India Service Program Blog

The Week of February 4^th-8^th, 2013

            Once again, as the days go on, the children of SEAMs bring me close to tears (not only because they drive me crazy with their misbehavior), but more importantly because every day that gets closer to my departure reminds me that I will soon be far away from them again. I had already prepared myself for this trip knowing that 2 weeks flies by and that it’s never enough time to truly feel like I have been around the children long enough to say goodbye. But still, every day I wish I could stay longer, and every day I just want to rip up my plane ticket and tell my husband “too bad honey, I’m stuck in India!”

            Don and I had a delightful weekend, being typical tourists in Puducherry, Kanchipureem, and Mamallapurum. As we returned to the guesthouse, all Don kept saying was “oh goodness, how much I have to prepare! What am I going to do with these rambunctious children!” … and many other jokes about the difficulties of keeping the children’s attention at Grace School. So Monday evening I showed Don the grammar books I had used in 2011 which worked great at Grace School, both for the students and teachers. So he had a much more enjoyable day on Tuesday and Wednesday, focusing on present continuous forms and converting statements into questions. He also tried to teach the children a math quiz called Kenken but the concept seemed to be too difficult for them to understand.

            Monday I again met with Doctor Sister Rexline and the principal was once again unavailable, but Sister Rexline wanted to talk, so we spoke together for over an hour. She said that in the wards and in the ICU, many of the nurses will simply leave the urine foley bag filled and not empty it, or document vital signs when they didn’t really take the vitals (she used the example of a nurse who documented a normal temperature, but then the patient was found to have a really high temperature), or hang an IV drip and then never check the drip again for the rest of their shift. So she concluded that our presence in the ICU could develop into a very successful intervention to teach, educate and motivate the nurses, as well as promote professionalism among the nurses. She believes that through these actions, it has the potential to improve patient outcomes.

            Tuesday I had a very long, tiring day at Assisi by myself. Imagine 22 small children jumping up and down, smacking you on your head and pulling your hair, waiting for the nursery rhythms to end and for the games to begin, and the teacher looking at you saying “Okay, what’s next?” Thank goodness I brought crayons, coloring books and Don’s “Save-the-Day” chalk with me because that made the children very happy and busy. I then ended the afternoon with alphabet flash cards with animal sounds and singing the alphabet song about a hundred times. Therefore, Wednesday I came very prepared with alphabet letters, a jigsaw puzzle I had bought which had alphabet letters that connect with the corresponding word, building blocks, and to end the afternoon with a bang (or many bangs) we blew up balloons for them to play with. Usually my favorite part of Assisi during each visit is helping the children eat lunch, but this time my favorite part was helping them go to the potty. The teacher had put me in charge of potty time, so each child flings off their undies and pant or skirt, runs to the potty, and then eagerly comes over to me with their panties for me to put back on. As each of them place their hand on my shoulder and lift their leg up and say “Thank you Auntie,” I want to hug each one of them and never let go!

            This week was different from my previous four GV trips because at the last minute I realized there was a meeting in Bangalore with the Columbia University Alumni of India Club, and not only was the lecture about NGO’s, but the president of the club started a healthcare program in Delhi (not an NGO) and could help me look into the certification process of getting registered in India since my next stay with GV (if the project is approved) would be for 8-9 months, so I most likely will need a work visa. So I’m taking an adventure to Bangalore for not even 24-hours before I hop back onto the train. Finding my train platform was easy, but finding my seat was absolutely impossible so I finally (stubbornly) asked for help with only 5 minutes left before the train was about to depart. At least I had found the correct car before asking ;)  The meeting went well with the speakers being amazing, having done such great work for India with urban planning and citizen involvement in government actions. However, I learned that even with volunteering, if I’m going to be in India for greater than 6 months, I have to get a work visa, so now I need to research that in great detail. But to achieve Don’s team’s goal of “To Survive,” I will push forward and see what can be done in order for me to have a longer stay in India to help the volunteers.

            While I was away, Don was left pouting all by himself, with his favorite Grace School students to keep him company. He says that his teaching methods are going well, but there is one boy who is difficult to control, and the 3^rd graders love to dance so he always treats them to a harmonica song at the end of the class. He taught the teachers songs as well. He also continued his one-to-one tutoring at SEAMs with many of the children rotating each day.

            As I was basking in the riches of Indian culture, sitting on a 6-hour train with no AC and a strange man next to me with outstretched legs over mine, reading a book from the GV shelf called “Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches: The Riddles of Culture,” I came across this great quote from the author Marvin Harris – “If you don’t believe that a puzzle has an answer, you’ll never find it.” And that’s exactly how I feel about the mysterious and beautiful puzzle called India.

                                                                                                                        Maria

 

Journal Entry Friday, February 1, 2013

            Well, here we are again at the end of another wonderful week spent as Global Volunteers. I cannot believe all that we have accomplished this week as a small group of five strangers, coming together to work in concert with one another to make even the smallest difference in the lives of these children, who strive for our love and attention.

            Although I was supposed to go to the hospital today to meet with the Principal of the nursing school, she was unavailable since it was a school holiday but Sister Rexline said that she would be available on Monday, so I made my way to Assisi. At Assisi, the children were full of energy with very little crying events, so Layla, Ellen and Pat sang nursery rhymes, did their last hokie pokie and jumped up and down as little monkeys do. We then read alphabet books to the children as they sat in our laps, and kept them from hitting each other over the head with the books continuously. We then helped feed the little ones and open their water bottles for them. Pat started to get sentimental when we were leaving and Ellen made fun of Layla for crying when she really just had some lint in her eye. Don said that all the children at Grace School had “Friday-itis" and although he struggled to keep them focused, he succeeded in his quest to teach them English grammar, and then helped the teachers as always with their conversational English, comparing chicken prices in the U.S. to those in India.

            As Friday came closer, I thought of new ways that I could get Layla more involved with the children since I can tell that she loves caring for them. Yesterday I gave her more responsibility with keeping track of the times of each child’s ear cleaning and calling out each of their names. This not only gave her more interaction with the children, but it also helped her learn the children’s names as well. On the downside, it meant that she had to respond to each screaming child who would ask her every 30 seconds, “Sister, time? How many minutes?” Since we were able to finish the majority of children’s ears yesterday, today I had planned to start cleaning the girls’ finger and toenails, which would allow Layla to paint them afterwards with the nail polish I brought for them.

            As I said goodbye to Pat, Ellen and Layla, I gave a huge sigh of relief … just kidding! I have to joke about their departure in order to keep the thoughts of sadness to a minimum. Although Don is great company (besides scaring little girls into thinking there’s a dog, rooster and cat outside the doorway), it was an absolute pleasure spending time with my amazing group members who have made such a difference in the lives of the children this week. I am sure that Vijay and the other little ones at Assisi daycare will miss Pat’s gentle and nurturing presence over the next coming weeks, and the children at SEAM’s home will miss Layla and Ellen’s kind and warm natures.

            Although I am absolutely sure that I could find a better thought for the day, and especially for the week, I cannot help but use one of my favorite quotes related to who I am and how I like to view the world (plus a part of me thinks Pat, Ellen and Layla will enjoy it as they depart India): “Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History.”

                                                                                                Maria

 

 

Journal Entry Thursday, January 31, 2013

 

Today was a particularly busy day, beginning with a morning trip to the flower and vegetable market for Maria, Layla, and Ellen. After breakfast the team when their separate ways, Maria spent the morning meeting with doctors at the hospital. After meeting with the ward doctor, emergency room doctor, and ICU doctor, she concluded that the best place for medical volunteers would most likely be the ICU.

Don continued his work at Grace School and is particularly enjoys spending time with the third graders. He has also begun preparing lessons for the teachers; topics include grammar exercises and comparing grocery prices between Chennai and the US.

Ellen, Pat, and Layla spent a joyful morning at Assisi, where even Sanjay (who has cried for the past three weeks) perked up and joined in with some of the activities. Everyone sang songs, read books, and for a special treat; colored with crayons.

For lunch today the team was invited to Steven’s parents house, we met his charming parents, and adorable niece, and ate much more than was probably good for us.  

The rest of the afternoon was spent in rest and preparation for SEAM, with the exception of a quick trip to the family store.

At SEAM Maria and Layla continued to clean the children’s ears. Senthil Kumar was announced the winner of the who-has-the-most-earwax-competition after Maria extracted lump of earwax the size of a small fly from his ear.

Ellen, Don, and Pat continued to teach the children at SEAM one on one. Ellen and Don both reported that the children they taught at SEAM where very squirrely. But they preservered. Pat, on the other hand, had a much more relaxing evening.

After a quiet dinner the team retired in preparation for what will be the final day of their week together.

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action.

-Mother Teresa.

                                                                                                                        Layla

 

 

Journal Entry Wednesday, January 30, 2013

 

Team #122 is working together well, and we are getting to know and like one another. Stephen and

Sheeba, as always, are gracious and helpful, doing all they can to make us comfortable and welcomed. And Roshan is a wonderful helper, counting place at the table, passing out food, and helping Ellen wash her hands after dinner. Rani keeps us all well fed on delicious Indian food, Barnabas watches over us, and  Stephen, our driver skillful gets us where we need to be.

Today particularly, we feasted – on dosas and peanut chutney for breakfast, a tasty lunch and then a special treat, a traditional South Indian meal served on banana leaves, which we attempted to eat with our right hands. There was much laughter and pleasant talk over dinner, fine ending to a productive day.

Maria stayed “home” this morning to work on plans for her health project while Pat, Layla and Ellen played with and loved the children at Assisi Illam. They, the children, were more cheerful than any day this week, with the exception of the little “crying boy’” who Pat tells us, has been crying for at least three weeks. Today he tried to make his escape through the kitchen door. Ellen followed him uyntil one of the young women helpers fetched him back.

Don’s time at Grace School is becoming more and more successful. He has been asked by the teachers there to stay after class to work with them.

We had a quiet afternoon, then back to SEAM’s, where Maria and Layla continued their ear cleaning. The boys are in competition as to who has the most earwax. Pat, Don and Ellen worked with nine moiré children, three apiece. Two of Ellen’s students were Swathi and Sneha, whom she worked with two years ago. She notes that in her journal from that trip she wrote that Sneha was the only child she had run across in Chennai who drew free-hand, rather than copy from other drawings and that Swathi was “less creative, but more mischievous.

We were tired by the end of the day, but it was a satisfying sort of weariness, knowing we’d done our best.

“Every small thing we do is something that would not have been done if we didn’t do it.” 

 

                                                                                            Ellen

 

 

Journal Entry Tuesday, January 29, 2013

 

Tuesday dawned with a better understanding of the “opposition” at Grace School, thus lending more confidence in reentering the battle zone.  After another hearty breakfast featuring rice cakes, etc., we listened to Pat’s journal account of Monday’s adventures.  Stephen reviewed the Plan of the Day and all departed to their respective duty stations. 

The Grace School classes, including the 30 minute class for the teaching staff, went quite well.  A picture worksheet on “What are they doing” occupied most of each class, while the final ten minutes were devoted to learning to sing “How Much is the Doggie in the Window”.  The third and fourth grade students were particularly enthusiastic about the singing effort, which was enhanced by harmonica and animal sounds.  The fifth graders were much like fifth graders around the world, feigning disinterest, but really displaying a decent knowledge of English when pressed.  Ellen, Pat and Layla played with the kids, taught nursery rhymes and sang motion songs at Assisi Allam.  Maria met with Sister Rexline (MD) to discuss tasks and responsibilities of a potential Global Volunteer supported health program, using Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.

Class preparation continued after lunch.  Power was off from 4 to 6 as usual.  The team spent 5 to 7 at SEAMS. Maria and Layla continued ear wax removal.   Ellen, Pat and Don continued one-on-one tutoring sessions with the students, averaging 3 students each per evening.

Thought for the Day:  “I’ve learned that you should never tell a child that their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.  Few things are more humiliating and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it!”

                                                                                                                        Don 

Journal Entry Monday, January 28, 2013

 

Today was this team’s first work day. Ellen, Layla, Maria and I went to Assisi. Maria and Stephen enjoyed talking with Sister Rose about their health project. The children had fun being swung around by Layla and Maria. It feels good to have younger volunteers here. We easily broke down into four groups when it was time to read. Later, we played games and sang action songs. The children seemed more relaxed today.

Don found teaching at Grace School a challenge and said that the best part of his day was 12:30: that he could identify with the little boy at Assisi who couldn’t wait to go home after lunch at 12:30, He is busy tonight working on new strategies to engage his students tomorrow.

At Seams it was time to clean the children’s ears. I’m sure the twelve children who had their ears by Maria with Layla assisting can now hear better. Ellen and Don did very well with the older children, conversing with them, in addition to teaching math and reading. Stephen was very helpful to me, explaining that my young boys were making progress.  I felt more confident that the simple tasks in which we were engaged were at the appropriate level.

Our team met our most important goal of the day which was to survive.

Do not take lightly small good deeds,

Believing they can hardly help,

For drops of water one by one,

In  time can fill a giant pot.

Pat

 

Global Volunteers India, Team 122 Journal

Journal Entry Sunday, January 27, 2013

            Well, here I am again in beautiful India! Both of my flights from New York to London and then to Chennai had screaming children sitting directly behind me, so I smiled as I was reminded of the thought of being with the rambunctious children (and Roshan) soon enough. I also gave a big sigh of relief as I entered Heathrow and saw that there was not a single snowflake on the ground this time. It’s funny how each airport has its own distinct smell, and as strange as it may seem, as soon as I exited the plane, I felt a warm sensation come over me from the familiar smell of the Indian terminal. As I left the Chennai airport, ecstatic to have my luggage in hand this time, I was surprised to immediately spot Stephen’s smiling face among the hundreds of people waiting for friends and family. And as soon as we drove up to the guesthouse, all I could say was “Ah, home sweet home.” Hello India, my 2^nd home.

            The following day I awoke to meet my warm and friendly group members. Ellen and her lovely granddaughter Layla have travelled all the way from Portland, Oregon and have already done a tourist trip around Delhi and Kerala last week. Ellen volunteered two years ago in India and enjoyed the trip so much that she wanted to share the experience with Layla, who actually is a senior in high school and interested in International Relations and NGO work. She’s also a middle child like me so she rocks. Besides what she tries to say about her degree in English Literature not being useful, Ellen is very well accomplished with 18 published children’s books, so I’m sure she will offer amazing lessons to the children. Pat came all the way from Needham Massachusetts and she happened to be involved in one of the original Global Volunteer groups to India 11 years ago! She also has done 6 other Global trips, including Ukraine and Vietnam after retiring as a psychiatric nurse, for which we give huge amounts of respect for her career. Last but certainly not least is Don. Don wasn’t present in the morning when we first started breakfast since he had gone with Stephen and Sheeba to Sunday Mass. But boy did he make an entrance when he arrived. As soon as Don opens his mouth, wonderful tales of romance, drama, and excitement fill the air. Since I was just discussing my recent wedding with the group, Don chimed in and told us the amazing adventure he had to take in order to convince his wife to marry him. My husband is a shy engineer and I am the first girl he’s ever kissed. Apparently back in the day in order for engineers to pick up girls, they had to go help out at the convent where girls from other countries were staying before they could get a steady job. Needless to say, Don doesn’t seem the typical shy engineer to me, and he soon found a beautiful Nicaraguan girl he fell in love with. So he wrote to her from the Navy and asked her to marry him, and he had to wait 2 months to hear her reply as her letter travelled around the Navy post until it finally found him. He then lost his entire life’s worth and almost lost his stomach as well taking a train, bus, car, boat and all-stop flight out to Nicaragua to marry her (I’m not sure about the boat part, but I added it in for effect). Don has 5 children and 10 grandchildren, so I think it was worth it in the end.

            After discussing life, love and India, our group had our orientation with the best individual goal coming from Don, simply stated : “To Survive.” My goals were a lot more specific since this trip is very different for me as I have to meet with Doctor Sister Rexline to find out what specific services or assistance might be needed from Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.  I have been working with Global Volunteers to form a partnership with Sister Rexline to create a sustainable healthcare program involving nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Yet, there is still much more I need to learn about global health logistics and treatment strategies in resource-poor areas.

            In the evening we made our way to SEAM’s Children’s Home. As always, the children surrounded us with their eager hands, hearts and enthusiasm. The boys and girls still surprise me with things they remember about me, and tricks I can do. Yet the newer younger ones still make me feel bad by telling me their names and then 5 minutes later asking me “sister, what is my name?” as I embarrassingly try to change the subject or let another child whisper to me what his or her name is. After they sang and danced for us, the children screeched in amazement as Don showed off his animal impressions (the rooster is my personal favorite), but I’m worried about Don losing his voice by the 2^nd day. The nicest moment of the evening was when Rajesh shook Don’s hand and in the same moment pointed to me and said “Don, this is Maria, she is my sister.”

            To end the night with spice, we went to an Indian restaurant called Anjappar. On the way to the restaurant, Don and Layla enjoyed the wind in their hair as they got to ride in their first open 3-wheeled taxi. To everyone’s delight, Stephen ordered us meals to share, including Tandoori chicken, chicken fried rice and mutton naan. I introduced one of my favorite starters, Gobi 65, to Layla since she said she loved cauliflower. I don’t think she’ll like cauliflower in the states anymore after eating deep fried spicy Indian cauliflower. We were stuffed beyond believe as we headed back to the guesthouse. As Don, Stephen and I attempted to cross the street without being run over, Stephen scolded me as I hesitated and Don almost fell over the stone we were standing on in the middle of the road.

            I look forward to learning more about my team members and sharing the coming week with them. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Gentleness, self-sacrifice and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion.”

-        Maria