Yesterday was a powerful day as we traveled the country side with Jesse and Susanna of Relief Projects India.
These two volunteers have committed their lives to help the children
and communities of rural Madurai. They work with other local groups who
have also sacrificed greatly for the women, children and elderly of the
area. We toured the S.H.E. construction site and met the children and staff of the Mercy Home
(run by a Roman Catholic order). We could not take pictures of the
children as this is also an adoption center and pictures are not
allowed. But we did meet beautiful babies and toddlers, all abandoned by
local families and many with mental or physical challenges. We played with and talked to them and beheld the light in their eyes and the love in
their hearts.
Jesse and Susanna were instrumental in helping us understand how non-profits and charities operate in this part of India. There are of course economic, social, cultural, political and psychological challenges, but having spent over eights years in India constantly working on relief projects, they had learned immensely from their successes and failures. We know it will be a great educational and personal experience to have students discourse with them as we learn how they have approached the social problems of poverty, gender discrimination and rapid economic, social and cultural change.
One of the exciting parts of the S.H.E. is the focus on sustainability for this project. Hyundai has donated solar panels to power the facility. A diverse number of crops are being grown for short- and long-term profit (as well as employing local labor). And finally, sustainable practices in drip irrigation and land resource management are being implemented in order to teach other local farmers about alternatives to growing the ubiquitous (and heavily water dependent) cash crops of rice and sugar cane in this drought stricken region.
It is hoped that these efforts will increase trust and cooperation between local communities and the work of Relief Projects India. It will also help integrate and inform future relief efforts as information and resources are shared among all of the stakeholders.
Below are some pictures of our incredible day.
Jesse and Susanna were instrumental in helping us understand how non-profits and charities operate in this part of India. There are of course economic, social, cultural, political and psychological challenges, but having spent over eights years in India constantly working on relief projects, they had learned immensely from their successes and failures. We know it will be a great educational and personal experience to have students discourse with them as we learn how they have approached the social problems of poverty, gender discrimination and rapid economic, social and cultural change.
One of the exciting parts of the S.H.E. is the focus on sustainability for this project. Hyundai has donated solar panels to power the facility. A diverse number of crops are being grown for short- and long-term profit (as well as employing local labor). And finally, sustainable practices in drip irrigation and land resource management are being implemented in order to teach other local farmers about alternatives to growing the ubiquitous (and heavily water dependent) cash crops of rice and sugar cane in this drought stricken region.
It is hoped that these efforts will increase trust and cooperation between local communities and the work of Relief Projects India. It will also help integrate and inform future relief efforts as information and resources are shared among all of the stakeholders.
Below are some pictures of our incredible day.
Jesse and Susanna giving us a history of the Mercy Home
The inner courtyard of the Mercy Home
The rural area where the S.H.E. pre-school and community education center will be located.
The stone (lasts longer!) school/community education center (rear view)
Storage and office building with sustainability farm in the back
A view of different crops being grown
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| Learning about the construction plans that include full access for the physically challenged (e.g. elevator) |
Front view of center
Bovine break
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