The real price of the windmill blades

Hi dear reader, I’m gonna tell you an incredible story of this incredible India.

I went there, arrived the 1st of April in Dharamsala, 22 years old young French engineer called Rémi, totally unexperimented about developing countries and strong of three years of managing in a famous brand French company. In my mind, I would have been easy.

Huh yeah, actually, no.

The first night, I was really wondering what the hell I’m doing here? I was supposed to manage a renewable energy project there, but there were no hierarchical structure, no boss, no managers and I didn’t have a clue about the opportunities of renewable energy.

And now, dear reader, three months passed away so fast, like a lightning.

It has been the strongest professional experience of my young carrier. After a short period of induction, I totally dove in Indian culture. I was really like a fish in the sea, grow a moustache, bring a Shiva’s necklace all the time and transform to a real Indian guy –Namasté Namasté ! -.

I’ve decided to build a small wind mill for household. The goal was to provide electricity to a standard house. I designed it, calculated all the stuffs (wind resource, wind strength, rotation speed, blades shape, alternator rewinding, etc.), planning and budget. All was perfect.

Huh yeah, actually, no.

In India, dear reader, nothing comes as you planned. When it came to the building steps, I had to travel thousands of kilometers. I went to Gaggal, Horshiapur, Chandigarh, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Delhi, Rajkot, Amehdabad, and so on. I met people, professionals of small wind mill, professionals of huge wind mill, mechanics, electricians, ”Jugaad” (handymen), CEO's and technicians. My design wasn’t perfect at all dude!

One thing you have to keep in mind, dear reader, is that working in India needs flexibility.

To get the blades, I went to Rajkot. 24 hours of travel to meet a guy, who was supposed to help me (maybe? First we go, and then we will see! – Indian style). Hopefully it was successful, I learned a lot and got blades, perfect blades, and WAHOU I was so glad!! So then, 24 hours of travel to go back to Bikaner by train, no seat, a night train incredibly crowded, 6 hours of standing in the corridor facing the smelly toilets. Man, this is the real price of the wind mill blades.

This is just an example, but managing a project in India looks like that. T.I.I: This Is India, and it’s wonderful.

Now, the wind mill is fully assembled, with electric parts, mechanic parts, pole, blades, transmission chain, etc. It will be installed in Khuri Village, near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan (an incredibly beautiful city in the middle of the desert, 50°C during summer, easy).

To conclude, I would just say that it was such a rich experience! To manage a renewable energy project in India, dear reader, you don’t need to be an engineer, a manager or whatever, you need to be you, trust yourself and persevere, and everything will be alright.

I’m lucky to had this opportunity to challenge my skills, I’m lucky that EduCARE trust me like that, and I think I wouldn’t have this opportunity in western companies.

Reading this blog will not give you a full description, neither a real picture of this experience; so go there, dear reader, and you will understand, you will learn or unlearn, but you will grow up.

Maja aa gaya !

Rémi Matray - France

Alternative Energy project manager, Jaisalmer

My experience in Gajner

There many things that popped into my head when having to think about my first month in India.

And having to write a blog post can be really difficult. Where do I start from? Ordering my thoughts, I would focus on my feeling regarding the arrival to Gajner and the construction of the relationship with the community, especially with the kids.

I immediately fell in love with Gajner, and I mean it.

Before arriving here, people were keeping on describing the heat of this place, which made me think that I was going to hell, instead of to a physical place. Can a place be that hot? Will I be able to survive?

WILL I DRINK ENOUGH WATER? HOW OFTEN WILL I BE SICK?

I arrived here and Gajner smelled like home. The house, the village, the dust and the heat: everything was in its own place. I felt like everything was just fine, nothing was too much, nothing was too less.

Engaging the community has been easier than what I thought and, although the process is still ongoing, hearing kids shouting your name when walking in the street, makes you forget about the heat and everything e. There is something special about these children, and it is not common sense. There is something authentic and sincere. It is a sparkle in their eyes; it is a smile or a football match. I’m not saying that everything is easy, it is tiring and frustrating especially for what concerns the language barrier; it is hard to communicate, it is hard to express yourself and can be difficult to stand the impossibility to understand what kids themselves want to tell you. This is the hardest part for me, there is a lot which is unspoken from both the parts. However, anytime you manage to communicate and see that whatever you are doing is working, you come back home already thinking about the next time you will see these kids.

Moreover, working at EduCARE means being a multi-tasking person, one day you dig a hole to collect sand, one day you work with kids, another day you attend an English class and another you spend time mapping a community. I heard many times that EduCARE is an extremely flexible environment and things can change anytime, you adapt to the environment you live in. It is true and it is challenging and fun.

I also believe that a very important aspect for the functioning of this is having a strong team to work with. Having people around makes you stronger, no laziness allowed; what you face becomes a collective action, rather than an individual one. Doing that, any action turns to be easier, because is shared.

My first three weeks in Gajner have been a full and intense human experience. It is like being in a blender and being constantly moving and shaking. It is like a tornado of people and experiences, at home and outside. It makes you feel alive. The best is yet to come and I couldn’t ask for more!

Thanks Gajner.

Soccer championship outside the house with Laure, Vijay, Johann, Mehar and Camilla

Camilla Brancolini - Italy

ASP project manager, Gajner

Health Clinic in Rait

After the success of the women’s health clinic in our Naddi centre, made possible by our partnership with Fortis Hospital in Kangra, EduCARE decided to bring a similar clinic to the Rait centre. Rait is one of EduCARE’s newest centres and very little is known about the local women’s current health status. So with preparations being made for the upcoming clinic day, it was the perfect time to investigate what kinds of health concerns local women have, what kinds of health services are available to them and how they go about acquiring health care. We began engaging women in conversations about their health and healthcare practices, and I was struck by how different a Rait woman’s experience with health services was from my own.

Back home, in Australia, I have a very good relationship with my G.P. I see her every six months for a check-up and to discuss my overall well-being; diet, fitness levels, immunity, reproductive and sexual health, mental health and any niggling little ailment that might be bothering me. Waiting times rarely exceed twenty minutes, and we meet in a comfortable, private consultation room. She knows my health history and can conveniently recall the details of past tests or prescriptions, etc., which are all recorded electronically. She carefully explains prescriptions, giving clear instructions on dosages and side-effects. Her manner is warm and patient as she allows me time and space to ask questions or express concerns. She reminds me when my next pap-test is due, and makes sure I’m up-to-day with flu shots. It’s this long-term relationship with my G.P. that provides me with holistic and complete healthcare.

From what the local women of Rait have told me, their experience is very different. Firstly, women don’t attend regular check-ups. Seeking medical services is reserved for the most severe problems or only when ongoing conditions deteriorate to an extent that they can’t be ignored. Most women priorities their domestic responsibilities or their children’s wellbeing over their own health. Going to the Dr for a minor complaint is seen as self-indulgent and a waste of time and money.

There is no personal, on-going relationship with health care providers. In fact, there are no G.P.s. Women receive medicines and advice from local clinics or dispensaries, or visit the local hospital’s out-patient department. Waiting times can take hours, even at private hospitals. Consultations are short and rushed, and only deal with most pressing complaints. Follow-up consultations are rarely performed by the same medical staff, so it’s up to the patient to remember their own medical history and repeat it several times.

For serious or ongoing concerns, women often visit multiple services and receive contradictory advice or duplicate prescriptions. Tests are often recommended, but rarely performed, and if performed but found to be negative, then additional tests are even rarer. Dispensaries often sell only the exact amount of pills that have been prescribed. This means pills are removed from their original packaging and information such as dosage instructions or side effects are only verbally communicated, if at all. Clinics and dispensaries offer no privacy or confidentiality and so health concerns that are considered taboo, such as sexual or reproductive health concerns, are often avoided or ignored. All of these things add to make women feel uncomfortable and inconvenienced when seeking medical services.

Women waiting to be received by the doctor during the health camp  in Rait

It’s no wonder women neglect their health.

EduCARE believes that women have a right to adequate health information, advice and care and that valuing women’s health is one way we can address entrenched gender inequalities in the villages in which we work. This is why our ongoing health projects are so important. EduCARE is able to act as the link between patients and services.

The health clinic held in Rait on the 12 July provided women with a different kind of healthcare experience. They were given a comprehensive check-up performed by two trained nurses, and a free consultations with a multi-specialist Dr in a private consultation room. The very friendly Dr Arka was warm and sincere as she tended to her patients. We scheduled appointments to reduce waiting times and had plenty of friendly faces to make small talk in the waiting room. Only female Fortis and EduCARE staff were present, so that the women felt comfortable and relaxed.

Katherine with the Kangra Hospital staff in one of the consultations

Our plan is to repeat health clinics every three months to ensure the women receive the ongoing healthcare they need. EduCARE provides follow-up support between clinic days too, to see if the women need any help in following the Dr.’s recommendations. Do they need someone to accompany them to get tests done? Did they understand the advice that was given on clinic day? Are they aware of the services their government issued health cards entitle them to? We also intend to design future health projects based on the information we’ve gathered about the women’s health needs. For example a prevenance of kidney stones amongst women who attended the clinics in both Naddi and Rait suggests the need for an awareness campaign about the importance of drinking water.

Health camps are just the beginning, and we have big plans for EduCARE’s health program.

Katherine Woolnough - Australia

Young Women's Association project manager, Rait (HP)

The bureaucracy of a stolen passport

When friends at home warned me of the bureaucracy in India I would just nod, fully expecting to never have to face the Indian legal system, I was, after all, not planning on doing anything wrong. However, one moment of distraction in Delhi left me without my wallet and therefore no passport, visa, driving licence or credit card. The Western part of me wanted to get everything done as quickly as possible, however, as I quickly found the Indian ‘no problem’ mentality works in precisely the opposite way.

Throughout my various visits to the embassy and registration offices it has seemed that my lack of passport is one of their last concerns. Many other factors have been more of a discussion to them, for example how much my tuc-tuc cost to get to the police station, the wording of the letter from the embassy (It was addressed ‘Dear Sir’ which they didn’t like), and finally the fact that I was not Irish, have all proved to be talking points as my documents were checked and disputed at every stage.

My first port of call was the police station to log the complaint and receive a document to then take to the embassy. Arriving at the police station was a slight shock in itself. The main desk is right next to a police cell, complete with toilet, open to the entire waiting room; to the cell’s side is the ‘women’s counselling area’- a concrete bench, again completely open to the entire room. This part of the process was the most frustrating, the combination of the police talking across me due to my being female and accompanied by a male, and the language barrier meant that it took 3 hours for one piece of paper to be printed.

After this it was off to the embassy to get my emergency documents, where I found that they had omitted to tell me that I would have to pay £95; queue a desperate call to my mother at 5am UK time begging for money. Proudly in possession of my little gold booklet I felt that all was done and I could relax, but it was far from over.

The other problem that happens when your wallet is stolen is that your money goes missing along with it. My parents sent money, but, no matter how shady Western Union’s reputation is they still are not so keen when a white girl lacking in both a passport and visa, (I presume I must have looked like an illegal immigrant by this point) asks for money to be handed over. My organisation before my trip paid off and the copy of my passport and visa were accepted, and photocopied for me another couple of times just for good measure.

The last document needed for me to travel back to the UK was an exit permit, something provided at the Foreign Registration Office. Unfortunately I didn’t realise I had booked an appointment with the Dharamsala office, and so turned up at the office in Delhi when it was closed. The soldier (With a very large gun strapped to his back) told me I couldn’t go in and seemed very confused when he saw my appointment was indeed booked for the Saturday. A cleaner from the office then called a man, who turned up on his motorcycle, soaking wet from the monsoon rain who then explained to me that I had not booked an appointment with them and that I would have to travel back to Naddi. This man was taking none of my nonsense, made clear when he told me ‘madam you need to calm down, I can’t understand you when you cry’. Having had the process explained to me I was feeling better, and now well in to the Indian mind set that because I wasn’t leaving the country for another 2 months it didn’t really matter whether or not I had papers to board a plane.

Finally I travelled back to the Dharamsala office, where I was told that I would not be given papers until two weeks before I travelled, as they needed to give me police clearance before I left the country. Something that could not yet be granted as I still have time to go on a massive crime spree before my flight. After yet more photocopies of documents being taken I was told I had to go and speak to their boss, an appointment that I felt may have had some important use, however, it was just me going to exchange pleasantries with an army general, and his commenting on my lack of Irish accent (I still am unsure why they thought I was Irish). So, with a wobble of the head and another confirmation that it was ‘no problem’ I am still in India, still it seems to me with out a visa but apparently with no upcoming problems to prevent my returning to the UK.

Although a hassle, the experience has made me more understanding of just how India works, and how in a country with a distinct lack of Internet and electricity everything will get sorted, it all just takes a bit more time. What it all comes down to in the end though is that there will always be someone there who will try and help you, even if you cant understand a word they are saying.

Rachel's new passport 

P.S. The day after I finished writing this I had a call from the embassy. Someone had handed in my wallet (Money gone) but with passport, card and driving license still inside. Unfortunately because I acted so quickly my passport and card have been cancelled and so I cannot use them, but I can still recover my licence and will have my passport cut and sent to my home, which means I have the more sentimental part of the stamps and visas I have collected. I know they will never read this but I am eternally grateful for their kindness, and for the assistance and concern I have received from everyone who has helped me.

Rachel Parry - UK 

Microfinance project manager, Punjab

Grey Water Conservation in Gajner

I´ve been in India for one month already but there is not much I could do for my project: The first week I stayed in Naddi for the induction; the second I came to Gajner, but I was following my pals to their activities (girls/boys club, ASP, YWA) and knowing the community, in order to learn about the cluster’s routine and the community itself; the third week we were back in Naddi for the Quarterlies (that trip is a nightmare and I’ve done it three times in three weeks), and then we came back and I started with my thing.

The idea is to treat the grey water we produce in our house (water from taps, shower, laundry…) making use of a biological filter to use it to water a small garden I will start soon.

I have a design of the biofilter. It consists on a two-step biological filter. The first step is a soil filter with anoxic conditions where the carbon will be reduced as part of the metabolic activity of bacteria attached to the soil and denitrification will take place. The second infiltration step will consist on a soil filter with oxic conditions, which I hope to arrange by planting one plant which name I ignore but is everywhere around here, growing even in soils flooded with wastewater. Also the lower amount of carbon after the first infiltration step limits the growth of bacteria in the second filter. Less bacteria need to breath less-> there is less oxygen consumption-> more oxic conditions.

Plant growing in a soil flooded with wastewater

The oxic and carbon limiting conditions enable for the growth of slow growing bacteria capable for degrading a big range of trace organic compounds, contained in soaps and detergents, and which have a dangerous impact once in the environment. The oxic conditions enable also for nitrification to take place.

I think I’ve found a soil with a good corn size after the physical analyses of several soils around our house. This soil is near the Gajner Palace. The idea is to have a corn size that allows the water to flow down the filters, without getting stucked (too fine corn size) or without flowing too fast (too big corn size). If this last possibility happens, the bacteria attached to the soil corns won’t be able to degrade the carbon contained in the water.

Materials used for the soil analyses of three different soils

The trouble is that this sand is a bit far of home, and it’s too hot to carry it here. Good news is I made friends with a shop keeper who gave me some nails for free. I brought chai to drink with him and he was so happy that he drove me back home with his tuk tuk (yes! He has a tuk tuk too). I asked him, and he will help me carry the sand with it.

I found all the materials I need for the set-up of the filtration system in Bikaner, thanks to Manoj’s help. Coming back to Gajner with Léa in the bus, carrying 4 huge bins (she also needed 2), food and 3 mattresses for the house was a real challenge. The set-up of the filtration train is still in process.

I’ve been learning how to make compost. I have built a compost box and started composting. For the moisture, the effluent of the biofilters will be used. Until they are constructed and in order to be able to start as soon as possible with the compost, we are saving the water used for cleaning the vegetables for this matter. The compost is very important, as the soil here is so poor. 

The garden will be in Manoj’s shop’s backyard, right below our house, and the filters will be situated along the height of the wall, so as to let the water flow with the gravity and avoid the need of external sources of energy, and to drip directly on the garden. I cleaned the backyard as it was full of plastic bottles and bins and waste in general, and I will also have to work on the soil. 

Manoj's backyard full of waste

The heat was too strong for cleaning the backyard, but some random super nice guys of the community helped me early in the morning, making it so much easier.

Improvised awesome cleaning team

The plan is to have the kids of the ASP to help me with the garden, to learn about gardening and about the importance of recycling water, especially in such a dry area. The ASP team is very happy with this idea. In order to let the rest of the community to know about the project, we will also paint the wall where the filter will be situated with an explanation of what is it about as a cluster activity and also with the ASP kids, this way everyone can see it from outside the backyard.

I want to thank all my cluster partners for their help because without them the implementation of this project wouldn’t be possible, as there are so many things I just can’t do alone. Thank you so much guys!!!

Lucía Villamayor - Spain

Bikaner Cluster Coordinator

 

Health insurance project

On a rainy Monday, Harmonie and Maddy boarded the crowded blue bus bound for Dharamsala. Their mission for the day was to unearth information about health insurance policies that the internet could not provide. As the bus sped down the mountain they reviewed the plan for the day. First, they would visit the Zonal Hospital to research the RSBY Health Insurance Scheme. The Indian government provides a variety of programs that address health issues, but often citizens in poor, rural areas are not aware of these programs. EduCARE acts as an intermediary link between the government and community members to provide information and find beneficiaries. Second, they would visit New India Assurance, the insurance company designated by the government to provide health insurance to families living below the poverty line (BPL) in Himachal Pradesh.

These visits were the first step in finding affordable health insurance options for community members in Naddi. The health insurance project combines the project goals of Women's Empowerment, Health, and Microfinance. Providing affordable health insurance encourages regular visits to the doctor. Currently, in most homes, men's health is prioritized because they are the breadwinners. This means that many women suffer from chronic health issues that go untreated, because treatment is expensive and viewed as nonessential. Health insurance is not a traditional Microfinance endeavor, although EduCARE India does not take a traditional approach to Microfinance. Within EduCARE, Microfinance refers to small scale, community based enterprises, often focusing on financial inclusion. Affordable health insurance plans are a method of financial inclusion. Financial inclusion refers to increasing a person's documented financial activity and increasing their awareness of financial options available to them.

They entered the main doors of the hospital and explained they were looking to speak with Saroj Kumari about RSBY. This request began a fifteen minute race through the hospital from one room to another. As their guide led them at top speed through hospital hallways, patients looked on curiously, no doubtably wondering what the westerns were doing there. Though the hospital was crowded and there were patients waiting in all the halls, the two western interns waited no longer than three minutes to see anyone. They spoke with Ms. Kumari, a nurse responsible for RSBY patients. She explained that beneficiaries of RSBY would receive free health insurance if they were a BPL family. Next they travelled to a separate wing of the hospital, which was hot and humid with open windows and the distinct smell of cleaning bleach. The interns were rushed into an air-conditioned room to visit several doctors and important hospital personnel. The purpose of these visits were unclear and mostly involved chat about the weather. Eventually the interns found themselves sitting in the office of Dr. Gupta having a chai discussing EduCARE's mission, rural health, and the importance of health insurance. Dr. Gupta was very kind and answered all their questions in detail. They stayed to discuss India, France, the United States, and visas. After swapping visa stories, Dr. Gupta declared "In my experience, India is easy, a simple government and simple procedures for those who are honest". The interns disagreed.

As they walked out of the hospital, they felt fully prepared for their meeting at the insurance company responsible for insuring BPL families under the RSBY scheme. Soon they found themselves in the New India Assurance office listening to a story about a woman who had come to Kangra years ago working for an anti-deforestation NGO. This woman was Muslim and Caucasian, a detail that seemed to be the most important fact of the story, according to the teller. Roughly half an hour later it was revealed to them that there was no new information regarding RSBY that the office could provide.

All in all, the day was a mixed success, as is the case with most projects that set out to navigate and conquer Indian bureaucracy. It was encouraging to learn that NGOs have an important role built into the RSBY scheme, meaning EduCARE can positively effect the health of BPL families. Although, it was learned that BPL is a designation given by the head of a village and the government, which often means it is a relative title and excludes many families who are also in need of affordable health insurance. On the one hand, many of their questions were answered, but then on the other hand, with those answers come additional questions. At the end of the day, on the winding road back to Naddi, Harmonie and Maddy planned the next phase of their project, the mission to find affordable health insurance continues.

Maddy Kennedy - USA

Microfinance project manager

Organic Gardening in Meti (Maiti)

Some people think that the management team in Educare doesn’t really work in field, but that can’t be further from the truth. Take for example, our impromptu gardening session in Meti (Maiti), the place where the Collaborative Operations Management (COM) team is currently living. Maiti is a small beautiful farming village outside of Dharamshala and about 30 minutes from our Rait center. EduCARE used to have a functioning center in Meti (Maiti) but we decided to close it in the Fall of 2014. Since then there has not been much activity there, until the COM team moved in in April 2015.

Our day started like this- HR meeting in the morning, followed by a discussion on Project Coordinator positions, and resulted in a conversation about creating a garden in Maiti. With the help of an Organic farming intern, Gyaneswari, and our Project Director, Mr. B, communicating with our house owner, before we knew it we were clearing the field for our future vegetables. What started as work by a few people, soon became an entire house effort. It also happened that Cesar and Alanah from the Naddi and Rait centers were coming by for meetings. To their surprise when they came everyone was in the garden and they jumped in to help as well!

From left to right: Hanh, Alanah, Cesar, Michelle and Gyaneswari. At the back: Margaret

The teamwork allowed for a lot of progress that would have taken much longer had it just been Michelle and I alone in the house. We managed to weed the already growing crops, clear the land and turn the soil. As the rains have come this is a perfect planting season and we already have growing buds of Indian and French beans, garlic, cucumber, bitter gourd and spinach. We also have a nice mushroom garden growing in our closet provided by Emma, a microfinance intern in Rait!

Michelle and Margaret weeding the garden

Although we have a unique arrangement in Meti (Maiti) as the COM team does not hold all of the projects that a center usually does, we are still working on some community and environmental projects. We maintain projects such as Girls Club and environmental projects like mushroom farming, kitchen garden and eco-building. While our focus is on supporting the management end and administration within the organization, we are still doing our part to learn more about the area, work on sustainable living and help the environment. There's more to come, but for now I can’t wait for our delicious veggies grown with the help of Educare interns to spring up soon!

Margaret Arzon-USA

Operations Coordinator