India 2005
India '02 | India '03 |
India '05
Well, six of our men have survived another trip to India, having spent a
gruelling two weeks in one of Delhi’s slums, doing building work at a medical
centre.
In temperatures of around 40C, the team built, plastered, tiled, paved and
painted. The slum is in an area of Delhi called Kalkaji, and is home for about
42,000 people. The clinic there is run by ASHA, under Dr Kiran Martin – she is
now working in over 40 slum communities in Delhi – and when a building project
needs done she seems to think of the Ballymena men.
This years team consisted of Tommy Adger, Robin Keys, Robin Lindsay, Alastair
Law, Tommy Stewart and Gareth Williams. They were joined by Peter Houston (High
Kirk) Tony Farquhar (Ballyloughan), Barnie Graham, Steven Francey, George
Preston and Allister Pattison (First Ballymena),
Gareth comments, "Witnessing life in a large slum is quite an
experience. You are assaulted by all the noises and smells, the sheer number of
people, the bright smiles of the children, the colourful saris worn by the
women, and the unimaginably close living conditions. We get such a warm welcome,
because we come with ASHA staff who are obviously very highly thought of by the
people. We are taken through the narrow passages between the dwellings and
introduced (through an interpreter) to some of the women. These women are quite
amazing – they are often illiterate and have known little other than slum
life, yet with ASHA’s encouragement and training they have taken on the
challenge of improving sanitation and healthcare. They have seen the numbers of
infant deaths and TB drop drastically. They work for change with amazing
cheerfulness and resilience. It is humbling to spend time there, to see the
pride that the women have in their makeshift homes and their eagerness to invite
you in and offer you tea."
As in previous years one of the big challenges for the men was obtaining
materials and working with ones that are different from those in Northern
Ireland. Barnie Graham was the team member responsible for planning the work and
obtaining the supplies. "The methods and materials used in India add an
extra challenge to the work. Sand was delivered to us in dozens of loads by
cycle rickshaw. Obtaining spirit levels, straightedges and a wheelbarrow were
all challenges in themselves. The paint came in powder form and was mixed by
hand. It taught us to be patient and flexible – and in spite of our early
fears we managed to complete the job in a way that I think pleased everyone. As
a result of our visit the inner courtyard is now tiled and the open drains have
been covered. The yard at the rear has been upgraded and made secure for
children to play in. The entrance area has been paved and the building
repainted. We even bought large pots and planted them up, to create a pleasant
environment for those women coming to the clinic, or children coming to the
classroom."
This year the team had a retired minister among their number, the Rev George
Preston. This added an interesting new dimension to the trip, with ASHA
arranging for George to visit nine different slum communities to take part in
prayer meetings held by the women. The team had taken out 200 St John’s
Gospels and other literature in Hindi, and George distributed these to the
women. Around 250 converted Hindus now meet for Christian worship in the slums.
Their prayer requests reflect their difficult circumstances, yet many of their
testimonies tell of healings and God’s blessing.
"We will look back on the trip as a big success, having achieved all
that we set out to do. Unfortunately most of the men suffered from serious
vomiting and diarrhoea towards the end of the time, a little reminder that we
rely so much on God’s protection and your prayers for such projects. Being in
India again I am struck by how accessible this far off place is today, but still
an "alien" environment to us, worlds apart from our own, where our
efforts over the two weeks can be little more than a token of our love and of
our Saviour’s love."
