Field Trip to Kalahandi

A few weeks ago Katrina, Ben and I got to go to the district of Kalahandi to see some of Madhyam's programs there and so that Katrina could do some of her client satisfaction surveys.  This was our first time taking a night train that was a sleeper car.  Our cabin was in the three tier car which essentially meant that each side of the cabin had three rows of beds, one on top of the other, and then another side that had two rows of beds.  It was really cool and there were people walking up and down the aisles selling tiffins of biryani, chai and coffee.  Katrina and I chose top bunk which may have been one of the best ideas due to the fact that there were bars suspending the bed from the roof that held us in every time the train hit its breaks quickly and accelerated. We also decided that the trains were not made for people taller than 5 foot 4 seeing as out feet hung off the edge and we could not sit up fully.

Katrina and me in our bunks

We arrived in Kalahandi at about 4:30 in the morning and then had a 90 km drive to Bhawanipatna.  Along the way we got a flat tire and I swear our driver could work in a NASCAR pit crew.  By the time he had changed the tire I would have just been figuring out where the spare war hidden in the car (this is not representative of my gender, merely my inability to do anything handy).  It was nice that we got to stop because it gave us an opportunity to take pictures of some of the rice paddies and the sunrise over the mountains.  The western part of Orissa is actually quite mountainous and of course lush like any part of the state.

Tire change sunrise

We arrived in Bhawanipatna at around 8 and had to quickly shower and eat breakfast because the place where Madhyam is doing its project is a further 60km from the city.  Due to the fact the roads are in some places not black topped and in poor condition we took these huge SUVs that made me feel as if I was going on a safari in the mountains. 

On our first day we visited one of the fields where Madhyam is helping with increased plant cultivation and diversification and then mobilizes the farmers into a vegetable cooperative.  Three of the guys at the office, Kartik, Gundicha and Chitah came with us.  This project area is where Kartik and Gundicha work, both of whom seem to be experts in horticulture.  There checked up on the vegetable growth, gave the farmers some tips on how to maximize their plant growth, and checked the books of the cooperatives.

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Some of the women who are members of the vegetable co-op

 Vegetable Fields

From the fields we went to a meeting with some of the people from the co-op who had also received micro-finance loans so Katrina could conduct her surveys.  She stayed with Gundicha while Ben and I went with Kartik to another co-op he has been working with so he could check their Livelihood Assistance Cards and collective progress.  We also got to go to one of the stores where they sell their vegetables.

Playing peek-a-boo with me at one of the meetings, not very professional I suppose 

I think perhaps maybe one of my favorite parts of this trip (and I unfortunately have no pictures to show for it) occurred on the second day of our visit.  We were fortunate enough to meet with Mr. Raju Sharma who works for DAPTA (Development Agency for Poor & Tribal Awakening).  This organization is perhaps one of the most progressive and astounding places I have visited in Orissa thus far.  DAPTA takes on a variety of social justice initiatives, from familial counciling to AIDs awareness and prevention to helping the mentally ill.

Initially we met Mr. Sharma at another one of the vegetable co-ops, however while Katrina was conducting her surveys Ben and I began to speak with Mr. Sharma about his organization and what it does.  He first started telling us about how they work with malaria prevention and treatment as well as the psychological help his organization provides to those who are mentally ill. He then started to tell us about his work with transgenders.  In India it seems the term 'transgender' does not have the same connotation that it does in the US, rather it is an umbrella term to cover homosexuals, transgenders, eunuchs, and male sex workers  (MSWs).  Well it turns out DAPTA supports peer counciling for MSWs in its office and works to educate them on the dangers of unprotected sex.

MSWs typically work at truck stops and serve as a form of prostitution of truck drivers but are also sought out by adolescent boys out of curiosity.  This practice has largely contributed to the prevalence of HIV and AIDs in India.  So what DAPTA has done is started a peer mediating class that recruits about 10 or so MSWs and has them discuss the ramifications for unprotected sex and risky behavior.  What I found so fascinating about this was that in a country as conservative as India, an organization is rural Orissa is telling people about condom usage rather than trying to change them.

After we left the vegetable co-op we went back to the DAPTA offices where Mr. Sharma was going to provide me with some of his information on the rate of malaria infection in the district.  He took us to the second story of the building where the main offices are pointed out that there was a counciling session going on.  I had assumed it was one of the family counciling sessions but it turns out it was actually one for the MSWs and Mr. Sharma told us we could go and meet with them if we so desired.  I could not believe how open and candid they were about everything.  We went around the room and identified ourselves and when the men began they even told us whether they were HIV positive or not.  I have never been so humbled in my entire life.

We spent about 45 minutes discussing what they do through DAPTA, how they got involved with it, and how their lives have changed.  For the rest of the afternoon I think Katrina, Ben and I were the quietest we have ever been, mulling over everything we had heard.  As we were leaving Mr. Sharma had a surprise for all three of us.  He presented us 3 teak elephants, that weigh about a pound each and are specialties of Kalahandi.  If given the chance I would not think twice about going back and working with DAPTA.  With the exception of Madhyam, it is one of the most impressive and worthwhile non-profits I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. 

The only picture I have of Mr. Sharma due to the fact that we were all too engrossed in our conversation otherwise to take out our cameras.