Meeting interesting people, including a queen!

Met a group of people, including two doctors, who are building a school. Talked lots about sustainability, and heard Sudhir give a minor speech on this subject to an assorted bunch of his gang – brilliant. This included the idea of putting a mother and child centre in the grounds of the school.

It’s a bit of a hive of activity round here. Groups that we’ve met, and are involved with… are really going for it. It reminds of me of some time in British past which I don’t know about… all of these music halls, hospitals, schools etc – that were set up by rich people named after someone, or in memory of someone, I suppose it was the industrial revolution or something. It strikes me that this is the same thing happening in India – but I know not.

Also went to the Palace and met the Maharani of Sindhudurg! I don’t know much(anything?!) about Indian royal history, but she had some great tales to tell, and was certainly very ‘royal-like’! She was introduced to me as a “real queen – her family have ruled for 20 generations… unlike your pesky one” – what do you say to that? She’s really into maternal health, and sustainability. She’s obviously really on board – she’s a lovely, well educated women, need to think about ways to interview her!

Villages and silver...

Since then we’ve been to Deepak Sawant’s house – we told him we were thinking of moving from the guest house because we wanted to see the villages more. Whether he took this on board, or what, I don’t know. But we said we were going for a walk, his eyes lit up…all of a sudden he grabbed us and off we went. It was brilliant actually, the sun was going down, we walked through this beautiful village. Met loads of smiling village people, even met the head of the panchayat – pretty good! This place is called Ram Bamboli, there’s so many people to interview there, I mean this whole rigmarole of going here there and everywhere is starting to get a bit tiresome given that there are just women women everywhere. I mean, I can see that it’s important to get women from lots of different places – but I could easily carry out 10 interviews right here just off the college where I’m staying – so gotta do that really.
I was asked to tie a piece of silver to a child’s ankle! Basically, there’s a hospital policy that says that girl-children get a gift of silver from the hospital… it feels like some kind of recompense for having a girl, but I think the idea is to make having a girl more palatable. There is a photo of this, but I forgot to flick the AutoFocus button on, so it’s a ridiculous blur.

The first interview... 3 days early!

Today was a really excellent day – we made a massive to-do list, and managed to cross off most of it.

In the morning we met our Professor, who’s looking after us. She came quite late – but this is India, this is Sindhudurg, and it’s really quite hot so no-one moves faster than snails place.

After a few hours running around doing various things we were at the civil hospital. From there we bombed it back to the college via a couple of cups of tea and a packet of biscuits, and met Prof Hindelekar who took us out to Kankavli. Here we met a doctor who works in maternal health and is particularly interested in the wider-determinants. She took us to a school, where her kids were playing some traditional sports – which have been reintroduced. She’s a bit of a legend, and it would be lovely to meet up again. Anyway, we got a half-hour interview – it was a bit off the cuff, and not particulary well explained etc. But I kind of feel that I just need to take my chances as they emerge.

Met another doctor there as well, the sun was going down – all rather beautiful really. Got back to the room via dinner and I think I might have lost my mobile – which is a pain, but I’m not going to cry about it… not worth it.

So – a really excellent day, I look forward to more of the same. Thanks to Anand as always – legend…

Things Progress, but not as expected (although that, too, was expected)

Anand and I awoke an hour and a half after the alarm first sounded. But hey, it was only 7:30am – so plenty of day to go yet. Wolfing down Indian-style omelettes & frothy, sugary chai we phoned our new-found Rickshaw-wallah. He arrived in record time and we were off to Sindhudurg Civil Hospital.

After being assured on the telephone that Dr Kulkarni, the Civil Surgeon (big shot, basically) was on site and waiting for us, we arrived to find that “Dr Kulkarni is in Kohlapur”. Argh. No worries though, the morning ended up supremely. We met the RMO (Regional Medical Officer?), along with various other specialists who popped in. They seemed mostly unimpressed – although the link that Anand had formed with Dr Kulkarni was to be our saviour. At the mention of his name, things happened. The letter Zafar had sent also proved to be essential in the fight to win over this group.

After an hour in an office we were led out by a junior doctor, another Dr Kulkarni – he showed us round the hospital, and this is where the medical knowledge came in handy. Although I am not really here in a capacity as a medic, these people were keen to see that I wasn’t just a “social-minded” person.

They were quite interested in my interest as a medic in nutrition and information. I explained that one ‘strand’ of my six-year course is in social, preventative and public medicine. This satisfied them.

The RMO talked about how ‘prevention is best’, but that they can’t prevent everything because of three factors:

1) Ignorance 2) Poverty 3) Illiteracy

He described cases where people couldn’t afford the Rs30 bus fare to receive top-class free medical treatment. He also described 3rd trimester bleeding that goes un-seen to due to people thinking that it’s normal.

We discussed the healthcare system setup – it seems that there is a strong referral system and that most stuff is dealt with at the primary level. I’ve been promised introductions to the MCH officer and to the PHC centres & Anganwadi centres.

As usual, language was brought up as a barrier. How will you communicate? Well – I answered – I hadn’t thought of that…

Met Colonel Sudhir Sawant, local politician, hero and my friend. I told him exactly what I need to get my research done – two people have been assigned to do the job. I think it might just work. This includes links to womens self-help groups. Our scabby guestroom is also going to be done up, well – if we have time to pick some furniture!

In the afternoon we met Dr Kantak, an ajurvedic gynae consultant. He was very interesting and talked about the interactions between the allopathic and ayurvedic hospitals. Apparently women aren’t using their hospital for ANC services at the moment because the government hospital, under the NRHM has reduced its prices drastically.

People are being receptive to us, which is nice. Lots of people speak English, which is surprising and nice… There’s lots to do tomorrow – but before then, an essay to write (uh oh)!

First day in Sindhudurg

6am. Waking up with a splitting headache, and the sounds of the Konkan-Kanya Express ringing in my ears, I washed my face and became positioned standing over an open train door – looking over rural Maharashtra.

Suddenly remembering why I am in India, the excitement rose and my finger-tips tingled – I’m about to go out into rural India! This is why I chose to come back to the Subcontinent, only four months after leaving last…

The plan is for the first formal interviews to take place starting on Monday. That gives me two days in Mumbai and 5 days in Sindhudurg as preparation time – all part of the process, and very important, but not as formal and structured.

Today involved being fed and watered (& mangoed! – fresh, local and delicious!) at Col. Salwant’s house – then meeting and chatting with lots of students, teachers etc from the Agricultural college here. These guys do seriously amazing work around sustainable farming, living etc.

In the afternoon, Anand and I had a failed mission to find Dr Kulkarni, our contact and District Civil Surgeon. Maybe tomorrow will treat us better.

There’s so much to do, before interviewing starts – so really need to get a move on. Basic things like getting our accommodation sorted. At the moment we’re staying in a guest room at the Agricultural college. It’s pretty basic, but ok. But I don’t think it’ll be possible or desirable to stay here the entire time.

More to follow…S

The Best Day... ever?!

Billing something as such, before it has started, may seem a recipe for disaster. It wasn’t disasterous but it did end with me refusing to speak to my own mother on the ‘phone, because I felt ‘dead’…

Now lets start at the start.

I fell asleep at half past midnight. At half four I woke, picked up my camera and a wad of cash and skipped merrily out of Sangrajka – Today I would see the sun rise.

Bombing up the highway in a taxi, I reflected on how many taxi rides I’d taken recently and how un-ecofriendly this is compared with my usual ‘I do not drive’ stance…

I ran into Sahar aiport to find Nedah, Sarah and Olivia sitting in a circle on the floor (how Indian) – apparently they’d been there an hour - oops. I grabbed the first two and stole them back to Five Gardens. What a great place for people to first see in India – large old houses, lots of greenery – kind of like Jo’burg gated villas… but a really nice version!

We watched it get light and then I let them get some rest. I had breakfast to eat, Roabin had bubbles to blow and and I had to do my first interview whilst all this was going on. Chomping on ‘Bhurji’ I was told that

“What you are doing is at best useless, and at worse harmful”

Having said that, this very person is the one who’s giving me access to Sindhudurg. I think what he actually meant was

If you don’t do what I tell you to do… THEN – What you do will be at best…

The interview continued in the park as it got light – there’s some great photos, and it’s all recorded on my shiny new Dictaphone.

PIC OF BLOWING BUBBLES

In the afternoon I went to get some hints and tips on researching, and on rural India, from my old pals at the Mumbai-based NGO, Saathi. They're a great bunch and were very happy to help, and during the course of this it dawned on me that this is something that Ned, Sarah and all other International Health students should get before they go off. So – there might be possibilities of a little earner for Saathi here!
By evening, I felt dead. I dozed in my favourite place in the world – the balcony of Sangrajka house. At 11, we reached the train station where I tried to force Anand onto the wrong train as it started moving. Fortunately he was too clever for me, so we got on the right one – sleepy time!

Introductions...

So,
I am introduced elsewhere... other important people in this story are:

Anand - my younger brother, chief 'scout' of research locations, and now I like to refer to him as my assistant!

Roabin - my mother's cousin, mentor, and general nuisance. He's also my way into researching in India.
Lygia - wife of Roabin, the lady who keeps it together when others are going mad. Key player in Inheritance India, a sustainable development organisation working in Sindhudurg where I'm going.

Col. Sudhir Sawant - Sindhudurg politician, very interesting person with lots of contacts in the distict. He's keen on my project and has offered to help. Also friend/associate(!) of all 3 above.