Exiting My Bubble to Understand the Realities of Poverty

While survey questions can become monotonous, each interviewee has a different story to tell. Within these stories there are new lesson to be learned…
The translator and I were asked to sit in chairs while the head of the household sat on the tiled floor. He was a strong, nice looking man who has four children and rents his home for 300 rupees/month ($7/month). I could tell he was a hard workingman as shown by the mud under his nails and dirt on his face; he is as a lacage worker (it is someone who collects piles of plastic bags for 1 rupee a sack). His wife works in the recycled paper industry, as there were two heaps of shredded papers in the corner of the small room. Their eldest son is 22 years old and is mentally disabled; the other children are 20, 18, and 13 years old.
During the interview I was relaxed until the one question which I personally dread asking arose…
Translator: “I am sorry to ask this question, we are just trying to learn about health problems in Hubli. Please forgive me, but has this family lost any children due to illness?”
I looked down at the sheet; the pen in my hand ready to slid over to check the “No” box. But I didn’t hear anyone speaking Kannada. I looked up to meet the eyes of the strong, large man; the base of them had filled up with water. He glanced down, fumbled with the wood chip in his fingers and drew it in a pattern on the floor…he then mumbled the answer.
Interviewee (translated): “Yes, he was 5 years old. Very ill, long time. I don’t know what it was.”
Under his breath the translator quickly directed me to move on, as he did not believe the interviewee would not be able to continue with the question.
I tried to keep myself together as I held my breath in the silent moment. The toddler who had been periodically coughing onto my forearm as she curiously played with my elbow had rested her fingers on my arm, she had seemingly understood that there was a change in the atmosphere. In the seconds of the small moment, I grew up. As a 22 year old myself, and despite being far from motherhood, I was hit with the reality of raising children in inescapable poverty with little access to health care.
I looked across the room at his mentally challenged son, then to his beautiful teenage daughter and thought to myself how fortunate they had a least been with her. But that didn’t help settle my feelings of injustice for this family, for their lack of rights to access adequate medical attention.
I swallowed my emotion and proceeded with the interview but my thoughts held onto the questions in my own mind of how undeserving this man is and the pain he has gone through in life with his family. He continued to answer the survey questions through the fog in his mind, now filled with the memories of his son.
For the rest of the survey the translator did his best to bring the interviewee back into the present moment. I continued transcriptions but was caught in understanding the complex realities of poverty brought forth from seeing the water swell in the stranger’s eyes.
In my mind I could not find the answer for why I have been so blessed in life and others have not. This man’s daily stresses in life are nothing compared to those of us who live inside a bubble of wealth, good health, and fortune.
While no human can possibly plan out how to spend his last day spent on earth, I must argue that for the thousands of people living in the underdeveloped world their chances of spending one more day on earth are much less than those of us living in the Western hemisphere. It is heart-wrenching to find that many of these parents cannot even afford to take the steps necessary to improve their child’s chances of survival.
I became uncomfortable sitting in his home, knowing that I will walk away never having to experience much of what he experiences on a daily basis. While he is tied down by the bindings of poverty, I have access to great health care, bountiful food, and incredible opportunities to further myself to make a substantial living. This man must take what he is given, continue to pick up plastic bags, and go home each day to find joy through the smiles of his relationships not his personal bought luxuries.
After I exited his home I had a very unsettling feeling within myself and in deep thought I laced up my Nikes and walked away from a world I am far removed from.

Writing the Book on Water

Our USC group aren't the only students who have been intrigued by the challenges of water & health in India.

Whitman Direct Action (WDA), a student group at Whiteman College in Oregon devoted to empowering communities through economically and environmentally sustainable development, spent several months on the ground in India this spring, taking surveys and collecting information about India's water issue.

Today, they've released a summary of their findings in a collaboratively written Water Book, available for free download on their site.

The book is meant as a two-way dialogue and WDA encourages feedback and comments on each section. As the issues they describe are very similar to those that our project addresses, I encourage each of you to take a look and join the dialogue.

Our Mission

USC Hubli Water and Health Project: Mission
This is a compiled work put together by the USC Team. We hope that it gives our support team better insight to what we desire to accomplish during our time in Hubli.


The World Health Organization has reported that 88% of the 1.8 million deaths resulting from diarrhea can be attributed to unsafe water or inadequate hygiene or sanitation. Unfortunately, a significant population in the city of Hubli, India is victim to these causes, and isn't even aware of it.

The USC Hubli Water and Health Team is in Hubli this summer to implement a project model that will improve these statistics in the community. Their team of six members, visiting from the University of Southern California in the United States, will guide a pilot project in the under-served community of S.M. Krishna Nagar. Over the course of the next year the Team will employ local college students to maintain the program and monitor the efficiency of the Team’s water purification technology. Subsidizing the cost for those living within this community, the Team will be providing state-of-the-art purification systems at affordable prices, creating an important sense of ownership and empowerment for the owners of these important devices.

The Team likewise desires to build awareness within the local community about the need to drink purified water. While the source of water they currently receive from the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) is filtered, sewage leakage or the poor management of waste often contaminates drinking water on its way. While the water from these pipes or the bore wells may look clean, it can be hazardous to drink. Even water contained in holding tanks on vehicles which visit the community is by no means guaranteed to be of sufficient, purified quality. The tanks carrying the water are rarely cleaned and the taps through which the water is dispersed may easily be contaminated. Families must be aware that the water they are provided is harmful to their health and is also a catalyst for breeding mosquitoes carrying malaria and other transferable diseases. Local reports have proven this, as communities in the past have fallen victim to water-related illnesses as a result of their consumption of unclean water. The USC Team hopes to shed light on this threatening issue, as confronting the challenge of dirty drinking water is a "gateway" step towards achieving measured, sustainable improvements in a wide array of serious health related issues. Through education at key points of community influence and the measured introduction of new technologies that encourage responsibility over simply charity, the Team will use its time in Hubli to affect change that is both scalable and sustainable.

Catalysts

Meet Jabashetti.
Jabashetti is with the Water Literacy Foundation, and has been instrumental in whatever success we’ve had during our first few weeks here. The Water Literacy Foundation actively works to raise awareness throughout Karnataka about rainwater harvesting and other methods of effective utilization of water. We met with him last week at his office, and he explained the mechanics of a rainwater harvesting system they have at their facility.

At the end of our meeting, he invited us to go visit one of Karnataka’s sources of water. On Tuesday, we took this trip.

We first went to a filtration plant run by the Karnataka Water Board, where we received a very thorough tour of the filtration process that takes place before the water reaches the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC), which controls the water supply throughout the region. We learned that the process is comprised of multiple steps that filter out sediments as well as bacteria. From what I understood, they employ a four-layer filtration unit to filter out sediments, as well as heavy mixing of the water to create and remove sludge using PAC (polyaluminum chloride), in addition to chlorinating the water to disinfect it. We collected a sample from the discharge point of filtration, which Alex is currently testing in the lab.

We then drove on to visit the Malaprabha Dam, which serves as the reservoir for the Hubli-Dharwad twin cities. Alex collected a sample of this water as well, and will be reporting the results of the quality tests shortly.

Our next stop was a school run by Jabashetti’s close friend, where we were met with swarms of students asking for our autographs and waving frantically as they half laughed, half shouted “Hello!” This was expected. The next part, however, we were completely unprepared for. The school had arranged to have local media cover an assembly about our project. Luckily, Jabashetti did a fabulous job of “translating” our speech, so I think we came out sounding a lot better in Kannada than we should have.


Jabashetti called us yesterday to let us know that we’ve been invited to speak at another school in Dharwad. While it is unfortunate that we can’t implement our project in every one of these schools, we feel that any opportunity to educate people on proper sanitation practices and the importance of clean water is one to be taken full advantage of. And this time, we’ll be prepared so that Jabashetti doesn’t have to work so hard. On top of everything I’ve already mentioned, Jabashetti has offered to send out a press release about our project using WLF’s resources.

Our doubts of not being able to accomplish much during our time here are slowly being erased one by one, thanks to the dedicated assistance of locals such as Jabashetti and many others we have not yet accredited in our blog. These people are our project’s catalysts. Whenever I begin to think that we’re at a standstill, a “Jabashetti” comes along and gives us that extra push we need to keep going, and I can’t begin to express how grateful we are for them.

SITE VISIT

Our target population for this project is a colony far from the center of Hubli. The government originally developed it as a habitation for the poor and since that time it has been enormously neglected. The streets, the homes, and other areas of the town are completely dilapidated-- It is the by far the worst slum area we have seen yet.
We took the bus partway to the colony and had to get off to take a rickshaw to approach the desolate area. The four of us (3 USC team members + an Indian friend/translator) climbed out the rickshaw and looked around to be welcomed by intense stares. By the demeanor of the townspeople people, I immediately felt apprehensive. The four of us were a bit out of sorts as the rickshaw skirted away. There we stood in the mud as outsiders, in bewilderment of not knowing what direction to head next.
In a panic to move along and away from the townspeople I caught the attention of a curious little girl and asked her to point out the direction of the school. We headed down the street by her directions and started walking past more adults who seemed unapproachable. I whispered to the translator to explain our purpose in being there to anyone who asked…and as soon as possible. We needed to show the suspicious bystanders that we came in peace and were there to help them...Finally the wish was granted.
Within the moments that a few words were exchanged between the translator and group of young men, each one of the men’s faces relaxed. I stood in the back and breathed a sigh of relief. One of the men uncrossed his arms and pointed in the direction of the school saying something loudly, in an effort to allow other bystanders to loosen up as well.
From there we proceeded to walk down the muddy clay roads to locate the school of 580 students. On our way, watchful children followed us; many of them were pant-less running barefoot behind the group trying to keep up to see where we were going.
It was an experience in itself reaching the school but once we arrived we were immediately embraced. We were welcomed by open handshakes and smiles from the school’s Principal and Secretary who had seen us coming from a distance. They came out to the quad to greet us despite not knowing what our purpose was or why we had come to their school. I have an inkling that when they took notice of our fair skin from afar they believed something of great benefit them was coming their way.
As we began speaking with them about our idea, they continually nodded in agreement. It is hard to tell whether they were keenly interested in our aspirations or just the attention their students would be receiving from Americans, whatever purpose we were there for. From there we received a tour of the small six-classroom school. Except for the 7th Standard (or grade) all other children sat on worn mats on the floor. The school was much worse off than the one I had toured earlier in the week. After our tour and the discussion of our project, I asked the Principal if he had any further personal desires for his school. He answered me in his broken English, “Please, Please, bring us desks.” The feeling inside me must have been both an ache of sadness and yet a feeling of purpose. In comprehending his request, a small voice inside, said to me “done!” I was surprisingly confident that I could provide him with something that the school desperately needed though it was unrelated to our project. Desks are something that are easy to come by in the U.S. with a little fundraising, but sadly nearly impossible for a impoverished community such as this one to attain. I responded by speaking about the huge undertaking we would begin to accomplish this summer and that I promised to help him in the immediate future once I arrive back in the U.S.
Exiting the school grounds we all were beaming that our project would be underway much sooner than expected. The most surprising aspect about the small town was that by the time we reached the entry road again to find ourselves a rickshaw home, many of the once standoffish people were smiling and saying hello. I was in disbelief as I thought to myself; both positive and negative word must spread fast in this community.
This element, characteristic of many small towns, will only work to our advantage as we proceed ahead with our educational workshops in the primary school. The students will have a large impact in spreading the word within their homes and neighborhood. We hope that when we start distributing the water filters and raising awareness about waterborne diseases, parents will listen to their kids and neighbors will talk. As many call it here, it is “mouth marketing” that will greatly help cultivate both the enthusiasm for our program and the acceptance of our water filtration system. We hope that within the initial months of implementing our project the townspeople will become more and more accepting of our work and welcome us into their homes to conduct monthly surveys. From this experience I learned that it is going to take strong initiative to get the program off the ground but also the united support of the townspeople to make the project a success.

Shattered Assumptions... And I Haven't Even Left for India Yet

I have just read a very enlightening piece on water quality & health projects and it, along with Kimberly's recent post expressing the lack of health awareness in Hubli, has shaken many of the assumptions I held about aid work in general and our project in particular.

I have summarized my lessons and recommendations below, but given the richness of the PDF I read, I highly recommend that anyone interested in water & health takes about two hours and reads it themselves. I assure that you will learn a lot from this non-traditional approach to our work.

Central Idea:

Don't treat poor people like poor people. They don't want to be poor and they don't want technologies for the 'poor'.

My Lessons & Recommendations:

Don't give away filters and other technologies for free.
Instead, encourage local production and markets and use grant money to fund micro-finance programs and installment plans to increase affordability.
Why? Giving filters and other technologies for free (1) creates expectations that they are 'free' products that should be waited for rather than actively purchased and (2) reinforces the notion that the products have little value. This sabotages the efforts of local retailers. Only after a domestic market has matured should subsidies be introduced to help the absolute poorest members of the community.
First Action is to identify local retailers and health stores that might we might be able to partner with to sell filters.

Don't ignore supply.
Instead, work with local vendors and manufacturers to ensure a reliable supply chain.
Why? The biggest reason people stop using water filtration or other technologies is because something broke and they either couldn't find or couldn't afford the new part. A supply chain that relies on donations is bound to run dry. Encourage local retailers and manufacturers.
First Action is to identify local retails and manufacturers and weaknesses in the supply chain.

Don't ignore marketing.
Instead, use local leaders, teachers, celebrities, and pop culture to promote a branded product.
Why? Lectures willl convince some people but far more people will be convinced by lifestyle marketing. Link healthy behaviors and technologies to higher social status, admired leaders, and whatever is locally defined as 'cool' and you'll hook far more people.
First Action is to identify what's 'cool' in our community.

Don't ignore branding.
Instead, make sure every filter or other product sold has a prominently displayed symbol on it.
Why? Brands do a couple things. One, they make products more desirable by giving them a 'cool' aura. Two, along with certification and regular manufacturer check-ups, they can create an image of reliability, giving people more confidence in their purchase.
First Action is to identify what's 'cool' in our community.

Don't assume filters = clean water.
Instead, promote good hygiene and water care as well.
Why? If a family filters their water but doesn't wash their hands after using the bathroom, they're still going to pick up microbial diseases. If a family filters water but pours it into dirty glasses, there was no point in filtering it in the first place. Clean water & sanitation go hand in hand.
First Action is already under way, as I expect Kimberly is hard at work promoting sanitation ;)

Don't exclusively market to the poor.
Instead, market the same products to the middle class and rich as well.
Why? The poor don't want 'poor' products. They want to be like the rich. The middle class and rich face many of the same water quality issues anyways. Convincing them to adopt healthy behaviors and products sets an example for the poor and increases the likelihood of adoption.
First Actions are to (1) identify where the middle class/rich get their water and (2) identify community leaders and see if they are willing to endorse our education programs and water technologies.

Don't assume that everyone adopts water technologies for the same reason.
Instead, investigate local opinion on water cleanliness and see who boils or filters already.
Why? Those already convinced of the need for clean water don't need to be told that changing their behaviors is healthy; they need to be shown that is convenient. Time and ease of use are the main points to address to them. Demonstrations of convenience in health stores is good way to approach them. Those not yet convinced of the existence of clean and unclean water will need to be shown the health benefits. Health improvement is the main point to address to them. Television commercials, community leader endorsemetns, and health talks within local social groups (like the bingo club) are good ways to approach them.
First Action is to identify who does and does not use water technologies and the places and organizations each group frequents.

Don't promote and sell every technology separately.
Instead, make them available through 'water kiosks' run by locals.
Why? Filters aren't for everyone. Neither is SODIS or chlorination or Twitter or any technology. Give people a choice all in one place and there more likely to feel in control and find something that appeals to them.
First Action is to keep an eye out for reliable, responsible, and entrepreneurial community members (especially those who are already shopkeepers) who might be able to pilot a 'water kiosk.'

Don't promote SODIS bottles as 'free'.
Instead, sell branded SODIS bottles cheap through local retailers.
Why? PET (plastic) bottles used for SODIS (solar disinfection) are virtually ubiquitous and free. Yet people still don't like to use them for two reasons: time (SODIS takes several hours) and image (plastic bottles are trash). Selling painted, branded bottles can help solve both. Bottles with a bit of UV-absorbing black tape or paint disinfect water significantly faster than plain bottles, and branded bottles wouldn't seem like trash. How cool would it be for kids to buy, for a few cents, PET bottles painted with black & orange tiger stripes, under the brand name 'Tiger' bottles? Additionally, entrepreneurs could paint discarded bottles themselves, creating a sustainable, local supply chain.
First Action is to find out if people are aware of SODIS and, if so, why they do or don't use it.

As always, criticism and suggestions are welcome and expected!

International Year of Sanitation

Apparently the UN declared 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation, so it’s very appropriate that we are here doing our part to improve sanitation practices in Hubli. Of course, clean water isn’t the solution to all health problems, but the fact that, according to the World Health Organization, “nearly 1.8 million people die of diarrhea each year”, and that “88% of diarrhea cases is attributable to unsafe water or inadequate hygiene or sanitation” highlights the ever present need to target the contaminated water that the people of Hubli depend on.

Preparing for this summer, I fully expected to encounter plenty of things that would be heavy for both my heart and my head, so before leaving LA, I bought The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer, which is clearly a book that isn’t to be taken too seriously and doesn’t require much of my attention. I started reading this chick lit this morning before our Kannada class, and I came across this section:

“I believe that within every one of us is a woman of undiscovered beauty, a woman who is charming and talented and light of heart. I believe that all we need is a fairy godmother to dust us off and bring out our potential and, while she’s at it, turn the rats in our lives into coachmen.”

Maybe the book shouldn’t be taken seriously, but maybe this can be true. Great potential can be masked by unappealing appearances or unfortunate circumstances. But get past that, and who knows what one can find?

Today we visited SM Krishna Nagar, an area that was built by the government to provide housing for low-income families. It’s an area that we’re seriously considering working with because we feel it has a lot of potential – especially after actually seeing the place. After our visit, I think I speak for all of us when I say that we had a lot of thoughts going through our heads. Thoughts of the immense need for assistance in this community; of the exciting times we have ahead of us if we are to work with the people there; of the always pleasantly surprising welcoming nature of everyone we encounter. The houses there are small and shanty, and the stream that flows alongside the community is nearly black and surrounded by debris. The school isn’t nearly as big as the one by the ladies hostel here on the BVB campus, and too many of the children there are without desks. But the smiling faces and the shy giggling is all the same. The principal spoke English, which we were grateful for because we had been told that no one would speak English in this community. Although our project plans have not been completely finalized, it was definitely reassuring to realize that we would have the support of the school staff.

Maybe we can’t be fairy godmothers for the people of SM Krishna Nagar and fix all their problems, but we can certainly try to help get rid of one rat in their lives and bring clean water to them. And just maybe one of those adorable children covered in dirt will recognize the need that we’re trying to address with our project and become someone great who brings improvements to the community that go beyond our group’s capabilities.

Team Water is Twitting!

We just set up an account on Twitter and invite all of you to follow us there for more frequent project updates & reflections. Our username, "hublipaani", refers to the city we are working in (Hubli) and the Hindi word for water (paani).

For those of you who haven't heard of it, Twitter defines themselves as follows:

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

You can also learn more at their FAQ page or sign up for an account here.

SLUMS

One of the greatest learning experiences this far was visiting the slums. A translator, another fellow, and myself went on an outing to conduct surveys of numerous homes in the poorer area of town. The purpose of the survey was to obtain data on the history of health in each household. We were most interested in understanding each family’s access to drinking water and the health of children less than 15 years of age (most notably the incidence of diarrhea or other symptoms in the households per month).
Our second interviewee was at first hesitant to speak us. Our translator conveyed to him, “They are students from America…They would like to speak with you--they are here to help.”
We were then invited to remove our shoes and come sit inside. The three of us shared one mat, the head of the household sat comfortably no more than two meters across from us on the other wall, in minimal light. My back was pressed up against the foundation of the dwelling, my socks tucked under me trying to remain as small as possible in the tiny, dark space. The residence consisted of two rooms and had a diminutive area for bathing--No toilet, no fan, no door, and no beds. It is in this home that in the couple raised their four children. Only one of them has been lucky enough to attend school.
During the thirty minute interview the man shared with us details of his personal life and that of his family’s. In hearing about their lifestyle, I began to comprehend to a greater degree the importance for our work. The more concerning answers we received during the interview, were from the following questions:
Translator: “What is your source for drinking water?”
Interviewee: “The bore well”.
Translator: “Do you treat your drinking water before you drink it?”
Interviewee: “Haha… No. It looks clean-- Why should I do that?”
Bore wells are sites that provide drinking water for communities. However, many communicable water borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, etc arise when bore wells are not adequately maintained and remained uncovered. The neglected site may be situated next to a garbage dump or may be affected by bacteria from nearby sewage piping. Bore wells then become improper areas to obtain drinking water and may carry water borne diseases. Furthermore, they may become sites that attract mosquitoes carrying malaria.
As an outsider, I realize there is a need to provide these people with access to clean water, but the surprising factor is, that many families remain unaware of the problem. They do know that it is the water that influences numerous disease outbreaks.
The closing survey questions were also informing:
Translator: “Would you use a treatment method if provided with one?”
Interviewee: “Not necessary. Water is clean. Why would I need it? Filters too expensive.”
It was in hearing the answers to these questions that it became clear that my team faces many challenges ahead. I realized it will not only be a challenge to physically implement water filtration systems into households, but more so a societal challenge to convince the people why they need to use the filtration system. Also, it is clear that in the future we must explore microfinance opportunities to disseminate the inexpensive filters on a mass scale that we find to be most effective, given the conditions of the community. This will be important to ensure that future filtration systems remain affordable and another opportune project to give back to trained individuals in the community.
My experience in the slums was an exceptional learning experience. It helped me to further understand the characters of these communities and catch an intimate glimpse into their lives. As anyone may guess, it was awakening to see how these families live, with the few amenities they have. While it was discouraging to learn about the challenges which await us, it is also thrilling to know that the USC team has the potential to positively impact the daily lives of many.

"Only In India..."

I came back from dinner today from Ambesh (our favorite restaurant, which, by the way, is entirely vegetarian!) and flipped the switch to my room – only to find that my fan and light weren’t working. I was confused, because all of my neighbors had their lights on. Just to make sure that I wasn’t crazy, I made my way through the dark to the outlet on the wall, and plugged in my power adapter. After flipping the toggle at the outlet and getting the little red light to go on, I realized that my room had power, at least to the outlets, but for some reason the ceiling light and fan just weren’t turning on.

I decided to venture down the hall to ask one of my neighbors why my lights weren’t working. I found one of the rooms where voices were audible from the hallway and gave a nock. There was an indecipherable answer, but I opened the door to a few Indian fellows (in both literal senses of the word, haha…) that were sitting on their respective beds, just chatting, one of them with a laptop perched on their lap. Upon explaining them my situation, one of them smiled at me, bobbled his head back and forth in a manner that you would have to be here or understand Indian culture to picture, and walked me back to my room.

He simply flicked a switch outside of my room, which sent the fan whirring and the ceiling light ablaze. I hadn’t even seen the switch, but apparently they’re installed so that the building supervisors have the ability to turn off your lights and fans (to save power) while you are gone – without having to get keys and enter your room without your permission. All-in-all a good system, but I did not even think that there could be an external power supply to my room. My Indian friend, however, stuck around afterwards just to chat.

When I sat down to take off my shoes, he sat down as well. I’m not sure if he thought I was inviting him to conversation (I wasn’t), or if he was curious and wanted to start one himself (more likely), but we just started talking about each other, school, and our respective involvement with the Deshpande foundation here in Hubli. I still hate how bad I am remembering names, but I cannot remember his… nor those of his five friends that somehow found out that their pal was chatting with the American down the hall.

We spent at least an hour talking about everything from Indian geography, American geography, Indian culture and language groups, the San Diego Zoo, the Kashmir region of India, Yellowstone Park, India-Pakistan relations (a touchy subject), the Golden Gate Bridge, India-China relations (also a touchy subject), Indian nuclear politics, and a good deal more. One of the men that joined me spoke wonderful English (he studies for two years at Missouri University in Kansas City), and another one of the fellows was comparatively talkative. He seemed to have a bit of a speech impediment, but had a wonderful vocabulary and was perhaps the most talkative. The other four talked less than the main two ( I think they knew less English, or were simply less confident), but all knew enough English to get things across, although sometimes they had to help each other pick the right word, or I would have to

I’ve learned a few things about Indian culture – more accurately, some limited observations about a select group of Indians, as well as a couple anecdotes – and I would like to share them with you:

1.) They care about two things – “India, and girls”. That one made me smile.

2.) They are really up to date on current events, politics, and the history of their nation. More so than the average student back in the U.S., even more so than the average USC student. Perhaps a “World Class University” is nothing more than a meaningless saying, because these men needed no appellation of the sort to know what was going on in their country and the World. One of them even taught me something about the history of U.S. geopolitics in the subcontinent, and taught me something about a pending Bill in the U.S. legislature that I hadn’t even heard of.

3.) There is a good deal of animosity towards Pakistan and China here. This may be a taboo subject to talk about, but this may not be evident to everyone reading this. Suffice it to say, that I have made the best attempt here to address the subject with tact and balance. The following is my attempt at a history lesson, in order to better contextualize my previous statement.
In 1947 India and Pakistan (then Pakistan included Bangladesh) were partitioned from Britain, and effectively freed of colonial rule. The countries currently known as Pakistan and Bangladesh were then one Muslim-majority country known as Pakistan. The country we currently know as India was called India, but was led by a group of kings in a quite decentralized government. In 1951 the constitution of India was ratified by all of the states, and the rule of the kings was ended. India now has a President, a parliament, and a Prime Minister (India is a Secular Socialist Democratic Republic). Pakistan is somewhere between a democracy and a theocracy (you can be the judge of that, given recent political developments). There is a region between India and Pakistan called Kashmir that is claimed by both India and Pakistan (India controls 2/3 of the area, Pakistan 1/3), and it has been a source of conflict since 1947.

In 1962, China invaded parts of eastern India, beat up on a bunch of Indian Army units, and then left. We didn’t go much into why, but rest assured that they were “thrashed” (as my friend put it) pretty badly. In 1971, when Pakistan (then Pakistan and Bangladesh) had a civil war when Bangladesh wanted to break away from Pakistan to form its own country, India supported the people of Bangladesh and helped to kick the Pakistani army out of Bangladesh (subsequently leaving and letting Bangladesh establish itself as a sovereign nation). The Indian military also “thrashed” (as my friend put it) Pakistan for good measure.

Add in the fact that India and Pakistan both detonated nuclear test weapons in 1998-99, and the fact that there are suspicions that China gave nuclear weapons to Pakistan, to all of the history in the past two paragraphs, and perhaps you can see why some animosity exists.

4.) They are extremely patriotic. They love their country, and are very proud of it. Multiple times during our conversation the phrase “only in India” would come up, and it was usually very appropriate. For example, India has 26 different states with thousands of languages and many different cultures. Another interesting tidbit is that one of India’s past Prime Ministers did not speak Hindi. During an address to the nation he presented a speech that he had written in Kannada (a regional language), and had been translated into Hindi (the national language), and then back into phonetic Kannada such that he could pronounce the words (which in Hindi he did not understand, but had written the speech in Kannada so he clearly knew the content) in a way that would sound Hindi and be understood by all listening.

For comparison, this would be akin to the United States electing a president that spoke only Spanish. The president would write the State of the Union Address in Spanish, and then a translator would turn the speech into English for the President. Then, the translator would convert that speech back into phonetic Spanish such that the Spanish-speaking President could clearly pronounce the English words that he had no understanding of what they meant (beyond the fact that the original content of his Spanish language speech would be preserved because he, of course, had written it).

If that is too mind-boggling to understand, then join me in saying “Only in India!”

Team Water in the News

Reuters got wind of our project and sent out this dispatch. Look for it in newspapers of high journalistic integrity near you.

Big Question: Symptomatic Water-Borne Diseases

BIG QUESTION

Listen up, loyal readers, because it's "Big Question" time! This is your chance to aid us in our water health project here in Hubli, Karnataka. The situation is as follows:

Besides simply cleaning water (a mundane, if not important humanitarian project), a huge focus of our project is using the "data informatics" software to remotely track the effectiveness of our health/sanitation education and water treatment interventions (i.e. teaching people about water sanitation and water filters that we give them).

Data will be entered into the software here in India, and then over the course of the year, from the comfort of USC in Los Angeles, we will be able to monitor certain data.

The question is:

"What kind of data should be recorded throughout the year? What are the symptoms (besides Diarrhea) of water-borne diseases (that an Indian student trained to perform follow-up visits for our project) can ask a head of household during their monthly visits?

July 4th: Belated Entry

This was written on July 4th, and I've transcribed it here:

[Written originally in the cafeteria in the morning]

My first bucket shower was a success. I don't exactly have soap or shampoo yet, but that's a work in progress. I'd like to order breakfast, but I don't know what the menu means, nor can I communicate with the cooks. I should get an English-Kannada dictionary some time soon. I'm all moved into my room now. The mattress is okay, and the sheets are iffy, but I was so tired that it didn't matter.

We bug-bombed the room to kill mosquitos, and it seems to have worked for the most part. I did, however, find this huge beetle that was as large as the first digit of my thumb. That was a site.

~

So I ordered breakfast. I'm not sure what it was called, and I didn't really like it either. I had two doughnut-like things, except I wasn't so lucky as for them to be doughnuts. It came with these two weird sauces, too. Not my favorite. Then there was this goofy yellow rice stuff with crusty white stuff on it. My little Indian friends (students sitting at the table with me, uninvited, but welcome) tell me its called Alaki. There's about 70 Indian kids in here wearing NCC uniforms. It means National Cadet Corps. The kids are really friendly...

[End of journal entry]

P.S. I now have shampoo and soap and stuff. I went to "Big Bazaar" (an Indian Target, kind of). Bucket showers, however, I will not get used to. Not a fan.

P.P.S. I now know how to order breakfast! I like "Palau" (kind of like fried rice) and Baji (deep fried dough-balls). The food here is delicious, but not very healthy.

July 3rd: Belated Entry

So I finally figured out how to get this blog thing to work. :-)

The following is my stream of consciousness trail of thoughts that I wrote down on my first day here:

Tired. Anxious. Hungry. Dirty. Hopeful. All are what I am. One of which I hope to remain in the morning.

~

Our flight from SFO to Shanghai was wonderful. There was a whole row in which I could lie down and the food was great. I hadn't slept for two nights before last, and was out like a light in a jiffy.

~

[Personal paragraph omitted]

~

India has very red Earth, but is otherwise a very green place. I like the people, from what little I can say of them. It is, however, frustrating not knowing the language here. That will certainly hinder me to some extent, but I am glad that most of the educated individuals that I will be working with do know English somewhat.

~

A liter of water here cost me 14 Rupees, which is 1/3 of a dopllar. I have yet to take an auto rickshaw somewhere, but I am told that that shouldn't cost me more than thirty Rupees.

~

The weather is nice here It's about six in the evening, and the breeze compliments the 70 degree weather quite well.

[End of journal entry]

P.S. It is really hot and humid here. It reminds me of back home (Wisconsin). I am retroactively very happy that L.A. doesn't really have weather.

P.P.S. I've taken auto rickshaws many a time now. They're great, but I'm not sure how safe they really are. I hate haggling with the drivers over prices, but its just part of the culture here. I could care less if something costs me 45Rs or 40Rs (a difference of 17 cents, basically), but I don't want to get taken advantage of.

New Friends

To start off, here’s a little peek at the fabulous Deshpande wedding we attended this past weekend. Don't they make a beautiful couple? It was an amazing experience and we made many new friends.

Some of our new friends attend the school right next to the ladies’ hostel where we’re staying. The other day at the canteen, Kimmie met the headmistress, who was kind enough to invite us for a tour. We expected the tour to be no longer than half an hour, but actually ended up staying for an hour and a half. Lalita, the assistant to the headmistress, spoke English well and took us around to just about every classroom. The school has 1,700 students ranging from ages 2½ to 17, and we met all 1,700 of them. We were both a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of kids shouting “Good Morning Madam” and all of their excited attempts to shake our hands, but I think the award for most lasting impression goes to the warmth and generosity that embraced us with each person we met. Kimmie recognized some of the little boys from the Deshpande wedding, and I recognized Aishwarya, a girl we randomly met on the streets of downtown Hubli the day before. Now, every time we pass by the school, all the children wave from their classrooms and run toward us to shouting "Hi! How are you? Fine!" with the biggest smiles on their faces.

It costs 6,000 rupees a year to attend this school, and the headmistress told us that these students come from fairly well off families. Nevertheless, here is a glimpse of their water source:

Just seconds before this picture was taken we saw children taking turns drinking straight from that faucet at the end. Especially after getting to know these kids, we were reminded of our purpose here and are all the more motivated to improve the water conditions here.

Dichotomy of Lifestyles

The Deshpande family held an incredible ceremony for their son who is a graduate of MIT. The USC fellows were invited to join a 1,000 or so others at the beautiful event. The firework show alone replicated one of Walt Disney’s. We felt honored to be a part of such an experience and blessed by the many opportunities we have already been given as Deshpande Fellows. After a weekend of festivities, I came home to unwind and decided to head to Downtown Hubli to run some errands. It was in this particular adventure that I began acknowledge firsthand the inescapable poverty of other peoples’ lives.
Walking in the streets of downtown, Christine and I received much attention. In between the few “hellos” and curious looks from the townspeople, we ourselves were absorbed the unfamiliar sight of people living in poverty. Many of the townspeople walked barefoot in the muddy streets carrying hefty baskets on top of their heads. The countless unsupervised children darted back and forth, some on rusty bikes, others in the hands of other siblings.
By the time we found the supplies we needed, I was ready to leave a place that pulled me from my comfort zone. For the first time, I did not feel confident in my skin.
Ascending the street to find a rickshaw to take us back to our hostel, we came across something I never expected. A crowd of people had gathered around someone. As we approached we saw his feet surrounded by flies. He was lying face down.
My feet led me through the crowd as I knocked elbows with many spectators. I had passed the scene, yet my eyes pulled me back. I looked over my shoulder not wanting to see what I was about to, but needing to know he was just hurt…
His head was pressed against the wet gravel, his eyes glazed over. The young man, most likely no older than myself, rest alone. Dead…I left the scene with what felt like a block weighing down on my chest, still wondering where his family is, or if he is just another number.

Community vs. Household Systems - Advantages & Disadvantages

One of the big issues that the water management portion of our project faces is the decision of whether to implement community or household systems.

Household systems are maintained by individual families. Each family is responsible for their system and their system only.

Advantages:

• promotes independence
• family understands the value of their system
• those who benefit = those who are responsible (high incentives for maintenance)

Disadvantages:

• household systems don't benefit from scale
• poorest households may not be able to afford
• elderly households without children may have trouble with maintenance

Community systems are maintained by the community. Responsibility may lie with a single individual or council or a rotating group.

Advantages:

• benefits from scale (i.e. bigger systems sometimes offer lower price per person)
• promotes a sense of community
• only one system to maintain
  

Disadvantages:

• enables free riders (people who benefit but do no work)
• can create hierarchies (those who maintain the system have power over those who don't)

This a very rudimentary treatment of the problem as I have only just begun to explore the issue. I'm sure many of you out there have asked yourself this same question though so please share your experiences!

Skype Reunion: Pre-Departure Conference Call

After bonding over several sleepless nights of brainstorming and furiously writing and revising a grant proposal together into the wee hours of the morn, Alex, Nanda, and I had resorted to email banter for the last month as I headed to Shanghai for an internship, Nanda bunkered down in the office of a medical research company, and Alex remained at USC for a summer research gig.

Yesterday, in preparation for Alex, Kimberly, and Christine's departure today for India, Alex, Nanda, and I reunited over Skype. Needless to say, it was a quasi-emotional moment as I was able to revert to English and hear those unmistakably mid-West and Indian accents after a month of Mandarin. The main purpose of our call was to update each other on our efforts, concerns, and goals. A summary follows.

• Mobile vs. Laptop Platform Debate
• The question of whether our software will be easier to disseminate and use as a mobile phone-based app or laptop-based system is an important issue and, while it will regardless by laptop-based this summer, we want to take note of the accessibility of laptops and mobile use proficiency we encounter in India
• Focus on Source
• Don't go right to the solution, see what is causing the problem
• Preventative solutions are often easier and more permanent
  
• Build with People
• Build something with people, not for people
• One, they'll value it more
• Two, they'll know how to fix it
  
• Ask Filter
• We can't always work with every family within a community so a selection process is needed
  
• Choose families based on proactivity
• Those that ask to participate are both more likely to need our help and more likely to remain proactive and maintain their system
  
• Think in Actions Not Wishes
• Aid work often involves a depressing number of obstacles and failures
  
• Always think 'What can I do to fix this?' not 'I wish this had happened...'.
  
• Time Budget for Hospitality
• Indians are hospitable and love to entertain
  
• Expect to spend an hour or more introducing yourself, pleasantries, etc.
• Negotiate Plan with NGO
• Keep them informed
• Make benchmarks with them
• Local Materials
• Strive for water tech systems based on local materials
  
• Cheaper and more easily accessible

To those who have been to India or participated in aid work elsewhere, send us feedback!
What are your best tips? Did we miss anything? Are we flat wrong on any points? Are Indian clinics more likely to adopt a patient data tracking program that requires a laptop to use or that is accessible via mobile phone?