Back from day 3 at Deep Griha, and ready fo some more bloggin:
Today, we went with community health workers into the slum areas around Pune to check up on some of the sponsored children in the area. The workers went from house to house, asking children about their 10th and 12th grade exams, encouraging them to go to school instead of skipping it to help around the house, signing them up to receive free uniforms books and lunch from Deep Griha, and asking about their school experiences in general. Though the field visit wasn't directly related to maternal health, it was still very very interesting; I guess I didn't really picture slums the way I had observed them today. Though the area was highly populated and the houses were closely packed together, the houses were still advanced; many had water taps as well as computers and television sets. It was also very lively, not desolate as I guess I had imagined it to be (kind of like how slums were depicted in Slumdog Millionaire). I'm actually really surprised at how ignorant I was before.
It was also interesting to note that everyone of working age within a household contributed to the family's livelihood, even children that attended secondary school. Some of the children we talked to had very disheartening stories, though. One was an orphan ( I think she was around 16) who lived with her elder siblings; she was forbidden to go to school, and was instead forced to stay at home and do daily chores. There were others who had failed their 10th standard exams multiple times, and decided to give up on school altogether as a result :(
After processing what I'd seen today, I also realized that conducting field work is a very difficult job; often times, children will follow along with what you tell them, but will still act according to their own agendas. If they don't like what you have to say, they won't follow your advice. Plus, conducting field work is also very draining. At this time of the year (pre-monsoon season), Pune faces extreme heat and sun. I've gained a lot of respect for the women that go out into these communities on a daily basis, working for 8 hours every day.
I'm still unsure of what my individual role at Deep Griha will be for these next 5-6 weeks, but I'm hoping those kinks will work themselves out very soon.
Today, we went with community health workers into the slum areas around Pune to check up on some of the sponsored children in the area. The workers went from house to house, asking children about their 10th and 12th grade exams, encouraging them to go to school instead of skipping it to help around the house, signing them up to receive free uniforms books and lunch from Deep Griha, and asking about their school experiences in general. Though the field visit wasn't directly related to maternal health, it was still very very interesting; I guess I didn't really picture slums the way I had observed them today. Though the area was highly populated and the houses were closely packed together, the houses were still advanced; many had water taps as well as computers and television sets. It was also very lively, not desolate as I guess I had imagined it to be (kind of like how slums were depicted in Slumdog Millionaire). I'm actually really surprised at how ignorant I was before.
It was also interesting to note that everyone of working age within a household contributed to the family's livelihood, even children that attended secondary school. Some of the children we talked to had very disheartening stories, though. One was an orphan ( I think she was around 16) who lived with her elder siblings; she was forbidden to go to school, and was instead forced to stay at home and do daily chores. There were others who had failed their 10th standard exams multiple times, and decided to give up on school altogether as a result :(
After processing what I'd seen today, I also realized that conducting field work is a very difficult job; often times, children will follow along with what you tell them, but will still act according to their own agendas. If they don't like what you have to say, they won't follow your advice. Plus, conducting field work is also very draining. At this time of the year (pre-monsoon season), Pune faces extreme heat and sun. I've gained a lot of respect for the women that go out into these communities on a daily basis, working for 8 hours every day.
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