I started volunteering with an NGO that works with slum and squatter communities in Kolkata (and a little outside of Kolkata) called Tiljala SHED (Society for Human and Educational Development). The first time I went to visit them, I didn't have much time, so I just went to the head office to meet everyone, and then I left. The office is a short auto ride away from AIIS. The next time I went, I helped edit the English in their 2011 Annual Report. Three other people work in the room where I generally sit when I go there. Shafkat, the son of the Joint Secretary, who speaks English really well and loves to talk (though I think I've convinced him to speak in Bangla most of the time, and to put up with my plodding speech in the language). He's in his mid-twenties, the person in the organization closest to my age. Then there are two women, both in their late twenties. One of them is the main coordinator for a sponsorship program for girls. She was actually a beneficiary of the program, which supported her all the way through college, and now she's running it. The other woman is her assistant. All three of them are very nice.
I went with T-SHED on Sunday to a village where they're building a program center. The village is called Paglahat, which literally means crazy (person) market. Lol I wonder who named it... Anyways, they were providing free health examinations and medicine to the villagers. I had the all-important job of writing the name, age, weight, etc of everyone who came on a card for them to give to the doctor, as well as in a notebook for T-SHED's records. If I hadn't been there, Shafkat would have been the one writing names. Instead he just sat next to me to help me spell the more obscure-sounding ones. Anyways, it was cool to see what they're doing out there.
On the way to Paglahat, we passed by the Kolkata Leather Corporation. Apparently it used to be in the city, but they moved it outside because it was causing too much pollution. Better to pollute the villages, right? Anyways, it was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen. There were enormous piles of blue-green leather scraps all along the road. The chemicals the leather is treated with are highly toxic, yet there it was, literally tons and and tons of toxic waste, just sitting by the side of the road. The air reeked of chemicals.
Today after school I went to the TSHED office and then Aftab, whom everyone affectionately calls Mama (which means maternal uncle in Bengali), took me to the TSHED school in Park Circus. Park Circus, Mama told me, is the largest slum in Kolkata. I had never been in it before, only seen it when passing through the Park Circus Station by train. The inside was a maze. I'm sure I couldn't find the school again if I tried. It is tucked back deep in the slum. I'm told about 50 boys attend regularly, though there were only about 10 boys there when I went. The school is just for boys. TSHED runs a library in the slum which is just for girls, but because they had to choose whether to allow boys or girls in the school (I'm not sure why it had to be either/or), they chose boys because many girls cannot come because it is risky. The security in the slum is not so good. Many of the boys come after their classes at public school. It is not only a school, but a safe house where the boys can eat, play, sleep, wash, and get health check-ups. The informal classes are only a fraction of the attraction of the school. I had a good time playing and talking with the boys. We did lots of hand-clap games and they sang songs. They were very similar to the children CRAWL (the NGO I worked for a few years back) works with at Sealdah, another train station in Kolkata.
One boy had the skinniest arms I have ever seen on a child of that size. He told me he's six years old, which is about right for his height, but his arms are as small around as an infant's. Despite that, he came into the room with his arms cocked, showing off his (invisible) muscles. I exclaimed how strong he looked. Actually, he looks like if the wind blows too hard he might float away.
Anyways, I'm glad I'm getting to see the work that TSHED is doing, even though I haven't quite figured out how I will be helping them. I may begin teaching at that school or one of the other two that they run. We'll see.
Aside from working with TSHED, I was busy catching up with all my friends last week. One day I went back to my host house from last year to see everyone. Another day I met up with a friend and brought her to where I'm staying so I could give her a book she'd asked me to bring for her. Earlier on that day, I had gone with my class to College Street. College Street and the surrounding area is a whole maze of book shops. It's a really cool part of the city. I bought two books of Bengali short stories so I can practice reading on my own.
On Saturday I went back to Khardah for the first time since I've been here. It was wonderful to see everyone again. Seeing all my old students reminds me why I love coming to this country and why I'm taking the time to learn Bengali.
One of my students, a fifteen year old girl, ran off and got married without her parents' permission a few months ago. I saw her as I was leaving Khardah. She seems to be doing pretty well, so that was a relief. I told her it's illegal for girls to marry before they're 18 (before 21 for boys), and her response was "everybody does it." It's true that many people still do. I'm well aware of this fact. I just don't like it when it's someone I care about as much as her. Anyways, I was happy I got to see her at all.
~m
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