Maharajbagh Zoo

Today Katie and I went on an adventure to Maharajbagh Zoo in central Nagpur with eight of the smallest students from Nav Jeevan and our kind helper, Asha. After school at 2PM, the children changed their clothes and we rode the school bus to the bus stop. At the bus stop, we boarded the city bus which brought us to the busy heart of Nagpur. Disembarking, Katie, Asha, and I each joined hands with a couple of the children and began our (slow) walk to the entrance, just a few hundred meters from the bus stop.

Once at the gate of the zoo, the children could barely contain their excitement! We were preparing ourselves to see tigers, alligators, and possibly snakes! But, at the gate we were told that the zoo is closed on Mondays so we would not be able to see most of the animals. Though the children felt upset, feelings of happiness quickly replaced the sadness when we realized the zoo's playground still was available for fun.

After slipping, sliding, swinging, and running on the playground, we were able to see both ostriches and alligators that are kept outside the zoo's main cage facilities. Also, the children especially enjoyed a tropical fish exhibit being shown--baby sharks, "nemo," and many more types of marine life swam before our faces.

Before leaving the zoo, each of us tried a sweet ice cream treat to cool off from the intense heat that has been overtaking Nagpur recently with summer drawing near. By the time we boarded the city bus back to our neighborhood of Godhani, 4 out of 8 children fell asleep on the way home (three on Katherine's lap, one on Katie's and one on Asha's!). I am sure the piles of humans we became was a sight to see on the crowded Indian bus. Reflecting on the experience, being in such a crowd could have been disastrous with 8 children under the age of 7! But, the children, thanks to the discipline and respect they have begun to cultivate at Nav Jeevan, behaved incredibly well and each of us laughed and played delightedly.

In closing, Katie and I would like to acknowledge that at the zoo's entrance we also met two nurses vaccinating any children under the age of five against polio. We have heard that the WHO has declared this week in India a time for working to maintain India's status (since last year) as Polio free. This mission also has new importance since Pakistan is still struggling to fully eradicate Polio.





The children at Nav Jeevan, and throughout Nagpur, are assisting in this mission! 

Jungle Medicine: Hemalkasa Lok Biradari Prakalp

Dr. Raju (next to me) and Rama (middle) often worked with the two young anesthetists during surgery.

This weekend, I spent some time in the Maharashtrian jungle's southern Gadchirolli district with over 60 Nagpur Rotary Club physicians and many young Indian medical students. Katie, not being one for blood, stayed at the school to hold down the fort from being invaded by lizards (and of course to help with the children). I was specifically under the direction of Dr. Raju Wilkinson, who I previously mentioned as performing Deepali's surgery, and his post graduate student, Rama. As I was soon to find out though, the doctors all seemed to enjoy sharing their knowledge and expertise with me! We traveled by bus to Hemalkasa where Dr. Prakash Amte, son of Baba Amte who is was a renowned Indian social worker and activist for the tribal peoples in southern Maharashtra, has been carrying out the work his father began. Interestingly, Baba Amte is now considered a type of saint for the work he did during his life, and for the actions and desires he spurred in others. 

Of the four recovery wards, two were inside the hospital and two outside. The two outside did not have beds, so patients slept on the cement floor on sheets.

This young mother had her hands full as both daughters
required surgeries to fix their skin contractures. 

Each year, Nagpur Rotary Club travels to Dr. Prakash's jungle camp, Lok Biradari Prakalp, on roads that are so pocked with holes they look (AND FEEL!) like riding over Swiss cheese. Their goal is to complete many difficult surgeries for members of nearby tribal villages who have no access to medical care.  

Lok Biradari Prakalp feels like a small village! Along with a brand new hospital facility containing three operating rooms with a total of 8 operating tables, Dr. Prakash also maintains a boarding school for tribal children, an enormous garden/farming operation, and a wildlife refuge. One morning, he showed us the animals-- poisonous snakes of all kinds, man-eating leopard and some "tame" leopards, one hyena, gazelles, peacocks (India's national birds), monkeys of course, a sloth bear, porcupines, giant brown squirrels, and some beautiful brown owls, to name a few.  

Dr. Prakash has no fear of the man eating leopard he rescued and has formed a strong bond with him.

Beautiful brown owls showed their 180 degree
vision while I walked around their enclosure.

To say that this area of India is rural is an understatement. Villages are built of sticks, stone, and mud, with the occasional sign of modernity such as an electrical wire or ancient satellite dish dotting the rooftops. But, at the same time, the communities remain vibrant with traditional, colorful Indian clothing and people of all ages going about their lives communally showing their happiness in the way they love one another. As an aside, I was told (near the end of the bus ride...thank you Dr. Raju!) that this jungle harbors many Indian rebels who plot against the Indian government. Fortunately, they are quite happy with the fact that the tribes are receiving medical care and so do not interfere, but welcome, the work at Lok Biradari Prakalp. 

This year, when we arrived after nearly 8 hours of travel, tribal peoples, all waiting for their surgeries, greeted us at the gate of the complex with quizzical stares and waves. After such a long journey we relaxed with some chai before a traditional dinner of rice, dahl, and chipatis, where I learned that one always eats chipatis with the dahl and vegetables first, then finishes off the meal with rice to clean the plate. 

After a night's rest under a mosquito net for which I was extremely thankful, 6AM arrived and our day began. Being in the jungle, we took the opportunity to go for a brisk morning walk before the heat of the day (both from the sun and the surgeries). After breakfast and chai, I found a spare set of scrubs and was instructed to scrub up and sterilize myself for surgery. Immediately, organized chaos ensued and did not cease until the last patient (surgery #109 not including optical procedures) awoke the following day around 6PM. 

While in surgery, I experienced many things. From hydroceles, chyloceles, and hernias of all kinds, to hyperspleenism, skin contractures and grafts, breast fibroids, thyroid tumors, and sebaceous cysts, every surgery was performed by a team of excellent surgeons, nurses, student assistants, and anesthetists. Every surgery was free. My jobs generally included scrubbing up to prepare trays of instruments, mopping up blood during the procedures, and writing surgical notes dictated by the surgeons. Dr. Raju, Rama, and their colleagues each had their own style. For example, watching many hydroceles, each doctor ultimately completed the same thing, an eversion of the sac, but each used different techniques for finding, draining, and turning the sac, before making the stitches necessary to close the sac and the skin. I think this will prove to be one of the most important lessons I learn during my time here--it can (and should) be applied to not only medicine but life in general. Patients, friends, relatives, family members, any people you meet, are not all the same. Each must be treated with diligent compassion and care, but in the end, one develops and cultivates a style unique to herself/himself, so as to do the best work or service possible. 

The women pictured here spent their time at camp preparing the OR instruments and tables and restocking the ever-dwindling supplies. Though they did not speak English and I only know a few Hindi phrases, their joyful attitudes were contagious and made me smile throughout the days!

Some interesting things about my experience in the jungle surgical camp include the fact that even with the new hospital and competent staffing, supplies always seemed to run out. The sterile gowns were so few that each of us working in the operating rooms received only one or two per day. As a mere assistant, I was splattered with blood, hydrocelic fluid, pus, and many other bodily fluids, but then remained in the same gown because there were no others. However, from this, I learned another lesson that seems prevalent in rural medicine: some is better than none. Wearing the gown (with pristine and sterile gloves for every patient or whenever sterilization was broken) was better than not because the gown was still cleaner than our scrubs underneath despite the new additions from previous patients. This lesson seemed to be illustrated too by the fact that many patients presented with situations for which the standard of care requires testing and other measures prior to surgery. However, since these measures in the jungle camp are close to impossible, doctors worked under the conditions found, and success most often prevailed, relieving pain and suffering. One person said to me when I questioned this, "Is not some better than none?" 

Each member of the team was given a certificate of appreciation for their generous service.

We watched the sunset after camp from the dry, "winter" riverbed.

Back at Nav Jeevan, Joy and Katie
waited patiently for my return! :)

Ultimately, time in the jungle proved fruitful for me, but more importantly for our 109+ patients. Each patient will receive the post operative care they require from Dr. Prakash's hospital, regularly staffed by two physicians, along with that provided them while the Rotary Team was there. Congratulations also are due to the Nagpur Rotary Club as they successfully performed the first-ever laproscopic surgery to be performed at Lok Biradari Prakalp this trip! Thank you very much to everyone for their kindness and warm welcome. I hope to join you again sometime. 

Also, a very special thank you goes to the Hillsdale Rotary Club for their encouragement, financial support for this special trip, and work in making valuable international connections! I am very excited to share my experience with you when I return. 

While Katherine is Away...

For my last weekend in Nagpur (Katherine will stay an extra few weeks) I was invited to an Indian wedding by Dr. Prasad while Katherine was at medical camp in the jungle. The bride summed up the wedding better than I ever could. She told me that Indian weddings were a lot like India, "Loud, spicy, and over the top". While we didn't stay for the official wedding ceremony because it would take place at 1am according to the couple's combined astrological signs, here are a few photos from the reception which took place earlier in the evening.

 

Thanks to everyone for inviting me and making this a great evening!

The bride and groom on stage at their wedding hall.

The bride under her wedding canopy.

The groom outside the wedding hall participating in a fertility ceremony.

Gorewada

Since the two German volunteers took a group of boys to Gorewada Lake several weeks ago (right before the Germans had to go back home), the girls begged us to go see the lake as well. After struggling to find a day without activities, it finally worked out that on Tuesday we had a public holiday called Maha Shivratri, so classes were cancelled and we were free to have an adventure.

 

With the day off, we set out on a hot walk to the lake, propelled by good intentions and a need for a refreshing splash in the lake. Ravina was great at keeping moral up, singing songs and chants to keep the other girls marching quickly. She confided in me, "We can do this because Nav Jeevan girls are strong!".

Arriving at the lake.

With a little luck (and a lot of sweat) we found the swimming area. It was good we arrived when we did because a few minutes later children from another hostel showed up with the same intent of catching some relief from the hot day. It was wonderful to see the children enjoying themselves, finding clean water to swim in is often a rare treat in India.

 

We swam on a small river coming from the lake.

I had to sneak past many splashes to get a close photo!

We took two packed auto rickshaws to the hostel so we could make it back for lunch time and take an afternoon nap. Or was it just Katherine and I that took a nap? Regardless, it was an exhausting and fun day had by all!

 

Our Lovely Weekend

Our weekend was quite the adventure. In India, the week preceding Valentines Day is steeped with excitement. First there was hug day, then teddy bear day, rose day, kiss day, ect. It seems like in India there is no small celebration! Needless to say the kids were bursting with excitement when it was finally time for Valentine's Day.

Simran celebrating Valentine's Day!

 

 

To be festive, we planned a sex education class for the 14th to talk about matters of love. It was the first time these female students had sat down and had a formal class on sex education. I'm sure many people in the United States know the challenges of incorporating countless views into the sex education curriculum. It's hard making sure the students have a proper knowledge while not simultaneously offending any groups or cultural opinions.

 

In India there are many of the same challenges when developing a sex education curriculum; however there is also a societal sense of modesty which increases the difficulty of preparing an acceptable presentation. Many schools offer a censored, brief version of sex education that leaves kids wanting more answers. We were shocked to find that in 2014 the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan suggested a ban on sex education in India because it was against Indian values.

 

With these challenges in mind, we delivered a comprehensive yet sensitive version of sex education. If one subject gets attention, it's sex education! The girls listened with rapt attention and asked many serious questions. We were proud to be a part of (what we feel!) is a vital part of their education. We are so glad that Nav Jeevan sees the importance of educating students on this topic. Hopefully, this is knowledge the students can use to protect themselves for the rest of their lives and knowledge that they will pass down to their daughters to insure a healthy and strong community.

 

After school, the children participated in Katherine's craft project, inspired from the website Pinterest. It never ceases to amaze us how the children can take an idea and create so many wonderful additions and interpretations.

 

Repurposing toilet paper rolls to create art.

 

On Sunday, we visited Swaminarayan Temple with our friend Dr. Prasad, an established dentist in Nagpur. The temple was an amazing, intricately carved masterpiece. It was very helpful to have Dr. Prasad to help explain the many stories associated with Hindu gods. His vivid explanations made the temple come to life! We are grateful that he arranged this tour for us.

 

One of the many carved pillars - all of them unique!

 

Afterward we dinned on some of our favorite food here in India, Indian-Chinese food! It might seem like a surprising combination but the result is delicious. Dr. Prasad graciously showed us his temple as well, where we were warmly received. At the temple they gave us fruit because it is a pure food and offered us another meal!

 

On the stairs of Swaminarayan

Deepali Gupta

Before surgery, Deepali attempted to remain happy,
but we all could tell she was in a lot of pain. 

Deepali Gupta, a beautiful 6 year old girl with her wispy hair cropped short, needed to go to the doctor today. Actually, Warden Vijay took her to the doctor yesterday, but today she felt even worse so we determined she should visit another doctor today for a second opinion. Deeplai has an infection in her right hand. After incessantly playing on her favorite playground toy, the monkey bars, Deepali found herself with many big blisters on her palms. He right palm was especially sore, so Deepali popped her blisters with a safety pin! Just a few days later, her hand began to balloon.

The doctor we took Deepali to this morning works in a small clinic which treats the children of Nav Jeevan's hostel for no cost. We did not have to wait long, and after his inspection, the doctor prescribed an oral antibiotic and some NSAIDs for Deepali. He planned to have us bring her back in the evening for a small surgery where he would sedate Deepali and drain her infection from her hand. However, by mid day, it was decided by the school administration that we would take Deepali to a hospital for the procedure rather than the doctor's office. Dr. Raju Wilkinson, the son of Iris Wilkinson, who founded the school, was able to perform the necessary procedure around 4pm, also for no charge.

After school, with Deepali in her favorite red and white ruffled dress, I climbed into the school's car with her, Kiran, Roger, and Anita. On the way to central Nagpur to the hospital, Anita spoke to Deepali about her life, her time at the school and how she hurt her hand. She learned that Deepali has one brother, Deepanshu, who is also attending school and living in the hostel. They are from Uttar Pradesh, a state in Northern India, where they lived with two uncles and a grandmother. Their parents, Deepali said, are not really present (if alive?) and she and Deepanshu often stayed home for days and nights at a time, alone with no one to feed them, before coming to the hostel. For me, hearing Deepali tell Anita this, though it was in Hindi, was quite emotional! She said it with such matter of fact tone that you would have thought she was reciting her numbers or the alphabet. But, underneath, the pain that crossed her face gave away her true feelings under her stoicism.

Before we arrived at the hospital, Anita was determined to stop at a clothing and shoe store for Deepali. When helping her get ready to leave for the surgery, I discovered that Deepali did not have many clothing options. Indeed, she was quite happy with her ruffled dress, her two pairs of underwear, school uniform, and school shoes. But, we stopped to update her wardrobe with a pair of sandals for playing, two pairs of white socks, a pair of jeans, and a tshirt so that she could properly wash her clothes between wears. Even with these additions, Deepali does not have clothing options for sleeping and she is almost out of toothpaste. If it were not for Nav Jeevan's gracious help, Deepali would truly have nothing like countless other children in India and throughout the world.

Despite staying with us Sisters, Deepali's friends
Joy and Monica still found her!

At 4pm when we arrived at Janta Hospital where Dr. Raju practices, Deepali's fever had spiked and she was in quite a bit of pain. She also understood that something was about to happen that she would not like. Being with a young child and a medically inclined student, Dr. Raju allowed me to watch the procedure. However, this meant that I helped hold Deepali down while she was given an IV in her wrist to receive her general anesthetic. She cried out sharply, tears barreling down her cheeks, for her mother and looked at me so sadly. Soon though, her hand was bandaged from the procedure and she was waking up. After about half an hour of recovery, I carried Deepali to the car and we returned to Mrs. Wilkinson's house, nearby the hospital, to make sure she was ok before driving to the school. Asleep in my arms on the way back, Deepali looked peaceful and her hand was already beginning to look less inflamed. At the school, Katie and I decided to have her sleep on a mattress on the floor in our room for the night so she could finish coming out of her anesthesia and we could feed her dinner, give her a proper bath while not getting her bandaging wet, and give her medicine before she slept for the night. Also, this would prevent all the curious little hands in the hostel from touching her! When giving her a bath, Deepali said, "Sister (that's what the children call me and Katie) is mira (Hindi for my) mama."

Now that Deepali is on the road to recovery, it is important to reflect on the care she received here at Nav Jeevan and by her health care providers. Being a small child, it is easy to see that the infection probably was not too preventable. But, Katie and I, along with the Wardens, will work on proper training for caring for blisters. Watching Deepali's many trips to the doctor/hospital has certainly already proved educational for the others, as they understand that what she caused herself was a nice slice by a knife! Also, it is important to realize that she is lucky she had any access to medical care at all. Anita said it best of all, I think, when she told me the fact that an impoverished family brought two young children from  hundreds of kilometers away, spending a significant amount of their time and income, means that this is the first facility where their children would receive proper care and love. I am grateful to be a part of this mission. 

More Fun at Nav Jeevan

It's been an exciting few days at Nav Jeevan. On Wednesday night, instead of T.V. time for the children, we completed our mural! Each of the 100 hostel children now have a hand print on the wall, whether it be a flower, butterfly, or tree. With only a little mess, we made a lot of smiles and a huge improvement to the space.

 

The kids were so excited to participate in our project. It was nice to create a sense of ownership with them to achieve a friendly space to eat and play. There were many nervous giggles when they first squished their fingers in paint, but by the end of the night children were coming though the line again and again, even making hand prints on pieces of blank paper so they could keep a souvenir to remember how much fun they had.

 

 

 

Also, we bought nine pairs of shoes for the children, continuing the work that the other volunteers at Nav Jeevan had been doing. With all the activities at the school, shoes are quickly worn out here at Nav Jeevan and always need frequent replacing. It really makes a child's day when they have new shoes and we quickly received many more orders than we could fill! Fortunately, Nav Jeevan has a budget for shoes and will be replacing them again after the students get back from summer vacation.

 

This weekend, we will hold a sex education class, one for girls and one for boys. We also have plans to take 15 girls on a hike to a lake. On Sunday, we'll be going on a temple tour of Nagpur with a friend we have met here.

 

A Sweet Day

Katie and I indulged our senses today in many ways. Since the kindergarten and nursery children get out of school early, some of them, who ride the bus home are left to play while the older kids finish studying. Today was a special day for them because Katie and I shared some coconut cookies with them! It was a nice break for us from planning for the health lessons we will be giving this weekend.

At the end of the school day, we hopped aboard the bus with the children because we needed to find some project supplies. Luckily, Moukesh, the bus driver, and the teachers helped us find just what we needed so tomorrow we will be able to go back when we have our lists! After being dropped off, we walked for a bit, stopped at the grocery store, and headed to Mrs. Iris Wilkinson’s home to have tea and our favorite snack, jelabis!! We enjoyed talking with Kiran and Roger while drinking the sweet Indian masala chai and devouring the delicious fried dough soaked in sugar that is jelabis.

After our break, Kiran, Roger, Katie and I met up with a friend of the Wilkinson’s, Dr. Prasad Sival. Dr. Prasad is a young dentist that very much enjoys helping out when he can at the school. The five of us went to a lovely outdoor concert. The opening act was two violinists who played along with a dubla drum, followed by the main attraction, a sitar player who also was accompanied by dubla. Both combinations were beautiful, as was the evening. 

Sevagram Ashram

This weekend, we had the pleasure of traveling to Wardha, Maharastra, about an hour's train ride from Nagpur, to see the Sevagram Ashram. This ashram is of particular importance because it was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936, when he decided to make a head quarters in Central India. Many important political meetings and decisions were made from the mud floors of this austere complex. It was here that Mahatma Gandhi resided until he left in 1946 to advocate for independence among the larger cities of India, which was achieved in 1947. Two years after leaving the Sevagram Ashram, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948.

 

Mahatma Gandhi named the ashram Sevagram, which means village of service saying, "Village improvement is the only foundation on which conditions in India can be permanently ameliorated". He wished Sevagram to shine as an example of village development and community collaboration. Soon Sevagram became a full-fledged institution, with a mix of politicians and worshippers united by the common cause of building a stronger India.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, the ashram is still functioning and alive with the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi. There is a small but impressive museum across from the ashram that describes the life of Mahatma Gandhi and his dedication to non-violence and equality. The ashram features several small cottages where Mahatma Gandhi, his wife, and guests stayed. There's a large common ground for prayers surrounded by huge trees and a few gardens. It was wonderful to escape the city for awhile achieve some peace of mind where so many others had made such a profound impact on the future of their country.

Trees in the courtyard of Sevagram.

 

After the ashram, we took a drive to the country to see green farm lands and a huge lake. Our driver invited us to his home for lunch with his wife and two children. The boys were just finishing high school and were eager to practice their English. We are eternally grateful of all of the hospitality and kindness that others have shown us in India!



The family that invited us for lunch.

 

PK at the Cinema

Friday morning at school, Katie and I worked with some of the children reading. We are continually pleased to see the progress the children are making in this area as each have some close attention with Kiran, Roger, Katie and myself around to practice reading and conversation. We also have begun planning a curriculum for a sex education course for both the boys and girls. We are working on an invitation for some guest male volunteers to come teach the boys while we teach the girls, with help from the teachers of course.

Friday afternoon....full of possibilities! And, we were invited to the movies with Kiran, Roger, Anita, and Duhn, some of the school volunteers and administration. We saw a Hindi film called "PK" about an alien who is dropped into New Delhi. He looks sort of human, but has "dumbo" ears and has to learn how to dress, eat, use money, and speak Hindi! By chance, the alien, PK, runs into Jaggu, a young woman who works as a TV broadcaster. Jaggu just returned to Delhi from Europe after falling in love with a Pakistani man, arranging a wedding in a wedding chapel, and being dumped at the altar!

Here is a link to the trailer if you'd like to watch: PK Trailer .

Despite their differences, PK and Jaggu form a close bond and proceed to oust religious impostors in Delhi during PK's search for his "rock," a type of compass he needs to communicate with his planet and return home. Amidst comedy and drama, PK searches many major religious traditions in Delhi for the god who can answer his prayer of finding his compass. Then, interspersed throughout the show, songs and dancing would take over and beautiful music came from the speakers, the characters strutting in an elaborate routine while advancing the plot in some way.

Anyways, I am sure you can imagine how complicated this movie was! But, Katie and I appreciated seeing the well-planned cinematography and enjoyed the thought-provoking theme the movie related. Each religious tradition has its outward signs and symbols, things by which people who follow it should be recognized. There are also people who seek to exploit followers of each tradition for several reasons, but mostly for money, by pretending to be saviors and fountains of knowledge. In the end though, respect for others seems to be the universal language through which we communicate, no matter how different we are, or what prayers we would like to have answered.

Henna :)

Once the henna dye is applied, we had to leave it on our arms for about 5 hours.

Bauvna, one of the ninth graders in the hostel, knows how to apply henna for Indian festivals. Just for fun, she decided to design some for Katie and me this week! While watching her, Katie and I enjoyed talking with the girls and learning more about their lives. They played music for us, sang, and chattered away, very much enjoying the quality time we were able to spend together. Just being with the children may be one of my favorite parts of volunteering here, especially as we get to know them better and can joke around. Aside from that, the girls' English skills seem to be improving rapidly, which is an added benefit for both them and us.

Katie really got special treatment from the girls! Mamta, Saloni, Bauvna and a few others crowded around to make sure Katie's every need was covered and that she liked the music they chose for her.

What a wonderful time we had together with the girls. Bauvna is the girl on the right in the photo, along with Nikkita, who loves to speak in English and learn about the United States.

A Fresh Coat of Paint for Nav Jeevan

This week, we are all set to finish painting the cafeteria (which is also the TV room and study room). The job has required a lot of hard work, but the smiles and amazement from the kids when they see our progress makes all of our effort easier. The staff, students, and other volunteers have been nothing but appreciative and helpful.



Katherine painting our 'Surf Blue' cafeteria

 

On Saturday, all of the children saw us painting and wanted desperately to help us finish the two walls we were working on. Although things got a little messy, the kids cultivated some new skills and felt empowered to try something different. During lunch, some of the boys even teased us, saying they would "teach us some of their skills". It looks like we might have worked ourselves out of a job!



The cafeteria is assigned seating so we eat three meals a day with these tricksters!

 

Next week we'll start working on the mural that will go on the far wall of the cafeteria . A student, Anup, designed a beautiful scene that will give the children a voice in the renovations. The scene will (if all goes well!) feature a tree in the middle with leaves made from the hostel children's handprints.

 Even though most of the children are highly impoverished, it seems to me the thing they most crave is affection and entertainment. It may not seem like a direct relationship, but renovating Nav Jeevan to feel like a home for the children will create a positive environment, showing that this school is truly for them, not just a place to stay because of hard times. Also, giving the children a voice in the renovations has been important to both Katherine and I because the it helps to cultivate creativity and allows the children to make some decisions regarding their own lives. Outside of Nav Jeevan, children from the slums are rarely asked their opinion or allowed to make their own decisions. It is our hope to change this stigma and ensure the children feel empowered when they look at their creation!

The blackboard in the cafeteria reads, 'Welcome to Nav Jeevan Sanstha' the students certainly do not lack creativity here.

 

Also, we've painted 'boys' and 'girls' labels on the bathroom doors. This was a constant source of confusion and nervousness for both new students to the school and visitors.

The 'boys' bathroom door. The staff told us to do it in English, but we decided to put an icon, just in case!

We can't wait to unveil the finished product at the end of the week.

Weekend Update

Sarika helped us so much with our class for the girls!

Medical check-ups, for anyone (doctors included), can be a bit daunting. Studying personal health and hygiene, especially if you are female, can also be daunting! But, when “Sisters” and our “students” are involved, everything seems more fun.

 

Thus, this weekend at Nav Jeevan, we have undertaken a few big medically focused endeavors. On Saturday, Katie and I, along with Sarika, one of the teachers (as a Hindi translator), planned a “Care and Keeping of You” class for the 6^th through 9^th grade girls. Principal Vicky allowed us to teach during the school day to reach both the day scholars and the hostel children, as she said neither were well educated on the subject. We talked first about good and bad touching, so that the girls understand that their bodies are theirs alone and must be respected by all. As their teachers and people who care about them, we aimed to help them gain confidence in protecting themselves actively from people who attempt “bad touches.”

Deepanshu and Deepali are brother and sister. They live in the hostel together and both had excellent check-ups. 

After Katie and I gave a comical, and more importantly memorable, demonstration of what is good and what is bad in touching, we moved on to female health. Giving the girls a description of how female bodies change during puberty is something that seemed easy on paper. I drafted a lesson plan, we went over it with Sarika, and made sure we included answers to questions the girls could possibly have. But, when the time came, the talk proved more difficult than I expected since I had never before taught the subject! In the end, though, I am so glad we did it. The girls were rapt with attention. This was the first time, to quote Katie, that “you could hear a pin drop” during our 4 weeks at Nav Jeevan (including during the night!!!). And, even before we were finished, the girls began to raise their hands and ask such impressive questions! One girl even pointed out that the age of menstruation has been decreasing in the hostel and initiated a discussion regarding possible causes. My jaw dropped for a moment before I could answer, as her question was so astute.

Seeing that the class for the girls was so successful, we are now planning a sex education class. To try to be sensitive to the fact that both the boys and girls need this education, we are going to collaborate with volunteers another organization, the Rainbow House, who we met through the German girls who recently volunteered here. Fortunately, they are all young men! We hope they will be able to join us on February 14, so that we can teach the girls with Sarika and they can teach the boys with some of the male teachers at the school.

Mamta, one of the 5^th grade hostel girls, told me the other day that she dreams of being a doctor who serves women and girls throughout India living in poverty. So, together, Mamta and I have begun giving the children checkups after school. At first, Katie helped me record each child’s results so that if we have enough data we can perhaps compare the health of the hostel children to the health of the day scholars. But, as soon as Mamta realized what our plans were, she commandeered the computer and has taken on the role of nurse! Even more so, Mamta is wonderful at it! She has learned so quickly how to read our spreadsheet and input the data. She also now administers the thermometer to her peers to check their temperature while she is taking down their personal information. So far, we have checked 19 patients, including Mamta, and tomorrow we will begin again at 3pm after school.

Mampta is the girl in the red shirt. This picture is an excellent vantage point...the blur being indicative of the incredible speed at which the children are always moving, and the faces showing the excitement with which they are always acting!

The time I have spent with Mamta doing the checkups has taught me a lot. She has such curiosity for learning anything and everything, especially when it is related to medicine. But, she always is explaining what she is doing and trying to share her knowledge with others. I admire this about her a lot and I think it will serve her immensely when she becomes the physician she so badly wants to be. 

What is shocking is the reason Mamta is in the Nav Jeevan hostel. She told me when I first arrived here that she has been in three hostels prior to arriving here. All three other hostels expelled her for bad behavior. However, here at Nav Jeevan, Mamta finally found caring Wardens, teachers, friends, and volunteers. She has begun to flourish and grow in kindness. I think, when Mamta becomes a doctor, it will be Nav Jeevan she thanks first.