On his latest trip Mark stayed with his good friend, JP Singh, Director of Kinderhelfswerk, India, at his home in Rajpur in the northern state of Uttarakhand. From there he revisited some of the young people he wrote about in Rising from the Dust.
He also met up with another friend, Shailender David, to catch up with his latest community project based in a number of villages surrounding the thriving town of Vikasnager. The material, interviews and images that Mark gathered there will be used as the basis for teaching resources for primary schools.
The article below was first published in the Basingstoke Gazette in November 2008.
He also met up with another friend, Shailender David, to catch up with his latest community project based in a number of villages surrounding the thriving town of Vikasnager. The material, interviews and images that Mark gathered there will be used as the basis for teaching resources for primary schools.
The article below was first published in the Basingstoke Gazette in November 2008.
Over the last few days, India’s daily newspapers have been reporting the nation's recent landing on the moon. The language of the writing has been rich in superlatives, the tone self-congratulatory.
'And why not?' I comment to my friend Raju as he sits at his office desk addressing an envelope. 'It's an amazing achievement.'
'Indeed,' he says. 'A national success after so many years of investment and planning.'
Opening his desk drawer, Raju hunts for a small pot of glue into which he dabs his index finger. He then sticks a postage stamp to the envelope.
Catching my wry smile, he immediately grasps the irony of the situation.
'I know, I know,' he laughs. 'We can send a rocket to the moon but we still stick our stamps on with glue. Some things never change!'
I've been back in North India for a couple of weeks and, he's right, many things remain the same as ever: the sweet mix of woodsmoke and jasmine scenting the early evening air, the local temple bells dinging throughout the night, and the tangy crunch of fresh
chilli pakoras thrilling the taste buds. People greet me with the warm enthusiasm to which I've become accustomed but - aaagh! - it still takes an entire afternoon to complete the simplest of tasks. India remains a place where everything has to be accepted as it comes, the rough with the smooth.
Yet I've observed both subtle differences and tremendous progress since my last trip to Uttarakhand two years ago.
Last week I re-visited Dehradun Public School, a charitable establishment featured in my book. The two young women I wrote about, Saira and Sandhya, have now completed their education up to eighth grade and have graduated onto another school. Last year, Sandhya was appointed Head Girl, and still aspires to become a doctor. Though she rises at dawn to help her parents in a home lacking electricity and proper sanitation, her mind is focused on her goal.
Dehradun Public School
'What are you doing after school this afternoon,' I ask her.
'I am going home to study for my exams, Uncle,' she replies in perfect English.
Later, I meet Saira on a path a few metres from her house. She is leading the family buffalo to graze. Her kitchen, filled with smoke from the fire burning in the middle of the mud floor, now has a water tap attached to the wall. Her father has reconstructed the guest toilet. Though it still comprises a lean-to shelter of woven sticks, it appears marginally sturdier and more private. Bursts of bright orange marigolds grow in clumps around the garden.
'Are you still doing athletics?' I ask Saira.
'Yes, Uncle. Last week I ran a marathon for the school.'
'Did you win?'
Saira with the family buffalo
Saira’s home
She smiles modestly. I take that as a 'yes'.
The greatest news is that both girls are still in full time education, despite the teachers' fears that their families could take them out of school at any time to be married. Thankfully, that has not been the case. It is not only the girls who appreciate the outcome of a solid, holistic education; their parents now understand how the whole family can benefit when their children learn about health and hygiene as well as the more academic subjects.
Dehradun Public School now has a new, three storey building complete with biology, chemistry and physics laboratories and is currently seeking affiliation with a reputable educational examining board. It seems a far cry from the days when the school consisted of one dedicated teacher and a few eager children sitting under a mango tree.
Yet the work is never completed. KHW, the organisation that manages the school, continues to seek funding to ensure a sustainable future for students like Saira and Sandhya. It is thanks to charities such as Basingstoke-based CHILD’s Trust, that, against all odds, young women from one of the poorest regions of the country are now receiving an education. If India can send a rocket to the moon, there’s hope that Sandhya may realise her dream of becoming a doctor.
Sandhya
© 2009 empty canvas
update on some of the people and
projects featured in rising from the dust
projects featured in rising from the dust