nobody on our flight was carrying dangerous substances, so the flight took off on time.
About five minutes into the flight, the gentleman who sat next to me said, "Thank you for being a Rotarian!" I asked him why he had said that and he began to share part of his own story. His first wife had been an Ambassadorial Scholar of The Rotary Foundation, studying for her Masters degree in France. That is where he had met her. In addition, his step-daughter had participated in the Youth Exchange program of Rotary International when she was sixteen, traveling to one of the easternmost areas of Russia, near the border with China. Although, as he put it, "Rotary in Russia is entirely different from Rotary in the United States", his daughter was enriched by her experience, which he felt had helped shape her life. Finally, he and his family had hosted a Youth Exchange student from Brazil, and my new friend felt he had a new member of his family.
We chatted throughout the flight, and I shared with him what our Team's mission is: to immunize as many children as we can on February 7 - the National Immunization Day (NID) against polio in India. With the expected tens of thousands of volunteers, both Rotarian and non-Rotarian, we will hope to be successful in immunizing between 150 and 175 million children under the age of five years, and all in one day! He was astounded at those figures and was pleased to learn more about Rotary and its mission to END POLIO NOW!
It turns out Simon is an artist and a sculptor and lives in Lincolnville, Maine. I asked him if he were a Rotarian and he told me he was not. We discussed it further and he concluded, "I own my own small business, so I guess there is no real reason why I should not be a member of Rotary!" Hopefully, one of the two Rotary clubs in the Camden, Maine area will become his new home, at least once a week.
Once we landed in Newark, I was pleased to learn we did not have to pass through security, as we were already on the "right side of the wall". Vanessa and I decided to get smoothies and sat outside in the concourse, people-watching and enjoying our drinks. About a half-hour after we sat down, my mobile phone rang and the person on the other end of the call was the former team leader for the Group Study Exchange team, that had visited from Turkey and been hosted by Rotarians in our district, a few years ago.
I knew Cengiz was participating in a gift show in New York but did not think he would be able to take the time away from the show to travel from the Big Apple all the way out to the airport and then to find the right terminal. I passed through security, while Vanessa kindly watched our carry-on bags. Cengiz and I had about an hour to visit and to catch up on my family and his, as well as many Rotary friends he had met when the GSE team visited us. It was wonderful to see him and to catch up on the news of the other team members and to learn that he and his wife and daughter may be returning to the US in late spring or early summer, and planning on coming up to see us in Maine. What a special treat for me! It is all part of what I call "Rotary Magic"!
Now the other members of the ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010 ought to be arriving, so I will put my net book away until later.
Once my wife dropped me off in Portland at the airport and we met Vanessa Attfield, and said good-bye to her mother, Gayle, it was time to drag the checked luggage to the check-in counter for tagging. Since I had to take all of the team shirts with me, I had very little room for my own clothes and the work gloves. I had already touched base with Vanessa and asked if she had any room in her case to add some shirts and gloves. Out in the parking lot, we packed some shirts, gloves and Nerf baseballs in her case and then checked in.
Although I thought I would have to pay $50 for my second piece of checked luggage, somehow that got missed and we proceeded through to security. Once through that process, we sat and waited for our flight to be called. When that time arrived, Vanessa and I were both surprised to see TSA agents checking every bottle of water. Each person carrying water or other drinks was asked to remove the cap. The agent then held a small white stick about a half-inch above the opened bottle, removed it and then placed one drop of chemical on the stick. Evidently they are trying to detect specific gases which might be explosive, and then confiscate the bottle from the passenger. Fortunately, nobody on our flight was carrying dangerous substances, so the flight took off on time.
About five minutes into the flight, the gentleman who sat next to me said, "Thank you for being a Rotarian!" I asked him why he had said that and he began to share part of his own story. His first wife had been an Ambassadorial Scholar of The Rotary Foundation, studying for her Masters degree in France. That is where he had met her. In addition, his step-daughter had participated in the Youth Exchange program of Rotary International when she was sixteen, traveling to one of the easternmost areas of Russia, near the border with China. Although, as he put it, "Rotary in Russia is entirely different from Rotary in the United States", his daughter was enriched by her experience, which he felt had helped shape her life. Finally, he and his family had hosted a Youth Exchange student from Brazil, and my new friend felt he had a new member of his family.
We chatted throughout the flight, and I shared with him what our Team's mission is: to immunize as many children as we can on February 7 - the National Immunization Day (NID) against polio in India. With the expected tens of thousands of volunteers, both Rotarian and non-Rotarian, we will hope to be successful in immunizing between 150 and 175 million children under the age of five years, and all in one day! He was astounded at those figures and was pleased to learn more about Rotary and its mission to END POLIO NOW!
It turns out Simon is an artist and a sculptor and lives in Lincolnville, Maine. I asked him if he were a Rotarian and he told me he was not. We discussed it further and he concluded, "I own my own small business, so I guess there is no real reason why I should not be a member of Rotary!" Hopefully, one of the two Rotary clubs in the Camden, Maine area will become his new home, at least once a week.
Once we landed in Newark, I was pleased to learn we did not have to pass through security, as we were already on the "right side of the wall". Vanessa and I decided to get smoothies and sat outside in the concourse, people-watching and enjoying our drinks. About a half-hour after we sat down, my mobile phone rang and the person on the other end of the call was the former team leader for the Group Study Exchange team, that had visited from Turkey and been hosted by Rotarians in our district, a few years ago.
I knew Cengiz was participating in a gift show in New York but did not think he would be able to take the time away from the show to travel from the Big Apple all the way out to the airport and then to find the right terminal. I passed through security, while Vanessa kindly watched our carry-on bags. Cengiz and I had about an hour to visit and to catch up on my family and his, as well as many Rotary friends he had met when the GSE team visited us. It was wonderful to see him and to catch up on the news of the other team members and to learn that he and his wife and daughter may be returning to the US in late spring or early summer, and planning on coming up to see us in Maine. What a special treat for me! It is all part of what I call "Rotary Magic"!
Now the other members of the ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010 ought to be arriving, so I will put my net book away until later.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
4:00 a.m. on the FOURTH
In a few hours, my wife will drive me to the airport in Portland, Maine, where I will meet another member of my team, Vanessa Attfield. We will fly from Portland to Newark, arriving about 12:30 this afternoon.
At that time, we will begin to meet other members of our ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010, who will be arriving from Toronto, Anchorage, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, Iowa and New York.
As has become tradition in the past few years, we will all gather at Gallagher's Steakhouse at the International Terminal C at Newark Liberty Airport. We generally take over the "back room" and enjoy getting acquainted and having some good food, while preparing for our long flight to Delhi. We depart from Newark at about 8:45 tonight and arrive FRIDAY NIGHT in Delhi at about 10:00 p.m.
Once through customs and immigration, and baggage claim, we will be met by representatives of Hi-Points Expeditions and driven to our hotel. We will have a light supper and then go to our rooms for some well-deserved sleep. The following morning, Saturday, February 6th, we will depart from the hotel to participate in several rallies throughout Haryana, in order to raise awareness regarding the following day - NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION DAY (NID) against polio. It is so very important that we continue in this quest to totally eradicate polio from the face of the earth. In the particular areas where we will administer the polio vaccine drops on Sunday, there have been two new cases of polio diagnosed and confirmed in the past few weeks so we must truly redouble our efforts to make sure that all children, under the age of five years, are immunized.
With the cooperation of the imams and mullahs of the Muslim communities, we will be able to make sure their children are immunized. Together, we will END POLIO NOW!
WHITE GLOVE TREATMENT
Every year for the past several, when I have been fortunate enough to gather teams of dedicated Rotarians to travel to India with me, for participation in National Immunization Days (NIDs) against polio, as well as work projects, I have been fortunate to have the support of my family, friends, fellow Rotarians and local businesses. This year is no exception.
Because our work projects have generally entailed construction, in one way or another, there has been a need for my team members to have work gloves for protection. The first two years, 2005 and 2006, my teams traveled to south India for tsunami relief projects. The first year, we helped fund and construct a building at an orphanage for children who had lost one or both parents to the tsnuamis of December 26, 2004. The following year, we worked on construction of one hundred homes for the victims of the tsunamis.
Then, as now, my friend, Bruce Lamb, one of the owners of Springvale Hardware in Springvale, Maine, volunteered to provide me with whatever number of work gloves we needed. The choices were from about four or five different types of gloves, but each year, we settled on the WHITE GLOVES WITH THE BLUE RUBBER PALMS. These were cloth gloves, and a bright blue rubberized covering on the palms and fingers of each glove. Our hands were able to breathe and yet avoid being bruised or cut by the sand, rocks and bricks we would be carrying. A few weeks ago, I spoke with Bruce, and he agreed to provide me with some fifty pairs of WHITE GLOVES for my team.
Now that my suitcases are nearly packed, I will be able to cram in the gloves to take for the rest of the members of our ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010. Thanks for Bruce and Springvale Hardware, we will have protection for our hands!
Because our work projects have generally entailed construction, in one way or another, there has been a need for my team members to have work gloves for protection. The first two years, 2005 and 2006, my teams traveled to south India for tsunami relief projects. The first year, we helped fund and construct a building at an orphanage for children who had lost one or both parents to the tsnuamis of December 26, 2004. The following year, we worked on construction of one hundred homes for the victims of the tsunamis.
Then, as now, my friend, Bruce Lamb, one of the owners of Springvale Hardware in Springvale, Maine, volunteered to provide me with whatever number of work gloves we needed. The choices were from about four or five different types of gloves, but each year, we settled on the WHITE GLOVES WITH THE BLUE RUBBER PALMS. These were cloth gloves, and a bright blue rubberized covering on the palms and fingers of each glove. Our hands were able to breathe and yet avoid being bruised or cut by the sand, rocks and bricks we would be carrying. A few weeks ago, I spoke with Bruce, and he agreed to provide me with some fifty pairs of WHITE GLOVES for my team.
Now that my suitcases are nearly packed, I will be able to cram in the gloves to take for the rest of the members of our ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010. Thanks for Bruce and Springvale Hardware, we will have protection for our hands!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!!!
Since 2004, Elias Thomas has been making an annual trip to India, principally for the purpose of immunizing children against polio – which is still endemic in four countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria and India. In 2004, Elias led his first team of Rotarians and Friends of Rotary to the northern part of India, where the team members participated in a National Immunization Day (NID), working in the slums of the oldest section of the capital city of Delhi. They worked in small groups of two or three and administered drops of oral vaccine to literally hundreds of children. Since the NID was carried on throughout the entire country, more than 175 million children under the age of five years were immunized all in one day.
This coming February, Thomas will lead another group to India, this time with two purposes: first and foremost, the group will participate in an NID on February 7. Joined by volunteers from throughout India, as well as hundreds of Rotarians from around the world, they will target areas in the states of Haryana, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where a few hundred cases have been diagnosed during this year.
The second project will be to actually work as common laborers, alongside local laborers, in the construction of a catch-dam to be located in a dried-up river bed in the state of Rajasthan. Through this construction, the group will aid in the creation of a water harvesting project, whereby a reservoir will be created following the monsoons, causing a rise in the water table and allowing for irrigation for crops in the area. Three small villages will benefit from this project, increasing the annual crop production from one to three crops.
What is particularly interesting regarding this group is the fact that among the nearly forty team members, own of them will be coming from Russia. Elena Sergeeva, President of the Rotary Club of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and joining the team. Over the past several weeks, Thomas and one of his former team members, Rotarian Bob Weel of Anchorage, Alaska, have been working to arrange for all of the paperwork to be processed in order to include Elena in the ROTARY DREAM TEAM – INDIA 2010. Since Rotary International was only recently established in Russia, it is particularly significant that not only are there two members of Rotary Clubs in Russia joining the group, but especially since they are both women.
Other members of the Dream Team will come from throughout the United States, as well as Canada, England and France. Thomas is still awaiting details as to whether or not members from Iceland and Italy will also join the group.
Just this past week, Elias received the following Email from Elena, which he feels exemplifies the true meaning of being a Rotarian:
My regard friends!
My speech to you:
I am Elena Sergeeva from Russia. I live on Sakhalin; it’s a big island near Japan. I am the President of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Rotary Club of the current year.
But I neither speak nor understand English, therefore this trip is a big challenge for me.
Though I am a big woman (XXL), successful business lady, a mother of two kids, I would like to ask you to take care of me, not to forget me to the excursions and lunch.
And please do not forget to take me to the dam construction, because I am a physically strong person and you will need me for sure.
Though I am scared, I am a true Rotarian because ‘Service is Above Self’.
This coming February, Thomas will lead another group to India, this time with two purposes: first and foremost, the group will participate in an NID on February 7. Joined by volunteers from throughout India, as well as hundreds of Rotarians from around the world, they will target areas in the states of Haryana, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where a few hundred cases have been diagnosed during this year.
The second project will be to actually work as common laborers, alongside local laborers, in the construction of a catch-dam to be located in a dried-up river bed in the state of Rajasthan. Through this construction, the group will aid in the creation of a water harvesting project, whereby a reservoir will be created following the monsoons, causing a rise in the water table and allowing for irrigation for crops in the area. Three small villages will benefit from this project, increasing the annual crop production from one to three crops.
What is particularly interesting regarding this group is the fact that among the nearly forty team members, own of them will be coming from Russia. Elena Sergeeva, President of the Rotary Club of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and joining the team. Over the past several weeks, Thomas and one of his former team members, Rotarian Bob Weel of Anchorage, Alaska, have been working to arrange for all of the paperwork to be processed in order to include Elena in the ROTARY DREAM TEAM – INDIA 2010. Since Rotary International was only recently established in Russia, it is particularly significant that not only are there two members of Rotary Clubs in Russia joining the group, but especially since they are both women.
Other members of the Dream Team will come from throughout the United States, as well as Canada, England and France. Thomas is still awaiting details as to whether or not members from Iceland and Italy will also join the group.
Just this past week, Elias received the following Email from Elena, which he feels exemplifies the true meaning of being a Rotarian:
My regard friends!
My speech to you:
I am Elena Sergeeva from Russia. I live on Sakhalin; it’s a big island near Japan. I am the President of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Rotary Club of the current year.
But I neither speak nor understand English, therefore this trip is a big challenge for me.
Though I am a big woman (XXL), successful business lady, a mother of two kids, I would like to ask you to take care of me, not to forget me to the excursions and lunch.
And please do not forget to take me to the dam construction, because I am a physically strong person and you will need me for sure.
Though I am scared, I am a true Rotarian because ‘Service is Above Self’.
Monday, February 1, 2010
THIS KIND OF SAYS IT ALL...
Earlier this morning, I received an Email from one of my team members - Elena Sergeeva. Just so we all get a perspective as to why we are traveling to India, and what we hope to accomplish, immunizing children against POLIO, and working to construct a dam in the state of Rajasthan, which will aid people from three tiny villages near Teenchvala, Elena's message strikes at the heart of Rotary and who we are. It is pasted below:
My regard friends!
My speech to you:
I am Elena Sergeeva from Russia. I live on Sakhalin; it’s a big island near Japan. I am the President of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Rotary Club of the current year.
But I neither speak nor understand English, therefore this trip is a big challenge for me.
Though I am a big woman (XXL), successful business lady, a mother of two kids, I would like to ask you to take care of me, not to forget me to the excursions and lunch.
And please do not forget to take me to the dam construction, because I am a physically strong person and you will need me for sure.
Though I am scared, I am a true Rotarian because ‘Service is Above Self’.
What a simple message but one I shall not forget. Hopefully, by the time our journey is over, I will have learned some Russian and Elena will have been made to feel a true part of our ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010.
My regard friends!
My speech to you:
I am Elena Sergeeva from Russia. I live on Sakhalin; it’s a big island near Japan. I am the President of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Rotary Club of the current year.
But I neither speak nor understand English, therefore this trip is a big challenge for me.
Though I am a big woman (XXL), successful business lady, a mother of two kids, I would like to ask you to take care of me, not to forget me to the excursions and lunch.
And please do not forget to take me to the dam construction, because I am a physically strong person and you will need me for sure.
Though I am scared, I am a true Rotarian because ‘Service is Above Self’.
What a simple message but one I shall not forget. Hopefully, by the time our journey is over, I will have learned some Russian and Elena will have been made to feel a true part of our ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2010.
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