Even finding a nice place to
stay is a challenge in Koraput. Mr.
Behera had booked us a room at the best place possible – a guesthouse connected
to a temple which was situated on a small hill right behind the guesthouse. Oh,
there was some sort of a festival that night at the temple...the music and
recitals lasted late into the night and started early next morning! The room was clean but air conditioning
unit, which was right next to the bed, blew too hard when turned on. We opted
to keep it off. One of the windows was
left permanently open which brought mosquitoes and flying termites by
hordes. There was some sort of liquid
concoction in the bathroom to kill the mosquitoes but they only got the
termites…every day the bathroom was full of dead termites. There was no water the first night as they
were fixing the pump so the water had to be brought up in buckets. While the pump was fixed next day, we found
out that all hot water had to be brought up in buckets. The shower head sat there doing
nothing. Good thing I am used to camping
in the woods and taking baths Indian style!
And I was equipped with anti-Malaria tablets.
Athithi Bhavan Guest House
The next morning, we got off
to an early start…so early that the Guesthouse restaurant was not open or was
not serving breakfast. We went to a
small local style coffee shop for breakfast.
I noticed that food was being brought in from somewhere else... they did
not have much choice. Idlis (steamed
rice cakes,) dosas (Indian pancake stuffed with vegetables) or Badas (potato
fritters.) We settled in on the Idlis
as they seemed to be the safest course.
Food was incredibly cheap.
Breakfast for the three of us and the driver came to be less than five
dollars.
Annapoorna Coffee shop
We then set off in a jeep
(cars don’t fare well on the country road that we were about to embark on,
explained Mr. Behera) towards Dasmantapur.
That’s where the IDS local office is situated. It was about 55 kilometers from Koraput. We started off on a state highway that leads
to the capital. Other than the title
and occasional signs on the road, there wasn’t anything that indicated that it
was a state highway. It was a narrow
road that somehow managed to have vehicles go both ways; whenever a vehicle
came from the other side, one had to move to the side to allow it to pass. The rule is bigger vehicles have the right
of way. It seems to work! The road was practically a mud road in places. Either the recent rains had washed off the
road in places or that’s the way it always is.
Road to Dasmantpur
We drove for about 90
minutes through beautiful scenery.
Everything was green and glorious. I did see a few coffee and teak
plantations; Mr. Behera explained that these were owned by out of staters who
have come into this part of Orissa to invest and the profits were not being
invested in the region or in the state.
I witnessed terraces being farmed in the hillside using streams to
cultivate rice fields. Ingenious
method, I think. There were a few small
villages that we passed. I will never
forget seeing a jeep being used for transporting people. It was jammed with at least 15-20 people and
others were trying to get on! Mr.
Behera explained that there is no public transportation and people rely on such
jeeps to take them to the town.
Overcrowded van is the only way to
travel
I also saw many people
lugging heavy loads of fruits and sacks filled with various things that would
be sold in Koraput…they were walking miles together carrying really heavy stuff
hoping to earn a few rupees.
Selling goods at market
After a couple of hours the
jeep abruptly stopped. There was a
small river in front of us. Dasmantpur
was on the other side of the river. The
problem was the bridge across the river had collapsed. It had collapsed a week earlier but there was
little sign of any work being done to fix it.
Behera explained that this was the only road to Dasmantpur and that the
residents had been cut off from the world for over a week. He said that we would get to the other side
by walking on a makeshift bamboo bridge.
Washed out bridge
When I got out of the jeep,
a crowd gathered around. Then came a
man who greeted me and immediately started speaking in Oriya (the local
language) in an angry tone. I had no
clue what he was saying but could tell he was not happy. There were other angry looking people around
as well. Then Behera spoke to him and the man went away muttering to
himself. I was then told that when I
got off the jeep, they all thought that I was a government official who had
finally seen fit to show up to assess the situation; upon learning that I was
no such person, they left disappointed.
Good thing I was not a government official, I thought. But that meant there was still no relief in
sight for these people! I thought of
the train trellis in Sacramento that burned down recently and the efforts that
went to it to fix it quickly so as to not disrupt the transportation schedules
too much.
This is how far the jeep
would go. From here on, we had to
either go by foot or motorcycles. At
the bridge we were met by HemantKumar Bahalia and two other IDS staff members
who assured us that they would get two motorcycles to continue on with our
journey once we crossed the bridge.
Makeshift bamboo bridge
Slowly I got to the
makeshift bridge…they were beginning to get sandbags together but the sections
of the bridge that had been washed away had bamboo poles tied together. People were slowly making their way
across. It was scary. The water was flowing rather fast but I
swore not to think or look. One tiny
step after another, and with others’ help, I finally made it across the
river.
Crossing the makeshift bridge
As we walked towards
Dasmantpur which was a couple of kilometers away, IDS staff members came to
take us on motorcycles. Sushrutha, who
has ridden motorcycles for years, became my driver for the next two days taking
me to all the villages.
IDS office is on the
outskirts of Dasmantpur. It is a small
unpretentious building that sits on a beautiful spot. The lot has a foundation for a permanent building that Behera
explained that they would like to build someday. But for now, the office is in a small structure. We were warmly greeted by more IDS staff
members.
Being Greeted by IDS Staff in
Dasmantpur
IDS office is simply furnished. Photos of children and the work they do are
all around.
Foundation for a future plan… See
the trusted motorcycles? They took us places where there were no
roads….
We convened for the next
couple of hours getting to know each other and our work.
Meeting with the IDS Staff
Behera described the
programs of IDS and in detail explained the sponsorship program. I liked the fact that in each of the four
villages, the village council and families together came up with the list of
the children who were most vulnerable and needed help. This took away any resentment from other
families who are needy as well at not having their children chosen.
Behera showed document after
document that kept detailed accounting and plans. One of things he showed me was the contract that IDS made with
the family of each of the sponsored child – commitment from the family to
cooperate and fully participate in making the program a success. I got to see how the money was being spent,
what services the children had received to date and how much each item had
cost, etc. Records of visit to the
doctor, diagnosis, any medication dispensed were all documented. I saw that all of the children had been
checked by the doctor, given immunization shots and were receiving vitamin
boosts. Couple of the children were
diagnosed with intestinal maladies and were being treated for them.
Recordkeeping
Photos of children at IDS office
IDS Office in Dasmantpur
With IDS Staff Members
Then we were treated to a nice sumptuous
lunch prepared by the staff. We were to leave for the villages soon after that.
The plate was made of
leaves…good for the environment!
I also got to see the various supplies that each of the sponsored child had
been given. This included a health kit,
a backpack, a bowl and spoon and a bag of energy powder.
Energy powder - health supplement made
of various grains and nuts
After lunch we started out
on the motorcycles. Behera had given me
a detailed itinerary for my visit. So, I knew that we were headed to the first
Chaulakanti village where we would meet two of the sponsored children – Uja Jani
(sponsored by Larry and Reva Burchett) and Rai Mandinga (our little girl.) Behera had warned me that road was not good
and that we might have to walk at places.
Behera and Hemanth rode one vehicle and I bravely sat (side saddled, I
must tell you) on another with Sushrutha navigating through rocks and holes and
running water. At places, I had to get
down and walk as we were not sure if the motorcycle and I would safely make it
through… but soon we came across something I was not prepared for:
The road simply ended at a
river. We were told that we had to wade
across the river and the motorcycles were to be pushed across as well.
A river runs through it!
Crossing the river
We slowly crossed the river
which came above my knees at the deepest level. It was fairly fast moving…but we did safely manage to make it to
the other side. I had to carefully fold
my pants up and carried the shoes so I could stay as dry as possible.
Motorcycles had to be walked!
Right after we crossed the
river, I heard some hear drum beating.
I could tell that we were coming up on to Chaulakanti village – our
first stop.
Chaualakanti Village
There was a small crowd
gathered outside the village. I could see two little girls in uniforms waiting
for me with their hands closed in the traditional Indian greetings. I knew they were Rai and Uja!
Entering Chualakanti Village
But I was not prepared for
the welcome I got from the villagers.
Never in my life have I been treated with so much respect, love and
warmth… I was greeted by the women in the girls’ families. They welcomed me with a traditional
“aarathi” and my feet were washed with special water (well, a lot of water got
thrown at my feet drenching my shoes and pants…so much for being careful not to
get them wet when crossing the river!) and before I could realize what was
happening a sweet concoction was stuffed into my mouth…At that point all I
could do was graciously eat it and hope it wouldn’t kill me (and it did not, as
you can see.)
Traditional welcome included drum
beating
Meeting Rai and her mother
Uja’s grandmother formally welcoming me
We were led into the village
and through the small road that also serves as a courtyard for the row of
houses on each side. The two girls held
my hands and stayed with me the whole time… we got to sit in front of one of
the homes. I felt a little awkward and embarrassed to be on a display!
With Rai and Uja
With the crowd in place,
Behera explained about the sponsor program.
Rai’s mother and Uja’s grandmother also spoke. They all spoke in the
local tribal language which Hemanth translated to Oriya (the State language)
and Behera translated them to English. They were overcome with gratitude and
indicated that I (and the sponsors) was their parent figure now and their
wellbeing was entrusted to us. Uja’s grandmother thanked me and said that she
was worried for the girl’s well being as she herself was getting old and was
worried what would become of the child when she was no longer there. It was heartbreaking... all I could do was
to promise them that I, Shared Blessings and the sponsors would do as much as
we could for these children. This was
to be repeated to me in each of the village that I was to visit. We also got to hear from a few village
elders who were thankful for the sponsors’ generosity and mentioned that there
were more children who needed the sponsorship badly.
Crowd gathered around us
Uja’s grandmother
The girls were very shy and
did not say much. They did appear
healthy and lively. I noticed that
there was a difference in how the girls appeared from other children in the
village. Behera confirmed that the
short period of nutritious food and care have already made a difference in
their lives.
Rai Mandinga
The girls were given the
small gift packets that I had brought for each child. Some of them had been sent by their sponsors. For others, I had purchased a few items –
mainly clothes – in Bangalore. (I have
to mention here that upon learning that these were for the sponsored children,
a family member graciously chipped in to help!)
Uja shyly accepting her gift as Behera
looks on.
Then it was time to go. With the girls still holding my hand, the
villagers walked us to the end of the village before we set off on the
motorcycles to the next village.
Leaving Chualakanti
Jadaput was the next
village. Sukanta Muduli (sponsors: Kelly and Jennifer Tillery) and Chuna Jani
(sponsor: Sudha Guatama) live in this village.
On the way, we had to get off the motorcycle to cross the little
streamlets along the way.
While the scene was pretty, navigating
the path was not!
At the entrance to the
village, we were again met with the drums, crowd and the welcoming
children.
Sukanta and Chuna waiting..
Walking to the village with the children
With Chuna and Sukanta
Sukanta was unwell at the
time of the visit. He has been bothered by intestinal maladies and was being
treated for it.
Again the families of the
sponsored children and some of the village elders spoke. What I noticed was that there were very few
older people in any of the villages I visited.
Uja’s grandmother is one of the few elderly women I saw. As Mr. Behera would tell me later, the
average life expectance for women in these parts is about 45 years. Uja’s grandmother is probably much younger
than me…but has aged due to the conditions there. He also told me that many women and newborns die at childbirth.
Women of Jadaput
Chuna and Sukantha’s mothers speak
Sukantha with his family
Chuna with mother and older sister
Leaving Jadaput
The message I heard in
Jadaput was essentially the same as in Chaulakanti. “Thank you for what you have done. It has made a difference in the children’s lives.” They also talked about other desperate
children in the village. Many mentioned
the importance of education and a school that would meet the children’s
educational need.
I have to mention here that
there is supposed to be a teacher for these villages appointed by the
government. But no one has seen him or
her or few teachers are willing to leave their comfortable environment and move
to the backward parts of the country.
IDS’ social worker doubles as their teacher at present.
Other children need sponsorship badly!
Children of Jadaput
Mankadaguda Children
Women and Children of Birighat
Chulakanti Women and Children
Upon leaving Jadaput, we
headed back to Dasmantpur and then back to Koraput. Back over the broken
bridge, over the dusty road. It was a
long day and I had much to think about and process. Koraput all of a sudden looked bigger and more modern than it did
that morning. A day spent in an area
cut off from the world, where people spend each and every day without electricity,
running water or any other amenities that we take for granted, will do that to
you.
I kept thinking of the
children and their future. Behera had
told me that a supposed school teacher that never showed up. I had asked him about building a bridge
across the river we had waded through.
He responded that there had been probably three bridges built on the
paper – meaning the money allotted was misappropriated. These are the disenfranchised people…they
have no voice, no power. These are the
people Behera and his people were trying to empower by teaching them skills to
stand up for themselves. Helping them
to stand on their own feet and gain meaningful source of income.
It is easy to feel powerless
and give up. But I think back to the
day that Dr. Pati from the Indian Government’s adoption overseeing unit came to
visit Family Connections. It was God
who had brought him to Modesto and pointed to Shared Blessings. When he had mentioned the work his friend,
Behera, was doing in the backward parts of Orissa and requested our
involvement, we were not really sure we wanted to do this. But the Board gave us the green light; I was
moved to say I would look after the program.
I know that God had plans for me and Shared Blessings that would bring
me to Orissa, to become a part of these children’s lives.
What would these children
learn without a teacher? IDS hired a
social worker to work with the children who ended up also becoming their
teacher on a limited basis. But at the
time of the visit, he was down with Malaria, a disease that is more frequent
than I would feel comfortable with. At
one of the villages, a parent had said that the children really needed a school
that they could send the children where they could focus on learning and not be
pulled into working or distractions. I
had been thinking of a school that the children could stay at as well to
eliminate the struggle of walking several miles each day under inhospitable
conditions. Why not at Dasmantpur? Why not at the IDS land – where there seemed
to be enough room to build a small school that could house the children. How can God help us reach more hearts in the
US so more children would have sponsors?
How could all the progress that is being made in India totally bypass
all these people?
There were more questions…I
knew I did not have the answers. But as
I went to sleep that night, I knew that the answers would come. I knew that I wanted to make a commitment to
find those answers.
A look at a residence and children in
Birighat
The next morning we started out early again.
Back at the coffee shop for breakfast... idlis and sugared tea
again! We drove back to
Dasmantpur. This time crossing the
bridge did not seem so intimidating.
Also, lots of trucks and workers had shown up. Work on the repair had begun in earnest. Water had also receded a
bit overnight.
Working to fix the bridge
Piling sandbags was the first step
Once again we set out on the
motorcycles – past Dasmantpur, past the villages of Chaulakanti (which meant
walking across the river again) and Jadaput.
When we went by Chaulakanti, Uja and Rai were standing by the roadside –
apparently happy to see us again. They
waved and smiled! I would have loved to
have taken a snap of that…as the minute they see a camera, all these children
freeze up.
Our first stop on this day
was at Mankadaguda. Our children,
Chakra Chalan, (Sponsor: Sharon Hanson,) Padaman Muduli (Sponsors: Ream-Rao
Family,) Fakir Chalan (Sponsors: Neuburger-Ewing Family) and Jayanti Chalan
(Sponsors: Kathy and Domingo Zungri) live in this village.
Mankadaguda Village
Again, we were met outside
the village by the children and the entire village. After the traditional welcome, we walked to the village and were
soon seated outside the village leader’s house. I found out that Jayanti was ill with high fever so she was not
present to greet us.
With Fakir, Padaman and Fakir
I met with the leader of the
village who is also the head of the Women Self Help Group and Village
Development Committee. She is a strong,
self-assured woman who has a considerable clout in the four villages. She did not speak during our stay
there. “I will save my speech for the
next village as there are more people there… I will let my husband speak here,”
she joked.
At Mankadaguda with Village leader
listening to a parent speak
As in other villages, the
parents of the children spoke. They
expressed their gratitude and hoped that we could do the same for the other
needy children.
Hemanth Kumar speaking at the
Mankadaguda gathering
I did get to see Jayanti who
was ill. Hemanth assured me that she
had been under the doctor’s care.
Jayanti with Behera
Chakra and Fakir with their mothers
(sitting with them)
The children were shy but
each came forward and thanked for the help being given and wanted me to make
sure to convey their gratitude to their sponsors in America.
One of the mothers presented
me with a bouquet of peacock feathers and said that I had to take it back to my
home in America (I did.)
Villagers listening in
Mankadaguda children
At every village people who
spoke made sure that I would take back their greetings and gratitude to the
sponsors of the children. They also
talked about children who needed help desperately. All emphasized the need for access to education.
Soon it was time to
leave. Behera told me that since that
was the day government allotted ration was being handed out, the villagers
needed to walk several miles to pick up rice that the government was handing
out. I was not going to be the cause of any of them missing their much needed supply.
With Padaman, Chakra, Fakir, Jayanti
and their parents at Mankadaguda village
With Village Council Leader and her
husband
When we left Mankadaguda and
headed to Birighat, the council leader and her husband also joined us on their
motorcycle. We were off to the largest
of the four villages. Our children,
Sara Muduli (Sponsor: Alex Burwell,) Mamta Jani (Sponsors: Jaya and Madhavi
Prakash,) Amanath Jani (Sponsors: Tom and Audrey Foster,) Kumuti Muduli
(Sponsor: Swati Prakash) and Chandra Jani (Sponsor: Barbara Scott) live in that
village.
As before, we had to get off
the motorcycle and walk through the water in a couple of places. I was getting good at this. I decided to
walk the last stretch.
Road to Birighat
If I had been impressed with
the welcome I was given in the other villages, the one that was waiting for me
at Birighat was overwhelming! The
entire village showed up to greet me – all seventy or so families. There was the traditional welcome…
I could not get used to people touching
my feet in respect as is the custom.
With Chandra, Sara and Mamta
There was the traditional welcoming
post
Several women dressed in
brightly colored saris performed the traditional tribal dance. They danced with rhythmic steps, going in semi-circles
and inched towards the village. One of
the men joined in the fun, but others mostly watched them as everyone walked
forward. The drums and the flute
accompanied the dance. It was a pretty
sight!
Drums and flute to go with….
A welcoming tribal dance
A lot of women enjoyed taking part in
the dance
Walking to the village – the procession
included the entire village
When we reached the center
of the village, we were seated on the chairs that were set up in a row. There was a bench next to us and the
children we sponsor sat there a little uncertain about all the attention.
Chandra, Mamata, Amanath, Sara and
Kumuti
It is hard to miss noticing
that the children are mostly wearing uniforms.
Except for Jayanthi and Chandra who had recently been added to the
program, all the other children were wearing uniforms. Behera explained that as part of the sponsor
program, the children had been given outfits and it made it easy to buy
uniforms so they could identify it with going to school. I am sure it is more inexpensive to buy
clothes in bulk.
As Birighat is the largest
village of the four villages being sponsored, the meeting here had a totally
different tone. It was more formal;
there were definitely more people. This
time Behera and Hemanth explained in detail about Integrated Development
Society, its work and the cooperative collaboration with Shared
Blessings/Family Connections Christian Adoptions. Behera talked about how the village council and the villagers
were the ones who selected the children who were most needy of support. He made it clear that it was the villagers’
program and to succeed, their cooperation was most necessary.
With Behera, Village leader, her
husband – at the village meeting in Birighat
As before, everything had to
be translated twice. What was spoken in
Oriya was translated into the tribal language and English (for my
benefit.) When the villagers spoke,
they mostly used the tribal language but I could see that many understood
Oriya.
Behera explaining the sponsorship
program at Birighat meeting
Birighat Village
Birighat residents listening as the
sponsorship program is being explained.
People listened closely
nodding their heads and making comments of their own. I could not understand what exactly they were saying but the fact
that they were agreeing with what was being said was clear. This became apparent as several of the
villagers spoke – about the program, their needs, and what they would like to
see.
Again, the parents and
guardians of the children being sponsored spoke. They spoke of their gratitude, hope that their children’s lives
will be better than ever before and hoping that that the children could get real
education.
Women and children of Birighat
listening in
One of the villagers speaking
Another Birighat Resident speaks
While thanking for what was
being done, they respectfully mentioned that there were other children needing
help.
Only Matriculation graduate of the
village
I was really touched by the
talk of a young man. He talked about
how he is glad to have had the opportunity to graduate from high school. He works for IDS. He talked about how he wishes to see more people like him who
have opportunities in life and how they could work to build a better life for all
of the people. He promised to dedicate
his life to make this a reality.
Women of Birighat
I noticed that the women did
not really speak at this rally. Perhaps
it was because of the more formal tone of the meeting, but I missed listening
to the mothers and other women in the lives of our children. Unfortunately, I did not have much time to
speak to them either.
Finally, Sara, Mamta,
Amanath and Kumuti spoke. Chandra was
too shy to say anything. Each child thanked for the gift given and for me to
take their message of gratitude to their sponsors. They said that they would love to see their sponsors in person
but would at least like to see their photos.
I mentioned that some of the sponsors had sent their photos that were in
the packets we had distributed. They
promised that they would do well and study hard.
Mamata Jani thanking her sponsors
Kumuti Muduli also recited his
alphabets a little
Hemanth then proceeded to
talk more about the program and the actual help the children were
receiving. Most people in the village
did not really know what exactly the children were receiving as part of the
sponsorship program. He showed the
health kit, primer sets, vitamins, the backpack, bowl for food and the energy
powder mix.
Hemanth also addressed the
men in the village and implored that they need to make a commitment to their
children and families and to give up drinking alcohol as it was essentially
leading them to waste their lives and setting a bad example for the children.
Then we were all done with
the talking. I had brought some Tootsie
Pops from home that we distributed to the children. They loved it!
Distributing the Tootsie Pops to the
children
One of the women presented
me with a traditional hat that the highlanders wear. She said that I should be sure to take it back home so I would
always remember them. I told her that
even without the hat, I would always remember them and the kind hospitality
they had shown me, but that I would make sure that I would take the hat with
me. (This big hat was hand carried out
of Dasmantpur,, out of Koraput, on the plane to Bangalore…but unfortunately, I
could not fit it in the suitcase to bring it back home. I made a promise to myself that somehow
someday, I would get it here.) They
wished me a safe journey home and then it was time to leave.
There was the traditional
dance again to send me off. This time
more women and a few men danced. Even I
took a few steps around upon their insistence.
The children, their families
and the rest of the villagers walked us to the end of the village. Then it was
time to say “Good Bye.”
We got back on the
motorcycles, walked across the streams and the river. Went back past Mankadaguda, Jadaput and Chaulakanti. When we reached Chualakanti, there they were
– Uja and Rai, patiently waiting for us.
Uja’s grandmother was with them.
She had some Jackfruit and some sweets for us. They have so little – yet here they were being so generous and
wanting to share what they had with us.
We spent a few minutes with them and then headed back to Dasmantpur.
Road to the villages. I wonder when I
will come on this road again
A woman working in the fields.
I saw people working in the
rice paddy fields and small vegetable patches. They have small plots to grow a
little bit of their food. When it rains
constantly during the monsoon, it is hard to grow much as a lot gets washed
away.
On the way back, we saw men
and women walking back after collecting their ration of rice. They had to walk several miles carrying a
heavy load so they could have food for the month.
Men carrying rice back to their village
Women typically carry loads on their
heads…how do they balance it?
We got back to Dasmantpur
and IDS office. Had one final meeting to
sum up the visit. Each of the staff
members also spoke about their impression of the visit and the work they were
doing.
Mr. Behera conveyed his
thanks to Shared Blessings, Family Connections, and the sponsors for all their
support. He said that he hoped and
prayed that God would take care of the sponsors as without them, the children’s
plight would be worse. He wanted me to
convey to all that they would welcome anyone that wanted to visit. He said though it was not an easy place to
get to, and they did not have a lot to offer, they would be made to feel most
welcome. After the reception I got, the
way everyone went out of their way to make me feel comfortable, I don’t have a
doubt that others would feel the same way I do.
IDS Staff listening in as we wrap up
the meeting
Summing up the visit
I hope to go back to
Dasmantpur, Chaulakanti, Jadaput, Birighat and Mankadaguda someday. I hope and pray that the conditions in the
village and the children’s status all improve in the meantime.
Through out the visit,
people thanked me for crossing the river with bridge collapsed, going to all
the trouble just to come to see them. I
replied that it was not unbearable…especially when one can see that these
people live day in day out in those conditions. What I will never forget is the spirit and hope that they have in
their hearts.
