Inner Urja

Field Trip with Gram Vikas Management

2012-01-22T10:00:00.001-08:00

Gram Vikas Project Offices in Kalahandi

2012-01-22T09:26:00.000-08:00

Narahari Babu's "svarg' at the Baffala project office, prolifically demonstrating organic farming methods for nearby villages.

Chicoooo!

Nearby village youth being trained in masonry work.

Service Space

2012-01-16T22:50:00.000-08:00

I am blown away by the intensity of this week's Forest Feed from Service Space!

Hunnar Shaala

2011-12-15T06:14:00.000-08:00

Hunnar Shaala is one of my most favorite NGO's, led by a Sandeep Virmani and Kiran Vaghel and several other phenomenal managers. They focus on indigenous building/construction methods and water management and many other interventions for rural and urban marginalized communities. The thread that links all their work is that they want to learn from locals and help them see they already know what is required.

My sister has been working there for a year now. I just visited their office and her work in the slums of Bhuj.

Hunnar Shaala has a website (http://hunnar.org/) but I think it could do a much better job of showcasing all their excellent work. Anyone interested in helping them update their site?

They have a beeeeautiful new office that uses the building techniques they promote.

Kiranbhai (who helped greatly with some innovative Kalahandi work) and I share a laugh near their new workshop.

We're standing next to a rammed earth wall.

Another one of Hunnar Shaala's strength is to network effectively and efficiently with other groups to make lasting changes. Here is a community worker from KMVS that works with my sis facilitating slum housing in Bhuj.

Transition back to Bhawanipatna

2011-12-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

Time goes,
Settings change,
Eyes, heart, mind rest.
All looks new...again.

Feels good to be back ... and adjusting.

Been nice to catch up with buddies in town. Here's Kumari. She's been sweeping for Gram Vikas for some time now. Her husband left her years ago. She has two beautiful kids and a gorgeous smile, melodious voice, and huge heart.

Here is Podur, one of my many favorite cycle rickshaw-walas. The best part about Bpatna is that there no autos! (Well, i did see one before I left in Aug.)

And the best part of town are the daily and weekly market scenes (taken from Podurbhai's rick).

Switzer Fellows 2011

2011-09-02T23:40:00.001-07:00

Woohoo! I just experienced an incredible rush of inspiration reading about this year's Switzer Fellows!

Check them out:

http://www.switzernetwork.org/grant-programs/fellowship-grant-recipients-2011

Take Action.

2011-05-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

Real people, real lives, beautiful places.....all affected by our consumption. :-(

http://amazonwatch.org/take-action/send-chevron-a-message

The Law of Mother Earth

2011-04-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

In theory, Bolivia's "Law of Mother Earth" is impressive. I hope it indeed brings benefits for Pache Mama and all of her inhabitants!

"Yes -- and."

2011-04-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

What a simple, subtle, beautiful idea: "Yes -- and." :-)

The Universe Answers

2011-03-09T17:58:00.000-08:00

In the Bijapada cluster, we have met a couple of villagers that have severe skin issues. Both patients are immobile, making it difficult for us to bring them out of the canyon and into a hospital. Also, their families say that they had earlier visited the hospital but their health did not improve.

...At first site of their skin illness, one cannot help but want to do something drastic and immediate. Their conditions look so very painful. Life would be so depressing. It's depressing to just see these guys. Every time I visit them, I visit Patient 1 first, since his hamlet comes first on our walk from the powerhouse site. I go thru the usual emotions; by the time I reach the next hamlet, I've almost forgotten the sadness. But then I encounter Patient 2 and the emotions rise again. ...Further depressing is that Patient 2's 16-year old grandson also has increasing areas of numbness on his limbs. ...What is the disease? Is is contagious? How many more people have it? What can we do? ...How can they just keep living day after day, dealing with it as it is?

Finally the Universe answers: Thanks to my friends Naman and Sri-- both phenomenal doctors working on developing country health issues--there is now a path in sight to address Patient 1 and 2's illnesses. Sri and Naman have connected us to specialists in the US and in Orissa who are willing to help diagnose the skin conditions, if we can get a few tests done. Local doctors are also very interested to help. ....We just need to make it happen....soon!

New Micro Hydro Project: Punjam

2011-03-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

In parallel to the Bijapada project, we are implementing the Punjam project in Lanjigarh block of Kalahandi district. Punjam differs from Bijapada in various ways which affect our work:

Hamlets

Although both villages have multiple hamlets, Punjam's hamlets are densely clustered, while Bijapada's four hamlets are kilometers apart from each other, making it more challenging for the community to organize itself.

Distance and Accessibility from Main Road

Although it takes us 2.5 hours to drive to both villages, Bijadapada requires several extra kilometers of walking/hiking. In addition to its hamlets being scattered kilometers apart, Bijapada's nearest motorable road is 2km away uphill. We love hopping and skipping down the canyon...but getting back out is often a workout, especially after a full day of walking to each hamlet...sometimes twice! Accessibility to the village are affecting the project budget, in terms of transporting materials to the village.

Number and Diversity of Households

Bijapada has around 50, fully tribal households, while Punjam has over 110 households, 90% of which are tribal. A smaller number of households makes it easier to recognize the main characters in the village and understand its social dynamics more quickly. Facilitating a larger village, mixed ethnicity village requires more diplomacy.

Village Wealth

While the 10% non-tribal households are a minority in Punjam, they are certainly the face of Punjam. The non-tribals are factors wealthier than the tribals. The wealthier households have activities outside of the village, making it easier for them to confidently communicate with us. For example, Punjam's wealthiest household (not surprisingly non-tribal) owns a tractor, half of the population does have land (according to what we have heard from certain villagers). While there is also some economic disparity in the Bijapada cluster, it is not as drastic. The wealth does not necessarily dictate leadership (as we have observed thus far) as it seems in Punjam.

NGO/Government Presence

While Punjam is frequented by NGO and government agencies, the Bijapada cluster has only the government watershed program (that we know of). This makes the community's response to us very different in both villages.

Civil Works' Level of Difficulty

While the power output for both project will be about 15kW, Bijapada's civil works will be very challenging, due to high flow and stone areas. Thanks to Ranjit's last 10 days in the village, Punjam's straightforward civil works are nearly finished!

Here are some images of Punjam. (The 3 basic components of micro hydro civil works are: weir, channel, and forebay tank.)

Punjam's small but beautiful water source:

Punjam's weir structure:

Punjam's channel:

Punjam's forebay tank in progress:

New Micro Hydro Project: Bijapada

2011-02-25T22:08:00.000-08:00

Nestled amongst a beautiful canyon and its multiple streams is the site of our new micro hydro project, the Bijapada village cluster (50 households) in Thuamul Rampur block, Kalahandi district, Orissa. We are grateful to Christian Aid for supporting our work at this site and to Antodaya for suggesting Bijapada village.

Since November, it's been quite a journey in understanding the psyche of this relatively remote tribal community. In the next few posts, I will try to describe our journey thus far, in ensuring that the project is community-led, rather than NGO-led.

Time to time, I will invite local technicians, engineers, NGO staff, and community members to blog their experiences first-hand. For now, here are photos taken during the feasibility and design studies.

One side of the weir profile:

Other side of the weir profile:

We've had to think about how the weir will be anchored into the stone...

The water flow varies from 80-100lps, depending on the water use of the upstream village and seasonal changes:

Our new team member (holding the level) and an old friend, Ranjit Deshmukh, has been the technical lead for this project. With four existing projects to improve and implementing two new projects in parallel, needless to say, my plate has been full. Therefore, Ranjit's presence has been priceless in ensuring that we do not make technical mistakes (or at least do not repeat mistakes form earlier projects).

As a newbie to micro hydro implementation, Ranjit's key role is to learn from our Sri Lankan mentors and demystify the knowledge for the local team, consisting of technicians in Bhawanipatna (nearest town) and talented youth in the villages.

See the bamboo stick? The task of preparing the bamboo to use as a measurement tool became an opportunity for the village youth to bond with our team:

Richard Russell, a volunteer from the UK, helped with note taking:

A channel, likely made from HDPE or PVC pipe, will extend from the weir to the forebay tank:

The forebay tank will be located on top of the flat stone on the right:

The HDPE penstock will have to be routed from the forebay tank location to the powerhouse via the stone walls. ....Yes, challenging work ahead!

After the first 100m, the penstock will have a nice, boring path thru the woods and on soil...

...down to the powerhouse location:

During one of our visits, when all the adults were busy with their harvesting, 3 young guides were sent to make sure we didn't get lost. These three kept an eye on us the entire visit, whether nearby or from a distant rock.

Corporates

2010-12-17T02:33:00.001-08:00

Can't live with them...and maybe without them. Here is an interesting article about the President Obama's recent meeting with CEO's.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-l-borosage/obama-and-the-ceos-lookin_b_797961.html

Life is Living

2010-09-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

In Oakland on Oct. 3 and in Houston on Nov. 6:

Introducing Life Is Living

LIFE is LIVING establishes a new model for partnerships between diverse and under-resourced communities, green action agencies, and the contemporary arts world.

Since 2008, under the artistic direction of Marc Bamuthi Joseph, LIFE is LIVING has grown from a festival that uses art to foster environmental justice to a mobilized campaign much larger in scope. Highly successful LIFE is LIVING events have taken place in Harlem, Chicago, Houston, and Oakland, with further work proposed for Philadelphia, San Francisco, and the Twin Cities.

The campaign includes a traveling environmental caucus & concert, an invitational Graffiti Battle, live action sports, sustainable materials construction projects, and a Speak Green youth poetry event. As we reflect the voices of an emerging cultural majority, we recognize that our arts practices must echo and sustain the lives of the communities we engage.

Aloofness to Pakistan's Floods

2010-08-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

"The United Nations has characterized the destruction caused by the floods in Pakistan as greater than the damage from the 2004 Asian tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined. Yet nearly three weeks since the floods began, aid is trickling in slowly and reluctantly to the United Nations, NGOs, and the Pakistani government."

I visited Pakistan nearly 4 years ago to assist my mentor Walt Ratterman on a training. I loved every moment of the trip--from crossing the border via bus, to making new friends in Lahore, meeting old friend Islamabad, and getting to know Walt's colleagues and students.

...When the earthquake struck Pakistan, a couple of years before my visit, I was in India and made firm plans to "go help". Due to a family event, although I got a visa, I did not go then; and instead went later with Walt.

...Yet now, it has been 3 weeks and only now I am realizing the extent of the damage from the floods!! ...Only now am I doing the internet searches and contacting friends for un-biased information, from the field.

I feel like a hypocrite waiting so long to take stronger interest in the situation. Something about floods versus earthquake/tsunami that delayed my interest. I'd been following the situation-to-be in Afghanistan, but I became too busy this month for Pakistan.

I often argue for Islam when I hear biases against it. ...Realizing that others' biases against Muslims may have slowed aid for the flood victims ("Why Doesn't the World Care about Pakistanis"), I feel that I should especially be taking interest in the floods to see how we can help.

...I am still working on my thesis, hoping to get my sitar tuned tomorrow, planning my exercise regiment, seeing friends/family plan Labor Day breaks...all the while, an entire country is set back by decades.

Today's "Avatars"

2010-08-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the movie Avatar? Do you have an Avatar story unfolding in your community?

Here is an example of an Avatar-like plot taking place in Kalahandi District, Orissa:
Vedanta's crusade on the sacred Nyamgiri Mountain

Do forward me any such real-team Avatar stories. Collecting today's Avatar incidents, on a single web space, to share with others maybe a useful resource for us to understand how our power as a consumer relates to lives around the globe (and maybe neighbor), e.g. purchasing products that support Corporations who are the root of real-life Avatar incidents.

If you know of such a web space already existing, please forward!

Freedom and Courage

2010-08-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Aug 15--India's Independence Day. Two inspiring insights (click on the linked words)

1. Chhote Ustad 2010
Amongst the various TV shows on Indian tv, there is now an interesting music talent show that encourages India and Pakistan's young talent to team up. It reminds me of Friends Without Borders.

2. Neighbor's Bank Workers
"Ms Wu"has been courageously mobilizing Chinese bank workers to fight for their rights. ...Though the sad news is that Ms. Wu may now be detained for a while. Ms. Wu helps me feel the link between Freedom and Courage.

These two stories remind of the potential of and challenges to freedom in today's world.

The Week in Review

2010-04-10T00:48:00.000-07:00

Lots of loading and un-loading this week in transporting oil presses from Bhawanipatna to micro hydro sites (electricity-based livelihoods activities).

At Amathagouda micro hydro, there is never a dull moment. Every time we fix one thing, something else goes wrong. Now that we've almost finished replacing the old school pulley to pulleys that are easier to remove, we discovered a pipe leak.

The leak is due to a dried up rubber gasket at a joint located between 2 beautiful anchor blocks, next to a mango tree. The system also needs a bypass line. So the solution: cut the pipe (instead of destroying the blocks) to change the gasked and add a bypass line.

Health care ...or something else?

2010-03-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

crazy and ugly.
brainwashed masses,
who do not understand that
health care reform is for them!

This Weekend: CHANGE HISTORY

2010-03-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not in the US now....but I cannot help thinking about what this weekend means....or at least what I gather from the web in the dawn of New Delhi:

If you are in the US now, if you are an American, if you believe that the US prospers when its masses prosper, then you have to help make the health care vote this weekend happen.

Make it happen for the American people, not for the American insurance companies. The plan may not be perfect, since the Congress is not homogeneous. But the current plan to be voted on is as close as it can get to a compromise that still helps the American people get basic health care and reduce the national deficit. ...You've seen the countless debates over the last year.

Call your local reps...find out who is not for the bill...go on the web and get their emails and office phone numbers. DO WHAT YOU CAN. Go here to see how you can help change history this weekend.

...Obama did not magically become president. It took a movement of the masses to bring him to office. The same movement is needed now. If you are at all an Obama supporter, he needs you now more than ever. You can hear it in his words.

The irony is that this is not about Obama. It's about your neighbor, your family, and YOU.

....The best part about American politics now is that we can TAKE SOME PART. Voice your citizenship. Tell others. PARTICIPATE. Make it happen!

Body, Mind, Spirit

2009-10-14T08:36:00.001-07:00

During the last few weeks, after getting over home sickness for Orissa and again appreciating life in San Jose, I have re-gained my physical energy thanks to doing what I could of a Master Cleanse and eating holistically again (and building new habits like no-dairy and no-wheat).

I can now run for 2 miles again, though still a far cry from my condition several years ago when I was accustomed to half-marathons and small triathlons!

During this morning's workout, I had cranked up the exercise machine's resistance level and had a fantastic realization: My body, mind, and spirit are so inter-connected! The higher resistance levels came at intervals, and I saw at some times I could easily do the higher resistance and at other times I was pooped. Initially I thought that my muscles needed warming up, but that wasn't the case since even towards the end of the workout, when I was fully warmed up, I had bouts of extreme ease or extreme difficulty.

What I started to realize was that when my mind was empty, when I was not thinking about completing my thesis, Gram Vikas, the next India trip, about my parents, etc., my body was doing wonders. The high resistance levels felt like nothing when my mind was focused just on a spot on the wall. I also realized that when my body was doing more, my spirit went out the roof! Even the Gram Vikas and thesis issues all felt like transformations rather than issues.

I found it amazing that something as simple as presence of mind could have such an impact on my body and in turn my spirit. I also realized that it took me so long to get to this point partly because I had not been taking care of my body, even though I had been doing things for the spirit.

...I am physically the oldest I have ever been in this life, but I am feeling more awakened than ever before. :-)

Stumbling

2009-09-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

i stumble, over and over.
Always running for some finishing line.
Only after the fall, do i look behind and below.
It's been a long road.
of smiles, hope, and hard work.
With each stumble, i can return to the root.
Returning makes me want to push farther,
creating a fear of falling even harder next time.
Again I go back to the root...

Papers, presentations, money,
None of those matters.
People and transformation,
and my acceptance of them,
that's what counts.

The Best Speech I've Ever Heard

2009-05-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

It is simply amazing how fast time goes in while I am in Orissa. ...maybe it's because every task takes so long. The projects in Kalahandi are progressing, amidst the circuses of the NGO, donor, local government, the communities, engineers, suppliers, and the biggest circus of all--my reactions. But I am working at transforming my reactions into responses. :-)

Purna Guma was commissioned in Nov. '08 and hasn't had any major issues, and hence has become a local celebrity in the Karlapat Sanctuary. It's funny how many more local government officials I know after the Purna Guma lights came on! Purna Guma is now focused on building a livelihoods center to utilize the electricity for income generation.

The youth from Purna Guma are helping to implement the next project in Karnivel village. Karnivel is a fantastic tribal community who give 200% to everything. The only thing looming on my shoulders is the schedule. We need to finish the Purna Guma community center and the Karnivel micro hydro within the next month, before the rains arrive.

It's been extremely hot...but I've gotten used to it. Drinking lots and lots of water is key. A big bowl of water rice for every meal is best!

....So what's made me decide to blog again???? The best speech I have ever heard....I can't help but want to tell everyone about it. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KObN8s0M14g

It is in 3 parts, so be patient and download all 3 parts.

Hey 2009

2009-01-03T07:04:00.000-08:00

Hey 2009

Give me the strength to stand for the things I believe in
And ask me to practice my philosophy.

Make me more patient and tolerant, so that I'll feel everybody is mine and there will be no quarrels and terror.

Help me in giving up my extras and live more and more simply.

Give me the friends - as I always got – who's hearts are tuned in harmony of the world.

Provide me the vision by which I'll always perceive good in whatever happening and will stand against all disasters than collapsing.

Help me understand, what I feel and think, so that there will be no crisis in relations.

And importantly,
Take me to the worst of natural and inhuman situations – which will be my real space – where I can practice all the good that I thought of. I need to give these examinations.

Hey 2009, I believe in equality, peace, justice and enrichment.
By the time you will pass away make this belief more strong,
Of me and my friends.

Good bye 2008

--Wishes from a phenominal soul, Vinayak (http://ekjajabor-vinayak.blogspot.com/)

Chronic Hunger

2008-12-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

UN says 40 million more pushed into chronic hunger this year
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Tuesday (December 9) that higher food prices have increased the number of people across the globe affected by chronic hunger by 40 million this year, bringing the estimated total to 963 million people. About two-thirds of the world's undernourished live in Asia, with the worst affected countries in that region being India, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan, according to the FAO's State of Food Insecurity report. In addition, one in three people in sub-Saharan Africa remain chronically hungry, the Associated Press (AP) attributed the report as saying. The increase in the number of hungry is mostly attributable to the sharp rise in food prices earlier this year, the FAO said. Although the global prices of major cereals have fallen by more than 50 percent from their peaks earlier this year, they are still high compared to previous years, the AP attributed the agency as saying. Farmers have been unable to increase production to take advantage of the higher prices because they lack access to seeds, fertilizer, water and markets, according to the AP. "This sad reality should not be acceptable at the dawn of the 21st century," the AP quoted FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf as saying. "Not enough has been done to reduce hunger and not enough is being done to prevent more people (from) becoming hungry." The FAO reported that the growing number of chronically hungry casts further doubt on the world's ability to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving global hunger by the year 2015, particularly as the global financial crisis is further reducing demand in industrialized countries, which threatens to affect exporters in developing countries. According to the report, export volumes are expected to grow by 4.9 percent in 2009, compared to a growth of 6.3 percent in 2007. The report noted that some countries, like Thailand and Vietnam, have made substantial progress toward the 2015 goal. But South and Central Asia are among the regions that have suffered significant setbacks in hunger reduction.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=6423774
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MCOT-7M6GUA?OpenDocument
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/081209/afp/081209151825top.html

New Energy

2008-08-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

I have been spending more time in Kalahandi than at the GV Head Office, despite the Head Office being more comfortable. This has been partly due to the level of work in the micro hydro projects and partly due to the tension that fills my heart/mind while at the office. Though, during my last visit to Head Office recently, I discovered that there is a certain new energy that is seemingly planting itself on campus. Some new staff have come this month with a brightness that I pray will only multiply.

GV does amazing work, but it has taken a toll on those that are involved. As we try to help more communities have access to water and sanitation and other sustainable infrastructure, our human resources are increasingly challenged with communication issues, salary woes, and lack of time to meet targets. I had begun to loose hope, seeing/hearing how at levels of human resources, people were more and more unhappy and stressed.

However, this wave of new energy via a few individuals is intriguing and is helping me to be introspective. These newbies are in a good position to be themselves and appreciate the organization. Over the years, I have become only a strong critic and far from myself. I keep seeking perfection in its operations...only much later to realize that I need to take care of my imperfection first. Still, I find it very difficult to focus on myself without being selfish. Since the post Palm and Apple days, my moments have been designed around being involved with efforts that I really believe in, first LEDeG, then Green Empowerment, now Gram Vikas and Practical Action. In this process, I have nearly always prioritized my family and my research secondary to the so-called causes. ...This has caused imbalance that of course I keep ignoring.

I know that my mis-prioritizing will catch up with me sooner or later. Though now instead of being totally hard on myself, I am just watching. Watching myself make decision after decision, without judging. Watching the naunces in my moods; what makes me smile, what makes my cry, how I relate to others. I am only hoping that the non-action intentions create some positive flow that can undo the angst I've built during the last few years; and take advantage of the priceless and simple gifts I've acquired during the same chaotic time, e.g. witnessing the simplest of human needs, Nature's transient care, and such sweet and tangible moments of the Divine's intervention.

Media for Social Change

2008-08-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Since realizing the potential of the youth involved in the micro hydro projects, I have been dreaming about them making their own videos on issues they hold important (and entertaining) and organizing their own showings using the electricity from the micro hydro systems. ....In fact each of the project sites has a fair number of concrete stairs near the powerhouse and open space for a large screen, transforming the space amidst the forest into an outdoor theatre. ....Yes, only dreams at this point.

However, the dream is one step closer having realized the existence of MAM (http://www.mammovies.com/):

MAM: ‘I AM’ is what it means in Sanskrit. To be able to go within through the medium of stories and use our talent for the needs of the world is why we have been created.In practical terms, our effort is to:
-Support and nurture independent filmmakers who use media, the arts and technology to inform, inspire and empower others to create positive action in the world.
-Create innovative events, which will inspire youth to use Media for social change.
-Create a platform for local charities and NGOs to make professional videos for very economical price.

GRID Alternatives

2008-08-03T01:38:00.000-07:00

Cool group in CA doing work with renewable energy and communities: http://www.gridalternatives.org/

GRID Alternatives' mission is to empower communities in need by providing renewable energy and energy efficiency services, equipment and training. Since 2001, GRID Alternatives has been working to bring the power of solar electricity and energy efficiency to low-income homeowners, and to provide community members with training and hands-on experience with renewable energy technologies. We believe making energy choices that are good for the environment can go hand-in-hand with improving the lives of those living in low-income communities.

GRID Alternatives works collaboratively with communities and local organizations to identify specific needs and to develop renewable energy solutions that are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. Our vision of sustainable development centers on community involvement, and our focus and expertise lies in using renewable energy and energy efficiency to provide solutions to the challenges facing low-income individuals and families in the San Francisco Bay Area, Greater Los Angeles and beyond.

Dear Michelle

2008-08-03T00:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Michelle,

I am an Indian-American, raised in Mississippi, having gone to university in California, and now working in rural India the last few years.

My experiences in India implementing community-based projects in rural areas have been difficult. With all the environmental injustice so blatantly practiced, along with all the other chaotic things happening in the world, I have found myself having little hope for the world and its inhabitants.

However, during the last few weeks, I have been gaining high spirits thanks to Senator Obama's book, Audacity of Hope. Being in a remote area isolated from media and Internet, I had not been following the race. However, having come across the book, a few weeks ago, has had a profound effect on my outlook for the world.

Great inspiration comes from Senator Obama's approach to opposition. Senator Obama has an amazing ability to look beyond his own beliefs and listen to what others are saying, in the interests of serving the marginalized. He is not afraid to engage with full respect and integrity. He seems far from the typical politician.

I can only imagine what the race has been for you and your family. I hope that your family continues to face the campaign with great heart and the best of human qualities.

For me the race gives much needed hope and inspiration. I am feeling more and more that the next best thing to world peace would be President Obama. Of course, the Presidency also has limitations...

At the same time, I am feeling helpless not being to help his campaign from so far away. ...And also very disappointed that the McCain campaign is making the worst of American thought manifest in negative, ill-conceived ads.

I hope my generation takes advantage of the opportunity to transform the ugly course the world is taking. Even if there are Americans who do not have the courage to vote for transformation, I thank the Universe for giving us Barack Obama.

Blessings to you and your family.

Guess Who?

2008-07-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

What do you think of the following excerpt? Can you guess who?
___________________________________________________________________________________
There’s a FINAL dimension to U.S. foreign policy that must be discussed—the portion that has less to do with avoiding war than promoting peace. The year I was born President Kenney stated in his inaugural address: “To those peoples in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required—not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” Forty-five years later that mass misery still exists. If we are to fulfill Kennedy’s promise—and serve our long-term security interests—then we will have to go beyond a more prudent use of military force. We will have to align our policies to help reduce the sphere of insecurity, poverty, and violence around the world, and give more people a stake in the global order that has served us so well.”

Of course, there are those who would argue with my starting premise—that any global system built in America’s image can alleviate misery in poorer countries. For these critics, America’s notion of what the international system should be—free trade, open markets, the unfettered flow of information, the rule of law, democratic elections, and the like—is simply an expression of American imperialism, designed to exploit the cheap labor and natural resources of other countries and infect non-Western cultures with decadent beliefs. Rather than conform to America’s rules, the argument goes, other countries should resist America’s efforts to expand its hegemony; instead, they should follow their own path to development, taking their lead from left-leaning populists like Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, or turning to more traditional principles of social organization, like Islamic law.

I don’t dismiss these critics out of hand. America and its Western partners did design the current international system, after all; it is our way of doing things—our accounting standards, our language, our dollar, our copyright laws, our technology, and our popular culture—to which the world has had to adapt over the past fifty years. If overall the international system ahs produced great prosperity in the world’s developed countries, it has also left many people behind—a fact that Western policy makers have often ignored and occasionally made worse.

Ultimately, though, I believe critics are wrong to think that the world’s poor will benefit by rejecting the ideals of free markets and liberal democracy. When human rights activists from various countries come to by office and talk about being jailed or tortured for their beliefs, they are not acting as agents of American power. When my cousin in Kenya complains that it’s impossible to find work unless he’s paid a bribe to some official in the ruling party, he hasn’t been brainwashed by Western ideas. Who doubts that , if given the choice, most of the people in North Korea would prefer livening South Korea, or that many in Cuba wouldn’t mind giving Miami a try?

No person, in any culture, likes to be bullied. No person likes living in fear because his or her ideas are different. Nobody likes being poor or hungry, and nobody likes to live under an economic system in which the fruits of his or her labor go perpetually unrewarded. The system of free markets and liberal democracy that now characterizes most of the developed world may be flawed; it may all too often reflect the interests of the powerful over the powerless. But that system is constantly subject to change and improvement—and it is precisely in this openness to change that market-based liberal democracies offer people around the world their best chance at a better life.

Our challenge, then, is to make sure that U.S. policies move the international system in the direction of great equity, justice, and prosperity—that the rules we promote serve both our interests and the interests of a struggling world. In doing so, we might keep a few basic principles in mind. First, we should be skeptical of those who believe we can single-handedly liberate other people from tyranny. I agree with George W. Bush when in his second inaugural address he proclaimed a universal desire to be free. But there a few examples in history in which the freedom men and women crave is delivered through outside intervention. In almost every successful social movement of the last century, from Gandhi’s campaign against British rule to the Solidarity movement in Poland to the antiapartheid movement in South Africa, democracy was the result of a local awakening.

We can inspire and invite other people to assert their freedoms; we can use international forums and agreements to set standards for others to follow; we can provide funding to fledgling democracies to help institutionalize fair election systems, train independent journalists, and seed the habits of civic participation; we can speak out on behalf of local leaders whose rights are violated; and we can apply economic and diplomatic pressure to those who repeatedly violate the rights of their own people.

But when we seek to impose democracy with the barrel of a gun, funnel money to parties whose economic policies are deemed friendlier to Washington, or fall under the sway of exiles like Chalabi whose ambitions aren’t matched by any discernible local support, we aren’t just setting ourselves for failure. We are helping oppressive regimes paint democratic activists as tools of foreign powers and retarding the possibility that genuine, homegrown democracy will ever emerge.

Rural Youth

2008-07-15T06:59:00.000-07:00

With every field visit, I realize that the greatest opportunities for improving life in poor rural communities are in the hands and hearts of the rural youth. If the strengths of rural youth are tapped, harnessed, and enhanced, wonders in rural infrastructure, social tensions, and plain happiness can manifest into present and future generations. Here are some images and contemplations:

A young boy from Lineguda gets creative with left over house wiring materials.

Padme Dewa, from REDCO, teaching the Purna Guma youth how to install insulators.

This is Hira on the right looking at Padme Dewa's sketches. Hira has extraordinary strengths in making things happen, IF he really wants them to happen. He was the one that led the brick-making efforts, while everyone else (mostly the oldsters) wanted GV to buy from the outside. Thanks to Hira's leadership, Purna Guma's youth self-help group fund has gone up by Rs. 7000. GV bought the bricks for the powerhouse from the youth.

Here is Hira again, one of the 3 three that had been on the poles, installing cables on a day that turned out to pour.

Despite the rain, Hira and the others did not want to stop until the line was finished.

My last time in Purna Guma, a couple of days ago, has me in waves about Hira. The last time we visited was Padme Dewa's last day in the village for a while and Pobitro Dada's (the guy building the turbine assembly in town) first day. P. Dada has been wanting to go to PG for the longest time. He has become passionate about the project. Finally we took him. ....However, the visit was a bit sour. When we drove into PG that day, Hira and the rest had been installing more
poles.

The same day was the closing ceremony of the famous Rath Yatra festival. Someone joked that they had never attended but this year Gram Vikas would take us to Karlapat to attend the festival. Hira said we'll be ready. You take us. I took it as a joke. As we were leaving the village, I saw that Hira was waiting for us, all bathed and dressed to go to the festival. GV has a policy of not using its vehicles for anything other than work. I also did not want to start any prohibited habit...although I am guilty of taking women and children in our vehicle if they need to visit the hospital and if our vehicle is going to B.Patna regardless. In the case of taking village boys to attend the Karlapat Rath Yatra, Hira put me on the spot. He went to the point of saying, "If you don't take us, don't expect anymore work from us." While this was supposed to be a special visit for Padme Dewa and Pobitro Dada, Hira's ultimatum chased away the warm and fuzy feelings. In the end, I tried to explain that I did not have the authority to use the vehicle for pleasure and that our guests had not had lunch when it was already 4p. (Not having meals on time is a recipe for malaria.) We did not take them...and I left Hira quite disappointed. It is Hira's stuborness that I have admired in the project, as well as the element that put me on the spot. I want to approach it with love and openess. ...Unfortunately, I cannot return to Purna Guma for another few days....I am wondering whether I should go hang out with him first, feel out his mood and attitude about continuing with micro hydro. Or should i simply ignore the his disappointment. I feel that my taking villagers every now and then in the vehicle set the scene for the Hira incident. Likewise, my reaction to Hira's changed mood will set the scene for the next "situation".

Rashmi-- in the orange, Hira's friend, and a respected school teacher--has been the lead youth in helping to organize and mobilize the community to implement Purna Guma without GV staff. As I left the village last time, I mentioned the Hira incident. He said, "Don't worry so much."

Lessons Galore

2008-07-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

What great lessons I've learned in the past few weeks!

1. In India, never give a small order to a large company--it may not come thru.
4 months ago we ordered 2 motors for Purna Guma from Kirloskar, an extremely huge industry name. They could not deliver even though we had given an advance. It was a combination of low quality operations, communications, and maybe even not having the motor we needed. I couldn't clearly conclude. Thanks to a friend's reference, we were able to find another supplier.

2. In India, plan 5 times the ideal time required.
Having ordered the motors with a small-scale and referred supplier, they were shipped within 2 weeks of sending an advance payment. BUT thanks to the nation-wide truck strike, the motors were delayed for a week, sitting in the middle of rural Andra Pradesh. Finally, today I got word they have reached their destination. Of course, it will take another few days to get GV's act together in: deciding on the best vehicle to transport the motors (one that than can outsmart the state tax collectors), finding someone besides me to accompany the motors, and finding another vehicle to bring it 12hrs out to Kalahandi district. The logistics story never seems to end....

3. Avoid villagers that like to talk a lot and ride with you in vehicles.
I have been astonished at how some in the village work non-stop. They are usually the quiet and straight forward personalities, often the poorest. However, there are always the 1 or 2 that love giving themselves pats on the back, travelling with you to project some image to their counterparts, etc. Still, I am seeing everyone in the Purna Guma community transforming. Even those that talk more than work have enhanced their skills and understanding one another. The toughest social situations always turn out to be great opportunities.

4. Child labor, village accidents, and plug points.
The hardest lesson this week was realizing after it was too late that while us oldsters (about 15 of us over 15 years of age) sat around at the end of the work day, the only one of us working was Ramesh, seven years old. He kept going on with shoveling the chips for concreting. Until this awakening, I perceived child labor in the Purna Guma project to be voluntary. I finally realized that just because kids were having fun with the work did not mean they were volunteering their efforts. ...Actually, it could be either way. There are kids that skip school in order to see what's going on with the project and then there are others that come only after school. The non-tribal community members blamed the tribal (who are the poorest) families for sending their kids to contribute labor. Labor contribution, as well as a monetary contribution to the corpus micro hydro fund, allows a family in Purna Guma to benefit from the micro hydro project.

I asked why they would send their kids instead of coming themselves. The answer was simple: the adults were busy with fieldwork. Fieldwork allows them to feed their kids. However, the non-tribals hire the tribals to do their fieldwork. Yet, they said, "The tribals are only good for drinking." At this point, I understood that child labor in this project was intertwined with caste culture. ...But I still couldn't sit around with my malaria and let Ramesh do the work, while the rest of watched. Yet, I did not want to impose my values on the community. I have learned in previous projects that it is no good to preach without action. ...Still, I couldn't hold my words. They came out, "Isn't Ramesh your son too?" "How can we let such young kids do the work of adults, as we sit and watch?" Several nods came...and along with a sense of regret.

A few minutes later walking back to the jeep, I stopped by the first house, a tribal house. Went in to say hi and found out that the lady of the house had been in a brutal accident. In Kalahandi, like many rural parts of India, villagers give their labor to generate income. The laborers are often transported in open trucks and tractors. This lady had fallen out of a tractor, broken her shoulder and bruised her skull. A woman that was healthy and perfect the last time I saw her, now was half bald with a deep cut on her head, along with a drooping shoulder. Just then our all-star Jaysingh Babu (non-tribal) walks up to the house to check in on her. He has been the light of the project, always positive and supportive no matter who is working with him. He said no one wanted to touch the lady when the accident happened. "There was blood everywhere. She is tribal. But she is still of our sister. We took her to the hospital. It's a miracle that she is living now. We are lucky." The reason she was sending her young kid to work was because her older son was too busy taking care of her health.

Plug points. Everyone in Purna Guma wants plug points, in addition to lights. However, to limit the number of plugpoints and to fairly charge for the extra consumption of electricity, the plug point requires a one-time Rs. 500 fee, in addtion to the Rs. 1000 contribution to the corpus fund and double tariff. Yogesh, the young and nimble all-star worker from the Lineguda hamlet mistakenly got a plug point wired at his house...of course he likes it and of course no one will be rude and take it away from him now that it is installed. ....Yogesh' youngest kid, 6 months old, has a blown up belly. His mom says, "He has had constant diarrea for several months." I ask Yogesh when he would take him to the doctor in Bhanvanipatna. He says when he has money. ....Earlier, Jaysingh had explained that he spent Rs. 500 on his son's broken arm bills. .....I guess it's getting to me that GV wants to charge extra for plugpoints when we have such a huge project budget and we've been good about streamlining the design and minimizing the expense. Of course, nothing should be given for free...but why are we creating the burden of luxury?

Sorry for the incoherency. Will try again on this topic and others with a clearer mind.

Purna Guma's New Look

2008-07-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

See the poles for the transmission line?

Dedicated community!

Environmental Injustice in the Name of Energy Security

2008-07-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

The Burmese government is building a gas pipeline from Burma, thru Bangladesh, to India. Does anyone know of websites that have current information on this project?

Here is an outdated link with pertinent background:
http://www.earthrights.org/burmareports/another_yadana_the_shwe_natural_gas_pipeline_project_burma-bangladesh-india.html

The larger picture:
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main39.asp?filename=Ws070608Generals.asp

Art of Life

2008-05-03T00:27:00.000-07:00

"One can live in a number of ways, and no one can be a judge of how life is to be lived. But there are times when we may find that life itself has become an art; the entire process of living is transformed from something mechanical and separate to ourselves to something which is deeply personal and conducted with the finesse of an artist. Our attitude which may have been complacent at one time, may at another become ever-changing and persevering, similar to the persistence of the painter stroke until he arrives at the perfection that he seeks. Along the way, much happens & much is learnt. In the end we have the masterpiece of the realization. "

"In the Art of Life, we will introduce such instances where a perception, an attitude, an insight, an experience, can bring out some beautiful aspects of human nature. Each tale may not be true in the strictest sense of the word or that which is apparent to the eye and understood by the mind, but underneath the surface, in subtle terms it explores and expresses itself, and lets out the fragrance of its inner truth for all to take in."

-Anonymous

http://nextfuture.sriaurobindosociety.org.in/may08/nf_home.htm

Facilitating Locals to Develop Micro Hydro

2008-05-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

One key aspect of the Purna Guma micro hydro is the creation of local developers. There are two main lessons that has led Gram Vikas to facilitating the creation of local micro hydro developers:

1. The previous projects were done using developers from Delhi and Bangalore. Once the developers receive their payments, they do not stick around, especially in malaria infested Kalahandi, Orissa. They are always willing to have assistance by phone/email...but in the end it is really discouraging for villagers to keep trying to troubleshoot when they haven't been given any training. For instance, we've had to fix the Karlapat gate valve on our own multiple times since its commissioning 1.5 yrs ago. A few months ago the shaft of one of the turbines had sheared, with no clear explanation. It took 2 months to repair. Such events affect the people's faith in the technology.

2. In the past GV micro hydro staff have been part of a special project syndrome. Since the micro hydro projects are pilot projects, they are seen as very special. Indeed 24hrs of clean electricity is special, but in the case of our staff, he feels he has to prove what he knows. In reacting to their insecurities, GV micro hydro staff failed to facilitate villagers to hold their own meetings, to do simple trouble shooting, and simply to emotionally own the system. In the end the staff leaves because he has come down with malaria too many times, and villagers have no choice but to take on the staff's technical and social duties. The villagers that have taken on the responsibilty of keeping the system alive are a handful of individuals which were voted to be the micro hydro committee. In the end, when the entire village hasn't gone thru the process of taking managment and technical responsibilities gradually, they end up chastising the committee and viewing Gram Vikas as an electric company that maintains the micro hydro. We have worked hard in the previous project to break this cycle of shunning responsibility...still, often the old mindset creeps in.

Having learned from the above two lessons, Gram Vikas is taking on a new approach to community-based micro hydro in the case of the Purna Guma project:

1. Design and manufacture the turbine and controller locally

With the help of Practical Action, we are transferring the know-how of building micro hydro turbine and controller to Bhavanipatna, a town 1hr away from the micro hydro villages. No more need to eternally wait for Bangalore/Delhi based developers for repair work. The villagers can take a bus to Bhavanipatna and meet the manufacturer in person. We've come across a very sincere and excited machine shop owner in Bhavanipatna, Pobitro Dada, who I am already seeing blossom into a local turbine developer.

He has an electrical engineer friend who we are hoping will learn how to build controllers. The only remaining task to localize is the civil works. Vaishnav Singh from the Karlapat system can transform into a civil works expert, already being involved with Purna Guma construction and local government buildings.

2. Faciliate mentoring between experienced villages and new villages

Vaishnav Singh and Anand Singh from the Karlapat system have been mentoring Purna Guma from the early stages. Essentially the social mobilizing that was done by GV staff is now being done by local leaders. It has worked wonderfully, especially since Vaishnav and Anand have gone thru difficult times and know in hindsight how certain processes, e.g. group meetings, corpus collection, recording trouble shooting in log books, etc. can chance the course of a micro hydro project.

The vision is to have the social and technical leaders of each micro hydro project form a cooperative. This would allow locals, who have no choice but to live in these remote areas, to drive the development process and also can make an income by implementing micro hydro for their region's villages. There is a new site in sight--Pui Guda. Beautiful dark rock and falling water. I am hoping Vaishnav Babu will form a team and will implement the project on his own.

3. Faciliate the community to manage and drive the construction process

Despite Vaishnav Babu serving as the consultant of the civil works at Purna Guma, the community is blessed with 3 hamlets that each have very pro-active leaders who always thinks 2 steps ahead. There have been so many pleasing instances in the last 2 months (the construction period) where Purna Guma has shown that they will lead their own construction. While I continue to try and convince Karlapat to bury it's penstock (it's been 2 years!), Purna Guma leaders were lecturing to us about making the sure pipe is buried to prevent damage from UV rays and falling rock. In addition to Purna Guma having innate qualities of leading the project, not having any GV engineer on-site has made a huge difference. Although I have an engineering degree, Purna Guma is the first time I've managed any hands-on construction. The villagers see how little I know...and they know there is no one else. So they pester Vaishnav Babu and the masons for answers. They also learn from their own experience. The best part has been to watch them thru their mistakes. They never get discouraged; they simply try again and again until they get it right. For instance, we were measuring and cutting rods for the channel. They knew how long the rods needed to be, but they kept mis-reading the measuring tape which did not consecutively mark inches (e.g. the 13th inch was labled as 1", since the foot was already noted). Jay Singh Babu, the best of the leaders, kept making the same mistake...but not once did he get upset or give up. ...I guess surviving in the forest gives such people great energy to be persistent.

Penstock woes...or opportunities?

2008-04-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

Based on my experience with Gram Vikas' micro hydro, I would say that the penstock laying of a micro hydro system is the most challenging task of implementing a micro hydro system. Severe leaks in the Karlapat system delayed the commissioning by nearly a year! The second system also has leaks. Yesterday, we started the laying of the penstock of the 3rd system, Purna Guma. Bad planning on my part. I was hoping that the remaining tasks--turbine, transmission, etc.--could be done in parallel in the next week...but there are delays in getting the engineers at the site. And due to communication issues, I did not know of the delays until after the penstock supplier reached Kalahandi. ...Therefore, we have a half-done penstock that will cook in the sun until the rest of the tasks can be finished. ...The woes of working with multiple organizations and suppliers...not to mention my reactive emotions....are making my life far from boring.

Un finished installation of gate valve...

The supplier we are using did wonders in fixing the Karlapat leaks, and therefore we chose to use him for Purna Guma. He had come a week earlier to finalize Purna Guma plans with the Practical Action engineer. Plans were finalized but as he started the work, it was not according to plan. We had marked a penstock pathway with the engineer and the villagers. Some goat went away with the string marking, so the villagers guessed and made the 3'x1' path required by the supplier. Luckily their guess was correct, but the supplier wanted to add additional bends when they were not required, simply so that he could finish faster. Also, the villagers worked very hard to make the path, but in hindsight, I don't think the path was needed! As you can see in the photos, it would have helped to have 1' of land to lay the penstock on...

I am bit concerned about the gradual bends...I guess PVC allows this. We'll see when we test for leakage. The earlier marked path by the Practical Action engineer had no bends...

Since I'm complaining, I might as well explain how the supplier keeps going back and forth on whether we should put anchor blocks now or later. Since I questioned his decisions, he decided most of the remaining work on the line should not be finished until the Practical Action engineer arrives.

This supplier is really trustful...but the way he managed the villagers on this project was disappointing. He expected villagers to be out at 5am, as Jaysingh Babu is in this photo, but he himself wanted to leave the site early when villagers were still ready to work. (Every outsider who visits ends up wanting to leave as soon as they come...Maybe it's the remoteness; usually it is that they are a little sick and develop some phobia to stay. I need to find a solution for future visitors.) Villagers have their regular routines so that they can fit into the day all the various tasks they need to do just to survive. They have to take their animals out, do seasonal house repairs, prepare the fields, go to town, maintain their tools. Although these tasks sound simple, they all consume great time. When you require a village to break that routine, it's awful. Usually they end up over working their bodies. Low immune systems in malaria infested Kalahandi is bad news. ...And of course the supplier will be long gone when the villager has to deal with the dilemma of spending the money to visit a doctor 2 hrs away...or just let the malaria take care of itself...Lame. ...I have yet to meet any supplier in India that doesn't make my temperature go up. ....yes, I am breathing and calm...now :)

Because the supplier couldn't get the rated pipes we wanted (10kg) in time (although now we have an extra month thanks to the Practical Action engineers not being able to come and my needing to be in the US for a few weeks), we were forced to get more expensive pipes (12-14kg).

The rising Sun makes all woes disappear...

The guy with the head gear is one of the best mobilizers in the community. He's loud and happy :). I have much to learn from him.

...Not sure why we have to use fiberglass coating for the pipes....If these systems are meant to help the climate change struggle, we need to be examining what parts of the system also contribute to environmental woes, e.g. fiberglass coating, cutting trees for pipe supports, etc.

Fiberglass roll...This saved us in the last project where there were severe leaks due to the penstock being out of spec. ..but I wasn't expecting this to be used in the project. ...It's hard to change the dynamics once work starts...unless I really get my temper out in the open.

For now, I can only take these lessons as opportunities to do better in the next project. ...I shouldn't be so hard on the supplier. He's has been passionate about helping us with the previous leaks (now another older project has leaks), but it is difficult to work with his logic.

I am finding myself in extreme emotions these days. I can't seem to deal with lack of perfection in others...even though I completely lack perfection! I can't deal with the communication gaps, e.g. when people say one thing and do another. I let the negative emotions get the best of me. It is only when a villager at the site sees me that I change a little. ...Usually the older ones know when I am down. I become their daughter for a few moments....tremendous Love is transferred in those few seconds and I feel rejuvenated. Thank you, Universe. I am grateful.

Finishing of Forebay tank

2008-04-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

...All site efforts organized by the village construction team...no Gram Vikas field engineer require :)

Silting wall

Plastered and pretty!

Purna Guma micro hydro construction

2008-04-25T08:16:00.001-07:00

Lots of work has happened at the site during the last 2 weeks. The finishing of the civil works is not great; we should have had better concreting supports. We will do better on the powerhouse.

Weir

Channel from weir to forebay tank (thru a very cool cave)

Forebay tank

Channel to forebay tank

Powerhouse progress (plinth level)

Living Dream

2008-04-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

Community driven micro hydro construction in Purna Guma village, Kalahandi, Orissa.

Within the Karlapat Sanctuary, Gram Vikas is starting its 3rd micro hydro project. Many valuable lessons were learned from its first 2 projects, in Amthagouda and Karlapat villages. Solutions to previous issues are being implemented in the 3rd project, in the village of Purna Guma.

I have spent most of my time at Gram Vikas (the last 2.5 years) trouble shooting existing projects. Therefore, a new project on a blank canvas is no doubt refreshing for me. But here's what makes Purna Guma unique:

1. Purna Guma is being implemented by the community alone with help from the villagers of the previous micro hydro system (7km away). Gram Vikas has learned that in the previous projects there was too much handholding, which now makes community driven management of system very difficult to facilitate. Letting the community drive the project is creating such an amazing dynamic. ...It's wonderful to see them think thru the various issues...without our help! Infact, they keep me on my toes.

2. Purna Guma is being support by several funding agencies, one of which is a student group at Columbia Unversity, Engineers Without Borders. The group gives me priceless energy to keep dealing with the field circumstances.

3. Despite the several castes in Purna Guma's 3 hamlets, the community has really come together for this project. Of course I know that their drive is simply the electricity (mainly lights); however thanks to Gram Vikas' mandate of 100% inclusion in every project, the circumstances don't give the community any other choice. ...Though I continue to sense that PG is more cohesive community than of the previous micro hydro projects.

4. There many other aspects...that i'll ramble off and on :).

Here are some photos...

Once PG decides to do a task, they really do it. Always, over 30 people show up or none at all. This is why the bulk of the civil structure were completed in the first 4 days!!

Leaders from Karlapat led the meeting the night before the construction started.

]
Much earthwork was required to get the site ready.

I was worried that we would not have masons...one of the many examples of my worries being pointless. The community had arranged 2 masons without my knowing.

Vaishnav Babu from Karlapat is our man. I am hoping he can lead future ydro implementation in Kalahandi without the field help of Gram Vikas.

After the earthworks, rods, cement, chips, and sand had to be head loaded up the 200m slope...NO JOKE.

But at every opportunity, the guys never fail to produce a laugh.

One second day we started the rod binding of the channel.

Purna Guma is blessed with a cool cave, making it easy to route the channel to the forebay tank location.

....having the time of my life :-)

Start of forebay tank drama....the concreting was difficult without proper supports.

Myles Horton

2008-03-28T04:04:00.000-07:00

Although I've spent most of my life in Mississippi, I never knew of Myles Horton and his role in the Labor and Civil Rights movements. Only now, while living in Orissa, did a new friend introduce me to Horton and the Highlander Institute. With the community-based micro hydro work that is consuming me now, Horton couldn't have come at a better time. The Universe is always right on time :-).

....The more I read about and by Horton, I am in awe. Check him out:

http://www.highlandercenter.org/a-timeline.asp

What do you think?

2008-03-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

My grandma left her body a few days ago, on March 22. We think she was over 105 years old.

Since my first long visit to India in 2003, I have been drawn to documenting my paternal grandparents journey, focusing on the seeds they've planted. I think it is only due to their karmic deeds that our family came out poverty within 1 generation. My motivation to work with rural communities was triggered by understanding the situations my grandparents experienced in moving from a village to Ahmedabad and building enough capacity for the family to later migrate to the US. The next generation, their 6 children, are just as inspiring. (The youngest is my dad.)

My grandma's recent death re-triggers my urge to document a part of our family's journey...however I contemplate the purpose and medium for such a documentation. The main purpose would be to capture the journey in order for future generations of our family to know their roots. ...but then I think I cannot force anything down the minds of the future generations? Another purpose to document would be to exemplify many other families who had similar journeies after India's independence. ...but are there already such memoirs?

...When i look closer, the main motivation to document is actually only about me. I feel blessed to be born in this family...somehow i want capture the essence of it forever. ...the reason to do that is because at times i do not live up to that essence...and i guess highlighting it helps engrain it in my being. At times i question whether i put too much or not enough importance my family identity.

How have you dealt with your roots?

Like Father, Like Son

2008-01-15T20:29:00.000-08:00

Chores are more than chores in these communities. They are part of a process of children coming to age, acknowledging nature, and mere survival.

Karlapat Alternator Woes

2008-01-05T04:09:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago the Karlapat system generator stopped producing voltage. I was hoping to resolve the issue at the village, not needing to transport the alternator to town.

We did various trouble shooting at the powerhouse, confirming the coils and AVR are OK. However, we couldn't open the compartment where the diode assembly sits.

We had to bring it Berhampur 300km away. Sure enough a part of the diode bridge had been burned.

Silly folks in Berhampur are not motivated to find the root cause, even the village technicians have come up with ideas. If you have ideas, i'd love to hear them.

fyi--the voltage has never gone beyond 420 volts and the max load has been 7 kW. The alternator has been running for 1 year, even though it was purchased 2 years ago. We've had to replace the AVR once since only 350 volts were being produced.

A new diode bridge is around Rs. 6000, just as a new AVR. ...System has not been running for 2weeks :-(

Burned lead.

See the 7pm location of the burned diode?

Surja Mukhi

2007-12-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

They never face the I direction I want.

Yet, they are boldly beautiful...

...And useful! Surja Mukhi (sun flower) oil and the shells of the sunflower seeds are high in demand.

The shells of the seeds are so valuable that the local vendors send their own truck from town to the village to collect the seeds and return the oil to the village, all free of cost!

The challenge is how to compete with such vendors. Now that the village is electrified, how can the community re-pay a loan on an oil extracter if they don't charge the villagers for extracting? If they do charge, they can't compete with the vendors in town!

One way is to directly sell the shells of the seeds to the wholesale buyer and not charge for the extracting, just as the local vendor does. ...Though that buyers is several hours away and he only buys high quantities. Open to your ideas!

Update from Inside

2007-09-16T04:29:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for not utilizing this blog to its full potential. There just doesn't seem to be enough time or energy to reflect. Yes, just another lame excuse. (I haven't forgotten about the Melghat Mitra update--it will come soon.)

Despite being a bit confused by what I'm seeing here, I've acquired a few key lessons:
a. Intentions don't always count.
b. "Development" is a business if you let it take form.
c. The trick is to be formless...it's a really hard trick!

I'm learning the hard way to let go and observe...without intentions.

The Gram Vikas Campus

2007-06-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

...speaks for itself.

The secret is simplicity.

Domi

2007-06-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

This week I returned from a second insightful visit to a Domi village in Melghat, Maharastra.

The project involved implementing LED lights. Here is link to some photos from the installation. Next time, I'll post more info on what happened during the installation and the 6 month update.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Karan.ldce/Domi

Amazing Nature

2007-05-30T04:57:00.000-07:00

Do you know...

...where a cashew comes from??!?

Typical site visit

2007-04-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

I am learning more and more that my I-deals cannot fit this world. I have to let go and let Life take her course. Once I do let go, things become amazingly fun!

For instance, take a recent typical site visit. We had to re-install a solar water pumping system (1200w solar array, surface pump), simply because the initial installation was done over night due to donor deadlines. The village needs the system only 6 months of the year. Since it didn't want to guard the panel during the agriculture season, they took the system apart until the dry weather returned. Hence, the "re-installation".

Of course, since I wasn't around for the first installation, my ideals got an ego boost and started questioning: Why did we do it wrong the first time? Why weren't the people trained enough to do it themselves?

Fortunately, I didn't voice my thoughts in frustration this time. I held my curiousity to observe. I saw that is was not too late for the people to learn. Take Nilambar and the village leader in this photo--completing absorbing the procedure...even though we were still not teaching with the goal for them to sustain.

...And finally our staff did see the need to let the villagers do it themselves.

No matter how many villages I see, I am always in awe of the specific style of work that different communities use. This one was especially appealing because they were so silent, always communicating with gestures and still being efficient.

In silence, a fence was built around the array...yes, we will have to watch out for shade during certain seasons. Still, the fence was built without us telling them to build--yep, that's what my I-deal terms as 'community ownership'.

Things didn't take too long on the second day. We were able to hang out a bit and see what was going on. Behind me, some folks were drying salt that they had traded in for juhar, their local crop.

As we were about to leave, we were pleasantly surprised with fresh coconut.

Philip and Jessica, engineering student volunteers from France, tagged along. ...I think their presence surely helped to keep frustration levels low.

...It is in the youth that the purpose of the work, the bigger picture, comes out. The community now has running water again. No more young girls (some as young as 2 yrs old) and women carrying water by the head to their homes, often contaminated water causing severe disease. Now a water and sanitation system (with household toilets) that can match what's available in the developed world.

On the walk back down the hill, students returning home from school which is 2 km away!!

May Peace prevail...within and without.

2006-12-07T06:18:00.000-08:00

Movement galore,
Emotions flow,
i feel my core.
All else ceases,
Only the inevitable remain.
i am indebted to Her,
She gives, gives, gives.
How can i return to Her?
Be still. Be Love. Be Her.

Karlapat Micro Hydro

2006-08-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

Latest on the Gram Vikas micro hydro system being built in Karlapat village, Kalahandi district, Orissa:

Working is progressing slowly due to rains. Not much remains to be complested: the main cable and the penstock.

Karlapat has an amazing banyan tree near the micro hydro site.

The 110-or-so home village also has amazingly sweet kids...non-stop gigglers.

Rains have washed out the road in front of the power house.

The system has 2 pumps as turbines designed for an output of 10-25 kW.

Laying the penstock should have been one of the first steps in implementation, but we could not manage the schedule...

Rice Green

2006-08-23T03:40:00.000-07:00

Everywhere,
Fully alive,
Transplanted one by one,
The colors of the fields
Make me soar.

You probably know more about the process. From what I've seen during trips to the villages, the rice seeds are planted in fields allocated for seedlings. Once there are seedlings, they are individually transplanted to larger fields.

I have been told most of the rice fields we see here in Orissa are owned by the villagers. About 15% are owned by larger estates. The villagers take turns to work each other's field.

Micro Solar

2006-07-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

"Tirigochha’s installation was in total flow. From a perfect weather day to luck on crossing 7 streams and 4 rocky slopes…and returning without weather and road complications, to the beautiful village spirit, with the women blossoming from buds of curiosity to full grown hands-on interest and confidence, supported by their male counter parts and children; to the village taking the systems in as their own, coming up with new ideas to make them work better; to not just having individual interest but helping each other. Not sure whether it’s the size and/or heart of the nearly perfect 10-home village."

--Journal entry, June 9, 2006.

Coined by Jos, micro solar refers to a solar home ligting system that has WLED (white light emitting diode) lamps instead of CFL lamps. Because LEDs consume little power (1-3 watts giving enough lumens to read), the panel and battery size become small, along with the cost! Micro solar systems cost Rs. 2500 - Rs. 4000, while full fledged solar home lighting system (power 2 11-17 watt CFL lights) cost around Rs. 15,000, simply because of the larger panel and battery.

The units we are using are supplied by a non-profit organization called Grameen Surya Bijlee. The founder of the company, a compassionate industrialist in Mumbai, has long been facilitating eye operations for rural communities with some friends. During the visits to the village homes, he realized one reason they the villagers have eye problems is the lack of light and the effects of using kerosene. Hence, he founded the Grameen Surya Bijlee Foundation (GSB). He has been excellent in taking our input to improve their systems. GSB is selling the lights only to non-profit groups working in rural/remote areas. For the urban market, GSB has come up with AC LED lights. Of course the debate is whether the LED light is enough. More info at: http://www.suryabijlee.com/

Thanks to Jos' push on giving the systems a try for the cost and portability benefits, I had enough confidence to recommend Gram Vikas to do a pilot project. Below are photos and the steps of the project...not completely flawless but definitely a smooth and positive experience. Two pilot projects with a total of 25 units were installed. Yes, a small project, but with your ideas maybe it can affect others in even better ways. Looking forward to your thoughts!

First we visited the village with demo units and questions on whether they really needed and wanted the micro solar systems. We made sure men and women from rich and poor families were given the space to express their thoughts...still one wonders whether there are some that do not express.

Everyone was wowed by the demonstration and all agreed to committ to the Gram Vikas agreement. Even though the villagers are wowed by the units, it is up to us to help make aware to them that the lights should be useful to them. If they have other priorities for their funds, e.g. medicine, food, then the NGO should help create a community fund from the village contribution for the systems that would address urgent and unplanned needs for money.

During this initial visit, we went to each home to see what they currently used for light. New discovery: charging alkaline batteries using cow dung!

In every region it is always interesting to discover the local livelihoods...like this artisan who's been weaving Sambhalpuri saris for 30 years. ...Wonder who made the machine!

Once a verbal agreement was reached during the initial visit, we set out with the equipment, hoping that it, especially the panels, arrive in one piece. There are various road obstacles—local traffic...

...crossing muddy waters,

...and preventing flat tires.

Upon reaching ther village, a formal agreement was signed. Yes, all the men and women of this village could write their names; and they trusted our reading of the agreement to them. Gram Vikas is experimenting on various financing models by giving a subsidy of Rs. 1600 to each household.
The community agreed to pay Rs. 1000 for the system and Rs. 20/month towards a maintenance fund. The fund would become a service fee for 2-3 community members who are more thoroughly trained to maintain the system, e.g. replace batteries after 3 yrs.

The installation and the training started with having a head to heart session with women from each household. Since they are home more often than their husbands, the women need to know how the systems work, are installed, and how to trouble shoot. The training starts with simple vocabulary and pronunciation: “battery, controller, control box, solar panel, and light”.

Next, we go into basics of each component, especially why the charge controller needs to be the boss and how the sun affects charging.

Yes, I've finally learned that women's issues and involement cannot be improved unless there is equivalent involvement of the men!

Though I have to say that once taught, women are far more diligent in completing the task. I thought these ladies would a an hour at least to connect a few systems for practice....

....They were done in 15 minutes and chilling out afterwards!

The installation must actively involve the community. If at all possible, the community should do the actual installation so that they learn how to handle the system.

However, even before the installation, design work should also take in community input. Each household (leading man and woman of each family), after being taught how the sun and wire lengths affects charging, decided the panel, lights, and control box locations, based on their home's layout and their specific need for light. Some families placed lights outside for the porch, some in the kitchen, and some in storage areas. Letting each family decide these locations, taking into account technology design constraints (point the panel south) increase the sense of ownership of the systems. There prevents villagers from taking a passive attitude or selling components should the unit malfunction.

For the mounting of panels, the community had been worried about theft. Hence, we designed the mount such that it can be brought out in the morningand take back into the home in the evening.

We pre-designed, and pre-fabed the rack that holds the panel (it's made from a material called plyboo made from bamboo). Ideally, it would have been nice to have the villagers design it from scratch, but I had to somehow convey that some type of rack to handle the panel was needed since it would be moved twice a day to prevent theft.

However, the design of actual pole and part of the mount that stays outside was left to each household. This helped to make the installation their own effort and own accomplishment, giving more chances of them taking care of the installation. It also helped to address that not every family has the same natural resources to build an identical mount

Thanks to Green Empowerment volunteer Drew and my friend mark...AND the Gram Vikas art section, we were able to make a pictorial training tool that is left with the villagers as reminder on how to install and train.

...In the US, Kinko's rocks...here, this poster took unbelievable effort to produce with just manual printing methods.

After the installation and maintenance discussion with each household, each family completed their own installation. The woman of household connects one light...having participated in the women's group training, by this time the ladies had full confidence in installing in front of their presuming husbands.

...All smiles upon hitting the switch and seeing the light turn on.

The man of household connects the second light. (Yes, we were not using a safe screw driver...long story on why no other choice that day.)

Each family took it upon themselves to keep the installation neatly maintained. Each one had their own way of keeping the box away from falling items and heat in their small homes.

The next morning, when a couple of batteries were not charging, with a little encouragement the ladies did the troubleshooting themselves and solved the problem!!! ...I couldn't have had a better birthday present.

(That's Yaniis, an all-star volunteer from Canada, in the middle...not an abnormally tall and fair tribal!)

With simple steps in involving the community, the lights simply become an excuse to bring dignity to marginalized communities.

-----------------------------------------------

In the horizon is nearly a flawless project: Colorado College sponsoring micro solar units to a 70 home village which after 8 years has been transformed from a village that had deaths from malnutrition to a village that has a healthy community grain bank and community fund. The villagers have agreed to pay full cost for the systems, and for those who cannot pay full cost the community fund will give a loan so they have more time to gain ownership of the system. The pluses of this scenario:

-Colorado College will sponsor the units, so the villagers money can go to the community fund

- It's always an internal debate on whether we are taking away something by giving them lights and having them contribute something towards them; but in this case, the community fund can address maintenance, medicinal, or other needs for money.

-Students from Colorado College will train each family to install and maintain their own units, allowing an exchange of perspectives and cultures. The students will live with the villagers.

In Awe: Conclusion

2006-06-05T04:31:00.000-07:00

Things have really turned around for Rahul and the old man he has been in care for. Down the street from Jayeshbhai's house in Ahmedbad is a hospital called Mother Teresa. It has about 40 patients being watched after one phenominal nun called Sister Tessa. Rahul says she does hard core service, such as cleaning colon cancer wounds.

Under the Mother Teresa Hospital's care, the old man has drastically improved. He smiles and has started eating better. He doesn't have TB and will soon go to his village once he gains enough energy. Rahul's has a friend going to the old man's village in Rajasthan to find out the story on why he was abandoned.

...Thanks for all the comments and staying to tuned to Rahul's remarkable efforts. I am sure your wishes helped the situation.

Pakistan: Islamabad, FATA

2006-06-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

The purpose in going to Pakistan was to meet my amazing friend and guru Walt (more on Walt Dada later) and to assist in a solar PV training for an upcoming solar water pumping project for the FATA portion of the Northwest Province and the Balochistan areas of Pakistan. (I thought the villages would be in the quake affected areas, but it turns out that the water in the quake areas is too contaminated to use.) The training was held in Islamabad at the National Univer. for Science and Technology. Hence, after the first night in Lahore, I took a bus to Islambad. The students were engineers and barefoot engineers from some remarkable non-profit groups working with remote communities in Pakistan, such as Islamic Relief, Community Mobilization and Development Organization, and Kurram Rural Support Organzation. ...I was so excited to meet the only woman engineer (from Islamic Relief) to attend the class.

The genuine respect I received during the visit...from EVERYONE I met was unmatched from any other place...I miss that special flow that Pakistan nurtures. Here are some photos of the field visits.

Village girls taking a break from carrying water up to their homes.

Elders looking over our shoulders as we inspected the well that needed the solar pump.

Pakistan: Lahore

2006-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Two loudly sirening police vehicles in the front, two in the rear, and two policemen inside the bus...we watched a Hindi film during the ride, but it felt like I was in a Hindi film. This is the "peace bus" I took from the Ambedekar bus station near Old Delhi to Lahore. The ride was about 8 hours, plus 4 hrs for breaks and border paperwork.

Once I reached Lahore, I realized there really was no need for such security. I call Roop, a friend's friend and a phenominal volunteer for Friends Without Borders (www.friendswithoutborder.org) , from the Lahore-Dehli bustop for directions. Never having met, she openly welcomes me into her home...and into a dream. I was expecting to find a city much like any city in India dealing with over population and lack of the Western world's definition of infrastructure. I found the complete opposite.

Lahore has a center which has its fair share of slums. I didn't get a chance to see this part of the city in my 24hrs there. Roop's mom is head of the Microbiology Dept. at the University of the Punjab, the largest university in Asia...as I was told. The campus could have been Stanford...and Roop's family could have easily been a Bay area family.

Her mom is extremely outgoing. Her Nanima is extremely open. Her Aunt is professor of Environmental Studies. I was showered with so much love. Nanima non-stop told me of her Indian friends and memories she treasures of them. ...She treated me as if I transpired the priceless for her...again great showers of Love...in her thick Punjabji...me replying in my wanna-be Hindi.

...Roop and I tried our best to explain Friends Without Borders to Nanima....little did she know that she embraces the India-Pakistan context that Friends Without Borders wants to resurrect.

Deathless Rose

2006-05-29T03:33:00.000-07:00

"In my heart where blooms the Deathless Rose"

Rose symbolizes love.

There is a love that is human and there is a love that is divine. Human love depends upon human factors and is mixed with human motives. This love imposes a claim on the loved one. It demands recognition, it insists on a response. If that is not forthcoming, there is disappointment, resentment, anger. It is a conditional transaction. It is transient.

But divine love is unconditional. It exists for its own sake, it flows because it is its nature to do so. It does not seek a return. One loves because one cannot help loving. It is endless, boundless, deathless.

And the source of this immortal love is your psychic which is itself an immortal spark of God. This spark is there deep in the core of our being, in the inmost heart-cave, as a perennial spring of sweetness and love. As you feed it with thoughts turned towards the light, emotions that are more and more purified, energies that consecrated and physical movements oriented towards the Indweller, the spark grows into a flame. The rose blossoms. There is a continuous outflow of love and sweet rapture.

Attend and become aware of this sanctum in the earth where the bud of love waits to blossom into a full-petalled rose at the feet of Godess.

--M.P. Pandit on Light by Sri Aurobindo

In Awe

2006-05-17T05:16:00.000-07:00

I have returned to Orissa. Photos and news on Pakistan next time. For now, a breaking and amazing story of true Love.

Rahul Brown (rahulbrown.livejournal.com) is a fellow "ABCD" (American born compassionate Desi) committed to various acts/projects of service and writing a book in India. Last week Rahul discovered a 70-yr old, hungry and wet man in one of Ahmedabad's gutters. He took it upon himself to stop all activity in his life to serve this old man as his own.

Rahul admitted the old man into Civil Hospital...which has turned out to be quite uncivil in repeated situations. The hospital is completely neglecting the old man, as well as other patients. Rahul is waiting to get TB test results before demitting the old from the hospital. Due to hospital slacking on getting the test done, Rahul thought he could speed up the process by pushing at every stage. ...At one point, he was asked to transport an open vial of blood from one hosptial wing to the other!

Daily, Rahul feeds and cleans the old man. Yesterday, he had two helpers from Manav Sadhna--one helped cleaned the old man's self-soild pants and the other watched Rahul's bag.

The old man is hard of hearing and doesn't understand Gujarati or English. He is from Rajasthan....Rahul is determined to get this old man well enough to return him to his village in Rajasthan.

...When I told Rahul how much in awe I am of his act to stop everything else and focus on this old man, he simply replied in his calm and deep tone, "I am getting more than I am giving."

...I've been trying to find ways to help the situation. Rahul says money will help little, since taking the old man out of the hospital is a no-go until he gains his strength. If you have family in Abad that could help in taking shift to watch after the old man this week, write me.

...Lastly, I share this story with you to ask you to notice the next you're wanted and received in a situation of need, out of the blue.

2006-04-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

“The heart of a world in which all hearts are one.”

–The Universal Incarnation, Sri Aurobindo.

I waited to see where the 5-person packed auto rikshaw was going and whether I could be the 6^th. Bargaining rikshaw prices in Delhi is next to impossible for me, but I knew with 6 of us it would be much less than my own rik.

As I got on, I was still in search of how I’d cross the border by road. For the last few days people kept talking of a bus and a train from Delhi, but I hadn’t been able to find out where to catch either. I recognized one of the passengers with the driver in the front as a fellow visa applicant. I called him Uncle (as I do to anyone my Dad’s age) and asked about the bus and the train. Soon enough we were on our way to the Delhi-Lahore bus bus stand at the Dr. Ambedekar Station in Old Delhi to buy tickets.

‘Uncle’ is a Muslim from Calcutta; he’ll be crossing the border to visit much of his family which is in Karachi. Thinking about how far Calcutta is from Karachi, and remembering a friend remark earlier in the day that “only an idiot could have separated the India and Pakistan in those days because the culture is in total continuum across the border”, sent waves of a past that wasn’t too long ago.

Realizing that in the larger picture it hasn’t been so long since the two nations were one, made me discount my own uncle’s remark that later in the day, “Be careful. The country is filled with dangerous people.” What my uncle didn’t think about is just as the halves of separated families like that of the Uncle from Calcutta are in Pakistan, so are in India the halves of the “dangerous” people in Pakistan.

I didn’t make it to Pakistan in Nov. after the quake. Finally, there is another opportunity to go, see, and do. I’ll leave tomorrow morning on a bus from Delhi to Lahore. The final destination is Islamabad and the quake affected areas.

(Sparse email until May 10.)

Hope!!

2006-04-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

Hopefully the micro hydro electricity in the villages can help makes some of these biodegradable products...and we can use them in the US!!

http://www.ecogreenunit.net/

Win-win for the "developed" and the "developing". As alwasy, open to your ideas.

Inspiration

2006-04-13T02:49:00.000-07:00

May 2003, Oprah Magazine

Who would have thought an old David Hockney drawing would yield a hospital in India and a clinic in Mexico? Margit Bisztray profiles Michael Daube and his extraordinary organization, Citta.

In 1994 Artist Michael Daube was rummaging through a dumpster near his Jersey City loft, looking for sculpture materials, when he came across a drawing in a rickety frame signed with a funky initial. Having taken an art attribution course, he has an inkling that it might be a David Hockney. A professional confirmed his hunch, and Daube, then 30, sold his find for $30,000.

With his money, he took off for India, were he'd traveled six years earlier. The son of a steel worked and a housewife, neither a high school graduate - Daube had survived a sometimes turbulent family life by dreaming of cultures, far from his rural upstate New York home.

On his first trip, Daube was struck by the Buddhist concept of compassion - a love that makes one's own suffering and happiness inseparable from those of others - which he'd witnessed while working at Mother Teresa's mission in Calcutta. When he returned after the Hockney sale, he went back to Mother Teresa and asked her how he might practice compassion $18,000 richer. She suggested opening a school in the country's poorest, most heavily tribal state, rural Orissa. Prone to floods and cyclones, it's an area about which even devoted aid workers ask, "Why would you go there?"

Daube soon found out what they were talking about. "In Orissa, people with extremely sick babies approached me begging for any kind of medicine, even aspirin," he says. "I saw a man in a basket hanging from bamboo poles held by two skinny men who intended to carry him more than 18 miles through mud to the nearest hospital. Instead of building a school, I began to build a hospital."

It quickly became clear that Daube would need more money to complete the project, so he returned to New York in search of work. In a stroke of good fortune, a friend introduced him to musician David Byrne and artist Adelle Lutz, who ended up giving him odd jobs. ("They knew I could help with art projects as well as fix a fence," says Daube.) Over the next two years, he would work for Byrne and Lutz until he'd saved enough money, then travel back to Orissa to add a floor or roof to the hospital. In 1995 Byrne performed a concert to raise funds for a clinic he and his assistant convinced Daube to help them build, in Chiapas, Mexico, to serve the Mayans. With both projects to manage, Daube formed an organization he called Citta, the Sanskrit word meaning "mind-heart": soon director Jonathan Demme and actress Thandie Newton lent their support.

Most recently, Citta has thrown a lifeline to the poorest regions of Nepal, where woman used to leave newborns in the snow to die rather than watch them starve. Now mothers support their families making jewelry and doing bead and needlework commissioned by New York designers. More medical centers, as well as orphanages and schools, may follow. "After we are involved in a region, it usually becomes apparent what else is needed," says Daube. "Our approach is holistic. There is never just one aspect that allows a community to emerge from poverty."

These days Daube is on the road most of the time, but he has become the unofficial big brother to Babu, an eight-year-old Orissa boy. Abandoned in a temple as a child, Babu now hangs out at the hospital in Orissa, which serves 60,000 people, and he's learning to read at the newly completed school. From that original discovery of the Hockney, Daube has opened up an entire world of beauty and possibility.

http://www.citta.org/publicity.html

Jai Bajrang Bali!!

2006-04-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

Ek, doa, Jai Bajrang Bali!! It took some serious muscle to unload the hardware.
(Jai Bajrang Bali is a phrase used to incarate the strength that Lord Hunuman has....big Hunuman fans in this part of Orissa.)

...Although joking around in this pic, woman-muscle goes a long way too. ...i had great fun unloading stones and cement with them...They didn't hesitate in filling me up with dried tamrind snacks....way to take the mind off the mining concerns.

...I asked the ladies why they wanted light...why they actively gave their time to the project. Their reply: "If there was no project, we would not meet people like you. We would never know what is outside."

Karlapat and Amthagouda

2006-04-02T05:06:00.000-07:00

...I look up to see how far she needs to go...my eyes keep looking higher and higher until they finally find the forebay, at least half a kilometer of a climb away. She has 12 bricks on her head, held onto by two dark brown human limbs, nearly a photo-copy of a sapling's limbs. She climbs steadily, knowing her sweat is gradually giving her partial ownership to the new micro hydro system. Others in her family go searching for labor jobs in order to build the corpus fund required for the system. The jobs ofcourse are inextricably linked to the local "development", ie roads for new mining and dam work. Are we bringing them light or inevitable darkness?

...We have arrived after dark. The lights are on, but ironically I still cannot decipher all his features. He is Arjun, the boyish looking 20 yr old leader of the village. I am introduced as the 'madame replacing Michael'...I receive stares in response to the intro. I catch an older lady sprawled out on the patio of her cookie-cut, Gram Vikas built home. I interrupt the intros to ask what's happened. "She's over dosed on the local liquor." Nothing new I am told....but I was so happy to hear that Arjun was not going to accept drinking as a village ritual. Arjun and his co-leader are the only two in the village who do not drink. Three years ago, Arjun forced the gov't to close its nearby liquor shopt. If people made their own, he publicly tied and scolded any man that was drinking...his motivation in relieving the chaos that follows drinking resulted in a liquor free village for at least a year. Unfortunately the gov't has re-opened the shop. ...We talked about how evening activities could now be held with the new lights, in order to distract people from drinking. Hope they happen soon. ...We were there to look at the new lights...Arjun became the Light I had been searching for.

Such images in the villages of Karlapat (in process of getting a micro hydro system) and Amthagouda (has a newly finished micro hydro system), two tribal villages near Bhavanipatna (the town I am in now), Orissa, have occupied my mind and heart like no other during the last four days. They are teaching me about their will and my judgements.

The turbine and cable material arrived unexpectedly on-time. We will stay an extra week, until April 14 or so No email or phone.

Berampur, Orissa

2006-03-25T04:38:00.000-08:00

I have been here for two days...knowing i will be committed to the project for several months, hopefully generating a thesis.

...It is difficult to form a pinhole around Gram Vikas (www.gramvikas.org), the group I will be involved with, forgetting everything else. ...Often so-called projects become too isolated and turn into ego traps, instead of genuine help.

Thankfully the group is so intimately involved with the communities it helps, that it doesn't see development as projects...rather more as a process.

The second micro hydro will be installed in the next two weeks. Very anxious to meet the tribal communities. It is amazing what my Australian predecessor (whom i'll shadow for a few weeks) has been able to do with the energy program, specifically with micro hydro development.

Arunachal shots: Women in Action

2006-03-22T02:26:00.000-08:00

Although the solar systems were for a remote monastry, we were initally hosted by a nunnery.
The Colorado College students exposed the little nuns to ultimate frisbee and soccer. ...Little teaching was needed...Only smiles.

Though the students main task was first to learn the why's and how's of solar design/ installation and second to teach the monks.

Transformations and Ahead...

2006-02-27T05:52:00.000-08:00

I am speechless at the gifts of Transformation the Universe keeps giving.

It has been non-stop showering of them since the start of the year: the Arunachal trip and its team, being with a friend as she left her body, learning Vipassana, staying in Auroville for work, spending time with family in Ahmedabad, helping sort out others' woes in Delhi...and now finally leaving for Orissa.

In all of the journeys, I keep running into others who are also seeking more...and more of myself that is seeking more! :-)

Moving onto less abstract talk, the energy projects are coming together with both WLEDs solar systems and micro hydro work. Hope to do both in Orissa. Details later.

:-)

2006-02-20T08:15:00.000-08:00

Got a little bogged down by self-pressure to update this journal.

...So for once, nothing to do with any chronology or what's been going on.

...Just smiles of the simple moments.

More...

2006-01-28T05:52:00.000-08:00

i wanted more and received :-). ...though it's always been around:

"There is a fire burning there, In the deep quietude of the heart. It is the divinity in you- your true being. Hear its voice. Follow its dictates."

-The Mother

More on Sri Aurobindo and the Mother:
http://www.miraura.org/teaching.html

More on the Vipassana retreat...there are centers world-wide:
www.dhamma.org

(No internet/phone until Feb. 10)

2006-01-20T11:07:00.000-08:00

The trip to Arunachal was amazingly successful. Much to tell and show...though I'll give more on the trip later.

The Vipassana course was pushed to Jan. 29....i wanted to be with a friend and her family in Puna the last few days....She left her body yesterday. She is an utterly beautiful soul, who selflessly touched all who came into her Life. She is a devoutee of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. We'll be going to Ponditcherry this week in her memory...

"Peace, peace upon all the earth!"

"May all esacpe from the ordinary consciousness and be delivered from the attachment for material things; may they awake to the knowledge of Thy divine presence, unite themselves with They supreme consciousness and taste the plentitude of peace that springs from it."

-The Mother

Land of the Dawn Lit Mountains

2005-12-26T02:38:00.000-08:00

i'll be leaving for Delhi on Dec. 31 and for Guwahati on Jan. 2 to accompany a Colorado College student service group who has raised money to provide a solar power system for a remote monastery in West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh, aka Land of the Dawn Lit Mountains.

The students have a non-technical background but have worked hard to learn as much as they can about the system they will help install and about the people they will be touching.

(No email/phone until Jan. 13)

Christmas Eve

2005-12-24T23:06:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Eve...here in Batesville, Mississippi.

Although this morning I was indifferent to someone pointing out that the Macy's annual Christmas parade will be shown tomorrow morning, I have been rather engaged watching tonight's special tv programs re-counting Jesus' journeys, one being called "The Footsteps of Jesus."

Thanks to first-hand awareness of the "flaws" of human nature both in myself and in others during the last few months--which cut short the positive flow i had wrongly anticipated from the good-will context of the situations, e.g. awesome Green Empowerment unraveled, the most peaceful of friends losing composure, and Dipti who i knew like no other becomes a total stranger--watching the documentaries on Jesus' amazing journey triggered questions on whether even the great ones of the great religions had human flaws...every now and then.

...Fortunately, I caught myself. Instead of starting from the holes of human nature and going forth to search for holes in the great ones, why not start from the great ones and go search for the Greatness in human nature?

I actually don't have to go anywhere right now to find the Greatness. Just as there were mishaps in the last few months allowing me to learn more about the flaws of human nature, there have been amazing incidents allowing learning of the Divine in humans.

One rather fitting incident to share tonight is running into Sister Agnes Clare:

Having spent the previous night on a rather cold sleeper train from Madurai to Bangalore and the afternoon trying to arrange transport back to Ahmedabad in the cheapest but most bearable mode possible, I wearily boarded a Maharastra state bus from Bangalore to Mumbai at 2pm in order to catch a 5pm train from Mumbai to Ahmedabad the next day.

I was no state to strike a conversation with anyone and fell asleep within minutes of boarding and pretending to read a book.

The nap did wonders and I finally gave a nice, full namaste to the lady sitting next to me, who had also woken from a nap. We did not say much initially, but both of us wondered what the other was about.

I was dressed in typical Indian garb but definitely wore my look of i-don't-belong-here, not knowing what such a long ride on a state bus would entail. She was dressed in a dull brown hue, much like the uniforms of domestic airport security or police staff in India. I kept wondering whether she was a security guard that hadn't had time to change before boarding, until I started getting annoyed that she was starting to invade my half of the seat...she I'm sure sensed my discomfort.

Thankfully, as sunset approached we both became lax and intrigued by each other's story. "My name is Agnes Clare, belonging to the Carmalite Sisters of the Saint Teresa, a.k.a. Mt. Carmel Catholic order."

Hearing my fake Indian-English accent and seeing that I was trying to read a book on such a shaking ride, she guessed that I wasn't from India. I answered her questions and I explained why I was there. She listened carefully and then described why she was on the bus.

"Our church about 4 years ago decided to celebrate our centennial by examining how closely they have met the goals of our founding nun who started the order in India several decades ago."

The assessment had led the Mt. Carmel order to realize that they should be doing more than just educating the rich (Mt. Carmel has a chain of private girls schools). Hence, they decided to annually devout funds to village sustainability, initiating the program in northern Karnataka first.

Sister Agnes, is the change i want to be. After having been a kindergarten teacher for 25 years, she jumped at Mt. Carmel's call for Sisters who could commit to social work in the villages. She attended a 9 month workshop on working in villages, which turned out to be nothing more teaching herself how to work in villages.

With her leadership, the team of nuns and coordinators have been able to successfully start 60 women's self help groups in 40 villages in Byadgi, Haveri district of northern Karnataka. She patiently answered my questions on the details of the money numbers and on how the women develop their sense of trust. Three years ago these women were too shy to say their names; NOW they strike at the panchayat leader's home when their needs are not met. Amazing. Chills every time i think of the groups and their growth in just a few years.

Along with SHG's, the program is progressing on issues of communication technology access, girls vocational education, hygiene, and health care. Sister Agnes was on the night bus because she had immediately left her quarterly nun retreat in Bangalore when she heard that 3 girls had not returned to school after Diwali break.....she went on to explain how she chose monastic life...spoke so naturally of God. ...Honestly, i was in Awe and....a bit jealous.

Of course the only way to break the streak of jealously is to become part of her journey. She needs to grow their health program but is too occupied in just keeping it alive. Funds are being stretched to keep their one travelling nurse, mobile clinic, and a strong Aids awareness. The European funder for their health program cannot send a grant for the coming year; they will not be able to pay the dedicated nurse they have. $500 this year would keep the nurse and the program alive. If anyone is interested in donating anything at all, please let me know. Also, any thoughts on how to make such a program self-sustainable?

...The bus stopped at a food stall. Sister Agnes and I paused our talk and looked out the window only to see 3 girls begging. I asked if we could just grab them and take them with us ...enroll them in her program. ...Of course she points to one of the girl's mother sitting nearby, also begging. She had just been explained why it is important to keep trying to explain to parents that their daughters can be such great assets for the family. Her strategy seemed to be to first touch the mother of the household via successful self help groups...

Selfless Sister Agnes as an example of the Divine in humans showed up over a month ago...when i thought nothing could compare to monastic life and thought the world of by chance meetings such as my run-in with Sis Agnes. ...However, there have been other examples since then, non-monastic and right under my nose...like that of my mother. Never does this woman think of herself...it's either her children or her husband she lives for.

What makes non-stop thinking outside of oneself a Divine quality? I don't know. ...but I believe it. While I have learned on this trip to the US that even making one's ownself happy is a form of creating peace for others...and that i engage in so-called service work only to make myself happy, there is still a distinction which Sister Agnes and my mother hold. ...Looking forward to the next lesson. Merry Christmas.

Seed to Peace

2005-12-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

Whew. The visit back to the US has surfaced many Dipti's. It has been difficult to see which one is backed by only Her.

Thankfully, i continue to have many in life to help find the answer...being with them i am realizing it is not an answer i seek but a path to embrace silently...i anticipate the search to finally become the path. All i have to do is let go.

"While there are many, many miles we must travel along this journey to creating inner peace, one of the most important is self-love. Without self-love, there will be no hope of ever changing our relationship with anything or anyone. No one would nourish a body that is despised and condemned on a daily basis. Only through warmth, compassion, and caring for yourself will you be able to move and feed your body in pleasing ways. Dare to love yourself. It's your journey. And without your support, you're not going to get anywhere at all. "

--Dr. Annette Colby

Engaged and Detached

2005-11-13T21:57:00.000-08:00

Things are not panning out for the Pakistan domes. Also, due to family commitments, I will be heading to the US for 6 weeks on Nov. 20, leaving Pakistan for later in the year.

...There are other projects taking form upon my return in India...Although honestly, I'm a bit "projected" out.

My initial in-depth trip to India a few years was organic and had little agenda; comparing it to this time, I learned and felt so much more then. Of course this is due to several factors...but essentially, I am slowly realizing how the busy-ness of sharply focused plans takes away from simply being and learning/acting with depth... without biases.

If at all my actions and mind stabalize, I will complete the thesis work in the next few months and leave the remaining time in India/Pakistan/wherever else without an agenda. ...like the several lotuses i've seen this week, a balance between being fully engaged and detached is appealing.

2005-11-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

Trying to absorb a friend's post (http://bawarchi.blogspot.com/2005/10/letter-to-eric-myself.html)

In order to arrive at having pleasure in everything,
Desire pleasure in nothing.
In order to arrive at possessing everything,
Desire to posses nothing.
In order to arrive at being everything,
Desire to be nothing.
In order to arrive at the knowledge of everything,
Desire to know nothing.

Updates: Pakistan

2005-10-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU for being so generous with your ideas and desire to help fund shelters to the quake affected areas of Pakistan.

The lastest is that the a donor in Pakistan is exploring how to fund 5000 of these dome homes. However, we suggested that they first install only 2 dome homes to get an idea of whether the communities will accept them.

There is no doubt that the communities will be warm in these homes and that they will be able to use the domes structures for decades to come. However, as serveral of you have pointed out, there is a chance that the domes won't be accepted culturally.

Others of you suggested alternate dome shelter designs that are quite amazing and can be made from local material. We are also exploring how to execute these designs in short time as well.

Lastly, for those of you that want to send funds for relief efforts, I have been brainstorming ways in which you can be more engaged with your own ideas or funds.

For instance, I could spend a week in a cluster of communities assessing what is needed and what could be done with small funds and with the skills I have. I could post these on the blog, and you could tell me how you want your funds spent, and hopefully even provide further ideas.

Also, since some of you have such great community experience in southeast Asia, you could send ideas on how you want the funds to be spent even before I visit the communities. I could then see how much time and skill I have to execute your ideas. ...I'm thinking aloud and open to your thoughts.

I will be leaving for Islamabad by Nov. 15 and will spend a month there. ...My strengths are in connecting with the local flow...listening to individuals/families and actively sharing in their experience--good or bad.

I'm not sure how much "I" will "help", but the point is to experience and learn, go deeper inside on both my end and their end...and if you want, hopefully connect you in the process as well.

What do you think?

On Fire

2005-10-21T00:34:00.000-07:00

The last train ride:

On Fire. Heart thumping. Sweat secreting. One foot flying after the other, as fast as possible. Focus: Follow the red shirt of the Kuli-bhai. Trust him. Trust the rhythms. If not this one, then the next. But not without a fight.

…I did make the train with 3 minutes to spare…whew. Wish I could fight for the Universe with the same focus…as if there were no next moment. Treat every person as if there were no other. The Earth as if it were the only….heartbeats are still so fast.

…Finally, I get to sleep at some point, only to wake up at about 5am to some dream about…I forget it as soon as the usual jolt of 'Oh yeah, I'm still on a train' kicks in. It never fails on the entry back into consciousness from slumber. …Though this time it seemed that I entered another dream:
Down the aisle, there is row of young men with hats on. I slowly remember the group of young Muslim boys in the next compartment as I had ran onto the cabin. They were now doing their first prayer of the day. The smiling adolescents had neatly rolled about cloth on the aisle and formed a comfortable line to pray. After the namaz, they read…their day on the train continues with other prayers and readings. So young and fired towards worship.

Domes for Pakistan

2005-10-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

The wave of the Moment is to get as many fiberglass dome homes to Pakistan before the cold really sets in the earthquake affected areas.

For a while it seemed that we were jumping into an unrealistic goal reaching Pakistan with some sort of relief aid; but as always, enough thinking and desire to do manifests into reality.

Two domes will be sponsored by Friends of Pakistan, with an aim to generate further awareness of the dome structure's ability to save lives this winter.

http://www.domesintl.com/index.htm

Open to your ideas on what else to take/ send, whom to work with, etc.

Waves

2005-10-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

More aware than ever. Different waves forming...as always, for the better. Moving on from Green Empowerment...and just focusing on catching the wave now, and now, and now. :)

"Wars and elections are both too big and too small to matter in the long run. The daily work--that goes on, it adds up. It goes into the ground, into crops, into children's bellies, and their bright eyes. Good things don't get lost...the very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope, right in it, under its roof. What I want is so simple I almost can't say: elementary kindness."

-Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Dreams (thanks Anna)

TiriKonaMalai (Triangled Mountain)

2005-10-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Below is a rather dry update....but in general the visits to the conflict and tsunami affected villages has been quite a lesson in the double-tragedy that the northeast of the country has faced. ...Wish I could speak the local language. ...Will post photos soon.

-----------------------------------------------

The first 2 days in Sri Lanka were spent meeting with international groups, such as Mercy Corps, and recommended local groups, such as Sarvodya and Energy Forum, in Colombo. With some contacts of a Sri Lankan friends, we've also met some influential folks who are backing humanitarian work around the island, such as www.unconditionalcompassion.org and hugely hearted Mr. Ajit Chitty. We also met the pioneer of solar in Sri Lanka (...and got to hear his daughters (ages 9 and 12) sing parts of the Phantom of the Opera!)

Day 3, Sat., Oct. 1
We left Colombo at 8am by road and reached Trinkomalee at 2pm. As soon as we arrived, we had our meeting with Gretchen Ansorge at Mercy Corps. Gretchen provided us with contact info for international and local groups she thought we should meet, namely the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA), SEDOT, and the UNHCR. As we drove thru town, we saw signs for countless NGOs and relief groups, including familiar ones like ZOA and UNDP.

In the evening, we met with the Energy Forum rep in Trinko named Sukannathan. Since Sukannathan spoke only Tamil and broken English, but we had our Sinhalese, Tamil, and English speaking driver helped to translate. Sukannathan had coordinated work in areas north of Trinko and also in Batticola (several hours driving south of Trinko, which after 20 years of war, became a peaceful area in 1991). He had helped with the implementing a loan based project which involved installing 300 SHLS in the Trinko area and 2000 SHLS in Batticola. He was stressing for us to work in villages even north of the villages in FIA, near Tiriyia. Sukannathan agreed to come with us to FIA's villages the next morning. We spent the night at Ajit Chitty's house 20km north of Trinko.

Day 4, Sun., Oct. 2
We were on the road by 7:30am to visit what we thought were just 2 villages, the accessible villages in which FIA works in. To our surprise, the day ended with visiting 5 villages, the other 3 being in the conflict areas north of the tsunami affected areas northwest of Trinko. Sukannathan had encouraged us to make the unplanned visits to the additional 3 villages, one of them being Tiriyia. We passed numerous military check points getting to the latter 3 villages…
Many questions came up during the day, we met again in the evening with Sukannathan. He was kind enough to go to town and copy some maps he had prepared for the various areas, which showed where there is and is not electricity.

Day 5, Mon., Oct. 3
Since we got in at Sat. afternoon (Sat. being only a half workday in Sri Lanka) and we had to leave Mon. at noon to make our other appointments with Mercy Corps staff in the southern towns of Ampare, Arugun Bay, and Hambantota, we had to make the most of Mon. morning meeting with Sarvodaya and the groups that Gretchen had recommended. We ended up having in-person meetings with Sarvodaya, CHA, and SEDOT, and a phone meeting with UNHCR.

Sarvodaya and SEDOT turned out to be excellent candidates for partnerships, although they differ in their scale of work (Sarvodaya being a large org working around the country and SEDOT being smaller working only in Trinko). CHA and UNHCR are worthwhile to consult before starting any work in northeastern Sri Lanka because they know about both the conflict issues and the tsunami reconstruction status.

Next
We left Trinko in time to get to Amapare, a seven hour drive south. Here in Ampare we will be meeting with the Mercy Corps office and one of its partners. We will leave Ampare tomorrow afternoon to reach Arugun Bay in the evening, where we will meet the local Mercy Corps office the next morning. From there we will continue south to Habantota to visit the Mercy Corps and ITDG offices and sites there.

Heading Out

2005-09-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

Will be spending a week going from Colombo to Trinkomalee, down to Ampara and Arugan Bay, and down south to Hamatota. Will then swing up closer to the center.

...will be seeing tsunami effected villages and conflict villages lacking electricity and water. ...need to run. No email for a week.

Back to Back

2005-09-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

…The Bay area friends know that I have a habit of squeezing in too much in one day…alas, it's happened again. I have no regrets when it's only me who is affected…but when I end up taking others, this time mentors like Jos and Walt, in the spiral of attending back to back attention-taking actitivities, I do think twice about doing a similar whirlwind next time.

…Now in Colombo. Only the first day…peaceful now, yet knowing the chaos of the infamous tsunami not too long ago, reminds me that my external business needs to be grounded by inner silence.

Next: Sept. 26 - Oct. 26

2005-09-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Haven't been able to post so well these days...but i have nice photos of life in Abad to share...though won't be able to do until after the next round of travelling:

Finally, after visiting several potential partners in India the last 2 months, we (Green Empowerment) have narrowed down the selection to 2 in India. The team came to India this Mon.

After a day in Bangalore of meeting with a few that have extensive experience in solar and micro hydro for rural areas, we'll visit Sri Lanka for 2 weeks to scope out potential partners. The latter half of the month will be spent visiting the 2 potentials in Uttranchal and Orissa, in the end forming a plan to start actual work.

…Yes, I have yet to explain the details of the work and groups I've been visiting…the usual excuse: One of these days...

Not Even a Glance

2005-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Now at home in Ahmedabad for a week...before the next month of travelling starts...but a week ago:

Dark. Lean. Not bony. Diligent. Not more than 7 years in age. Down the aisle on his four limbs with his saturated, mucky cloth, mopping the pasty blue colored floor as if it were the only thing that mattered…ever. Only after he is at the end of each 2 row section, does his blank stare request money. No begging. No demanding. Simply a request for money in return for the job he had just completed. Two sections down, a group of young college students start giving him coins even before he finishes their 2 row section. Not even a glance up at the coins until he is at the end of the section.

In the middle of cleaning this section, his mopping rag had become too saturated. In this moment, where 5 hands had come towards him, all holding coins for him, he runs around the corner to the door to squeeze out his rag, not even a glance at the offering palms. Finally, he has completed mopping this section. finally he reaches out for the coins…finally I realize how on each of the 9 train rides I've taken in the last month, each sweeping/mopping kid that comes thru captures my attention, triggering tears…which fade as soon as the young boy is out of sight…why can't I spend my free moments helping his and countless others' situation? Can I even do anything?

Tonight, from the Banglore to Delhi ride, I managed to latch onto working on a sodoku puzzle. I've already spent 3 hours on one…Next to me the old Marvadi couple have spent the last 2 hours chanting…I'm sure their chanting has more chances of helping the child sweepers/moppers than what my 3 hours of soduku-ing…or the meals of the last 2 days in Banglore, which have merely gone into forming worldly relationships with other egos, can offer.

How can one always remain in the Mind and Spirit of serving the needs of another? We are inter-connected…the consequences of all uncontrollable mishaps and haps highlight our Oneness. There are many, as the groups and individuals I've met in the last 2 months, who spend most of their days for others. Even more than their conscious efforts, there must be a way one can nurture a sub-consciousness (much like the diligence of the cleaning kids on the train) regardless of the conscious workings, which is wholly devoted to our Oneness. Any thoughts???

Down the Aisle

2005-09-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

How did he manage to jump onto the train?
Legs and hands are there but are not working. No voice.
Only the glance on his mid-aged face.

Seeing him slide his partially working body down the aisle and beg for money, I was so tempted to follow him and know him. As an immediate reaction, I wanted to give him the chai I was to start drinking…but of course chai is not what he needed.

What does he need? How can someone who cannot walk or talk need anything which I could give? …I wanted to touch his Spirit somehow…He had certainly touched mine.

She Answers

2005-09-03T23:40:00.000-07:00

Two days ago near Hydrabad:

After a grueling meeting...where I got kicked out of an office and refused to leave without a peaceful, professional conclusion, in trying to move ahead with the day in a practical manner, I headed for the Secundrabad train station, hoping to find the AC'ed Tourist Reservation office to spoil myself in the few pluses of being labeled an outsider, while getting tickets.

...Alas, contrary to Lonely Planet and the Indian Railway website, there doesn't seem to be such an office at Secundrabad. The auto dropped me off on the direct opposite end of the station to where the general reservation desk was located. ...No surprise...such drops have happened time and time again...where I walk nearly as much as I rode on the auto in order to get to the right place.

Finally getting to the reservation desk, I was determined not to re-live the reservation desk experience I had had the day before at the Kanchekunj station, where I was put on the spot and forced to buy a ticket which I later found out was an RAC ticket (not confirmed). I also wanted to avoid the sardine sqeeze at the inquiry desk line. Hence, I waited patiently at an empty window that seemed to have an employee somewhere nearby.

While waiting, She answered. I was on the brink of one of those moments where I just didn't want to take anymore surprises...and it's always a chore to decide which train fits my schedule and still has space. She, the Divine, answered by sending a new friend along, Hridesh. Hridesh is a soft spoken PhD student at one finest molecular cell biology centers in the world...based in Hydrbad :).

Hridesh, being from Rajasthan, could relate to my obstacles of getting around Andhra and getting train tix. Since he had an open lunch break, he generously helped me tag team in order to get the right train numbers I needed to book the last minute ticket to Banglore...and to come up with a back up plan of booking a bus. AND he pushed me to get the next leg's ticket, to Delhi. Getting tickets for 2 trips in advance was a first for me!

After being done with my train ticket chores, I got a tour of the center he works at...I was completely impressed. After having spent so much time going to village sites the last few weeks, it was surprisingly refreshing to see India's top biologists at work. Regardless of the sightseeing of the center, I was so grateful for running into Hridesh...he couldn't have divinely connected at a better time.

Andhra, Orissa, Andhra...Karnataka

2005-09-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

The last week or so has been spent moving from one excellent non-profit to the next. Visited CRESHE near Vijayvada and Gram Vikas in Berampur, Orissa....will write in more detail about them later. Now in Hydrabad to visit a Light Up the World Project...and will move on to the supposedly fast life in Banglore tonight, arriving tomorrow morning.

...Images that have stuck: One Didi extremely proud of and smiles about her biogas cooking system...and another 5 hrs away who has become the illiterate but passionate spokewoman for the LED lights in her village. ...In Orissa, came upon an Australian couple who have dedicated the last 3 years to the tribal population there...On the trains, meeting spirit after spirit who were looking after me...and lastly, waking up to the rhythms of the rails and to the dream-like, dawn fog rolling over the bright green rice fields and coconut trees.

Rakhsha Bandhan

2005-08-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Going from home to home, I've acquired many a brothers...and I think especially fondly of them on Rakhsha Bandhan.

This year the brother-sister holiday was spent trying Rakhis on John and Mark, two CharityFocus (www.charityfocus.org) crew members focusing on environmental santitation in Ahemdabad since this Feb. and now more recently focused on delivering letters of peace from youth in India to youth in Pakistan (http://silentswan.blogs.com/madlove/)...and cleaning masjids in Delhi ...such service work is at their door step every morning...

After Uttranchal, I caught them off gaurd in Delhi, but they warmly made time for me. We started the day off meditating at the Rama Krishna ashram near Pahad Gunj and then 20 more min. at the Self Realization center afterwards...along with other crazy of the moment incidents.

Uttranchal's hills and heroes

2005-08-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

Nearly 2 weeks ago, I was recouping from Shingo La...and a week ago I was in Uttranchal, a state in north India, getting glimpses of its terraced green hills and two outstanding non-profit groups--HESCO and Chirag.

More on the heroes later, along with the others I am visiting. For now, just the green hills...

Zanskar: Nunneries, Schools, and Glaciers

2005-08-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

A fairly accurate map above to help visualize the villages I mention below.

Jos and I returned to Delhi this week from a 3-fold mission thru Zanskar:

-Delivery of Jamyang Foundation's donations to 9 nunneries;

-Installation additional panels to Shambala's school solar lighting system in Reru, and trouble shooting of the solar lighting system at the Amchi school in Thongso;

-And finally a foot journey to Darcha via the glacier lined Shinku La pass.

The next several posts are from the trip.

2005-08-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

We had help from several to help prepare for the journey: Ven. Lekshe kindly lent me warm sleeping bag, Himbhai from the Himalaya Health Exchange stocked us up antibiotics, and Aacho Tunduk here who earnestly tried arrange for horses...

2005-08-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd make a genuine effort in learning Ladakhi. I'd bought SECMOL's language handbook before leaving for the villages...as soon as one of the aacheleh's on the bus saw it, she spent the next 5 hrs or so of the bumpy bus ride going thru the book to learn English!

2005-08-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

The bus ride to Padum started with a soothing chant of the Mani mantra and continued through Kargil as planned. Soon after however, we heard news of a mudslide blocking the road to Padum. It was only 'news' until we finally saw the blockage being cleared out the next morning. The anticipation in knowing the scale of the blockage a perfect exercise in remaining thoughtless, putting aside what if's.

2005-08-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

Once the slide was cleared and we were on our way again, the bus ride revealed glimpses of ice covered mountains in the distance.

2005-08-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Upon reaching Padum, we were welcomed by the hussle of unloading luggage in the dark (which in the midst of I forgot my sleeping bag and thankfully re-connected with it the next day) and finding a place to stay.

The next morning we took off to visit the first of the Ven. Lekshe's (Jamyang Foundation) nunneries, Changchub Choling, in Zangla. With the patience of Jos, Barbara (a sweet Austrian volunteer at the nunnery), and the nuns, we were able to communicate to the nuns what to make of our spontaneous arrival...

2005-08-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

While the nuns of Zangla were showering us with gifts, including a lovely (not to mention comfortable) Ladakhi outfit por moi...

2005-08-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

...Jos was busy trouble shooting their solar light sources. Visiting local homes, schools, and nunneries, we learned more about what for and how light was used...

2005-08-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Bunch. Nunneries seem to have a special effect on people. For instance, we didn't even recognize our grumpy taxi driver (far left) !

2005-08-14T10:41:00.001-07:00

Finally we managed to meet the Chomo Lehs (Ladakhi for nuns) at Tungri at monk Lobzang Motup's cozy place. They had the larger responsibility of contacting and conveying Ven. Lekshe's msg to 4 of the 9 nunneries we were not able to visit. ...We left the Tungri Chomo Lehs with two bags filled with yummy yak cheese...

2005-08-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

More of the same process of translating Ven. Lekshe's letter and delivering the donations at the Karsha nunnery...high up on a hill. When I finally got my winded lungs up the hill, we discovered the nuns calmly building their new greenhouse...no huffing or puffing. :)