INDIA ROMEO 11
We’re all
ready well in to phase 2 and it’s been a busy one so far! With 3 Vet camps and
a health camp planned and run, as well as beginning construction on our cattle
sheds, vermin composts and azolla pits, IR11 have had their work cut out for
them.
With
beneficiary awareness complete and planning for the health camp well under way
we have been preparing and delivering our awareness training. Our first session
gave an introduction to integrated farming development and, in addition to
engaging villages from both Attapaddy and Odamandai with our drawings of cows
and our descriptions of the work ahead, we managed to entertain them massively
with our attempt to speaking Kanada- they loved the effort that we made!
Awareness lessons to be delivered to waiting patients at our health camp on
good nutrition and the importance of thorough hand washing have also been
prepared, with some imaginative pictures of germs and lots of fun ways to get
the children involved! We are delivering lessons at each of the closest
villages schools in the next two days (we have already been to one and run a
successful game session and we were made to feel very welcome). We are aiming
high next week by having scouting visits to the larger schools in the area.
We are
progressing well with our secondary projects, exploring and implement several
ideas which will benefit our villagers. Our ‘health teeth’ campaign is under
way raising awareness around the causes of tooth decay and encouraging the
children to brush their teeth regularly. By starting a tooth cleaning club each
morning, we hope they will continue the habit after we leave. Planning has also
begun to build a communal cattle trough for Attapaddy. Plans for a sign at the
bus stop saying ‘Welcome to Attapaddy, Odamandai and Segatti’ are also in the
pipeline. After talking to the women of the village during participatory rural
appraisal, research and discussion has begun around the formation of a Mothers
group. This will aim to tackle issues such a s child care and maternal health. We
are also planning on raising awareness around the benefits of kitchen gardens,
which will improve the diet of the villagers as well as decreasing their
reliance on buying fruit and vegetables from the town – especially during the
dry season.
We’ve sure
been getting a taste for Indian culture. With two village festivals already
celebrated, and a couple more coming up, we sure will have a lot more eating,
dacing and getting dressed up in Sari’s and Lunghi’s with the villagers to look
forward to! We have celebrated athe festival of the local mountain god and at a
regional celebration of the Hindu god Shiva. They have involved music
ceremonies, parade, calling of the ‘Ratha’ and a trek up to a mountain temple
through beautiful forest scenery!
Sarah,
Ellen, Imgoen Lara and Annie also had a lot of fun celebrating International
Women’s Day recently with the ladies of the village. Our host shared culinary recipes
(some delicious coconut sweets, known as ‘Rave Unde’), decorated us in henna
(we now all have some ‘interesting body art’ for the next couple of weeks!) and
invited us to a cosy home stay in one of their houses – a fantastic experience
and one we will never forget!
We are
eating well thanks to wonderful cooking by our village leader Savithri, and, on
her days off by our own team Ainsley Harriot, Ramesh. We settled back into
village life without any problems and are so enjoying the special experience.
We all send lots of love and best wishes to friends and family at home x
Annie, Ellen, Imogen, Lara, Larry, Mr Nagesh, Havan,
Rajesh, Rahul, Ramesh, Sarah, Tom and Vinay.
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