Distribution of blankets at night, leprosy villages, soup kitchen for street children

Sun, Dec.3, 2017 - 10:50am, written by Petra and Alexandra, published by Frank

Travel Diary - friends help friends tour, November 2017

Dear friends,

Our team has meanwhile safely returned to Germany, the heads full of impressions and with mixed feelings in the heart, on one side great joy about what could be done but also sadness about what could not be achieved.

No matter how many warm caps, blankets, etc. are distributed, it is never enough. But each time we get in contact with the affected people it feels like Christmas. It is a give and take that makes both sides richer.

Excerpt from Petra’s diary:

"We have two blankets left, when we discover two adults lying on the roadside. We give them the blankets and then we see the newborn baby on the woman's arm. It wears a warm jacket, but down the waist the baby is naked. A toddler is sleeping on the floor next to the woman. The only protection of the small family from the damp cold ground is a piece of cardboard. The four of them share two thin blankets. The two children get little caps, unfortunately, there are none left for the adults. "

THANKS to ALL friends ...- Your support made so much possible...

Thursday, November 9

From Bamberg, Alexandra, Petra, Jürgen, Wendelin and Rudi travel by Michael’s and Tanja’s bus to the airport. Bruno accompanies the group and will drive the vehicle back. Many thanks to Bruno for the car service and to Tanja and Michael for providing the bus.

The Turkish Airlines again allows 10 kg extra luggage per person, so we can take some more bags with caps.

Friday, November 10

At five o'clock in the morning the group arrives in Delhi. Today they will have to do some errands:  exchange money, order clothes from the tailor etc.

There is heavy smog in Delhi, which makes it especially difficult for Alexandra to breathe. The newspaper says the schools in Delhi are closed because of the air pollution. For those people who always have to live on the street, this means increased strain.

Saturday, November 11

In the morning Sunny, our Indian friend joins us. He had lived on the street for twelve years and brings bad news. The rent for the housing of his small rehabilitation facility for drug addicted young men was doubled. For Sunny this is unaffordable, so the building must be vacated by December 1. Many of "his boys" sleep under the bridge again. With the support of his family, Sunny was able to acquire a tiny piece of land on the outskirts of Delhi. There, a small three-storey building will be built by them. Sunny has already organized used stones, but he lacks the money for further construction material.

The team visits the remaining residents in the old accommodation. Most know Alexandra and Jürgen and everyone is warmly welcomed. Together they discuss to dismantle the roof panels and associated iron girders and use them for the new building. The material was a donation from FriendCircle WorldHelp when the roof was destroyed two years ago by heavy storms.

Afterwards the new, nearby property is visited. Work is already going on and Sunny explains his plans. At first sight, we are shocked by the size of the tiny plot (18 square meters) since Sunny sometimes takes permanent care of up to 36 people and would like to accommodate them again.

However, the price per square meter in India, especially in Delhi, is horrendous, which makes it impossible to think of a larger plot of land.

As the coldest season approaches in Delhi, the team does not want to waste any time and buys stones, sand, cement and gravel. Alexandra can get a good price for the material and the stones are transported to the property for free. Sunny can pick up the rest of the material Sunny if necessary, so he does not have to worry about possible theft. Later we get to know that 20 minutes after we purchased the material, the prices of building materials were increased by 20%.

At the next dealer, we purchase the required structural steel. Sunny is very happy with this and will see to it that the first floor will be ready until the team will come back from its trip to Bihar.

Sunday, December 12

Venu, who will accompany the group to Bihar, arrives at the hotel at lunchtime. After the bags are packed, the group receives the message that the train is five hours late. Two hours later we get to know that it is already ten hours late...

Before Sunny leaves, he tells some well-meaning "horror stories" and warns against possible unpleasant events on the train to Bihar.

In the recent past, frequently people in the train were numbed with K.O. drops or spray and robbed. There is also a warning of eating food in the train as this could be spoiled or contaminated by rats and mice. The team had heard similar warnings already several times.

Monday, December 13

At 1:00 o'clock at night we arrive at the train station and despite all horror stories, the train ride is smoothly and peacefully and the food is also edible. Rudi is not doing well during the train ride and everyone is happy that he is feeling a little better when we arrive in Patna.

Here Mila (medical student from Germany) was to wait for the team. However, her bus is twelve hours late and so she arrives in Patna only in the early morning hours.

Tuesday, November 14

After only 3.5 hours of sleep for Mila the team packs its things and sets off to visit the first of a total of nine leprosy colonies.

The colony is located directly in Patna. About one year ago, the inhabitants had to leave their previous settlement, because an elevated highway was built right there. They were expelled when the construction work began. Officially, the government has not been able to allocate them a new area, and it is uncertain how long they can stay where they are now.

The roofs of the mud huts are patched together with plastic sheeting and straw. In the rainy season, the dwellings must be abandoned, as it rains inside. Their biggest wish is to have roof tiles that can be taken along when they will again have to move. In addition, various medications and bandages are urgently needed.

In a hut Wendelin discovers a bicycle for handicapped in need of repair. Since it is urgently needed, it is repaired for the equivalent of 7.50 euros in a nearby workshop, and the handicapped man is very happy. The team leaves to go and buy the necessary material for all huts and the medicines.

Roofs for a total of 22 huts are purchased (per hut 8 parts plus gable covers and hooks for attachment). To provide the small village with dense roofs, FriendCircle WorldHelp spends 1600 euros. For the people this means a lot, as it allows them to stay during the rainy season in their homes which are anyway so incredibly barren and modest.

At noon they continue by taxi to Purnia, a city far in the east of the state of Bihar.

The team advances very slowly due to the dense traffic of cars, trucks, rikshas, ​​bicycles, motorcycles, water buffalos and pedestrians and also bad roads and a car breakdown on the way.

Wednesday, November 15

Today we will visit a village called Banmanki. Since one of the taxis has to be repaired, our group of nine people squeezes into one car. When they arrive, there is great excitement. The residents who have been living here for 30 years have never had any visitors from outside, or any support.

It is a very poor leper settlement and people's dwellings are in a particularly bad condition. The roofs are made of tarpaulins and straw, and in the rainy season, everything inside becomes soaking wet.

The people are modest. When we ask them about what they wish most, they only want dense roof tiles. For a long time there has been hope for the assignment of a separate property. Their applications to the government have so far been unsuccessful.

The children are delighted with the hair ties that Mila and Petra have brought with them, and even more with Rasgulla, an Indian candy made from sugar and milk, which they will get today. While waiting for the Rasgulla, suddenly the press appears and wants to take photos and an interview with the team. Upon their question, why we help the "accursed," Alexandra answers: "True joy is to serve the people selflessly." This makes the interviewer concerned. After further discussions, the journalist spontaneously agrees to assist the small leprosy village in its request to the government for own territory.

In the meantime, the Rasgulla has arrived and Rudi, Wendelin, Mila and Petra distribute the sweets to the patiently waiting children, while Jürgen records videos.

Incidentally, Petra and Alexandra experience what it means to have to go to the toilet in a leprosy village. The "toilet" is the open railway embankment, right next to the tracks, where people wait until the trains have passed.

In the shop, different materials are available. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed in detail; pricewise there is hardly any difference. The residents opt for roofs made of galvanized sheet metal with a substructure and supports.

They drive back to the village to distribute the hand-knit caps and warm self-made baby shoes. The shining eyes of the children and mothers are the thanks to our diligent knitting ladies at home. Everyone, including the men, is happy about the warm caps, which will give warmth and a little tenderness for the upcoming harsh winter time.

Thursday, November 16

Today, the team plans to drive from Purnia to the 280 km remote Muzaffarpur. During the drive, Venu translates the newspaper report about the actions of friends help friends, which appeared in the newspaper this morning.

The journey is quicker and safer than expected. Before they move into their rooms in the new accommodation, 270 blankets are purchased in a three-storey shop crammed to the ceiling with huge piles of warm goods. These will be donated to another village "Kumar-Bagh" and to poor workers of a brickyard.

The quality of the goods is carefully checked in advance, as these should not only be warm but also durable. As the shop-owner hears about the purpose of our bulk shopping, he spontaneously donates 50 of the 270 blankets. As a result, the cost of a blanket amounts to only 2.90 euros instead of 3.50. Everybody is happy about this assistance and once again we realize that it often does not take much to make life a bit easier for a single person.

In the evening, when all sit together, Venu summarizes some events of the last days, which he feels are not mere "coincidences"; the team should always be at the right time in the right place:

• The train from Delhi to Patna was twelve hours late, therefore the foreseen stop of the journey was postponed.
• As a consequence, in a vacant space next to a government hospital, the team distributed desserts to the children of the leprosy sufferers at a time other than the scheduled time. At the same time, by chance, the press shows up; they actually intended to write an article about the hospital and a government official who wanted to pay an inspection visit to the hospital.
• Both parties then become vitally interested in the work of friends help friends and after an interview both, i.e. the journalist who will report about the problem in the newspaper as well as the government official are willing to strongly stand up for the long-awaited allocation of land to the “outcasts”. Numerous applications had been submitted in the past, but either no steps were taken or the application was rejected.

"These cannot be just coincidences!" Venu is convinced. ("The plan must have been made in heaven before.")

Friday, November 17

Again, the bags are packed and in the early morning the team leaves for Chakia.

On their arrival, they spontaneously decide to buy mosquito nets for 16 worker families breaking stones from morning to night on the outskirts of the city. At this time of the year, there are countless small mosquitoes that among other diseases can transmit malaria. In a shop 50 nets are purchased at a price of approx. 1.50 euro per net.

The women and children have to make a living by crushing stones with a hammer. Each family receives two nets, which they hold in their hands like precious treasures. In the late evening, the team will realize how important the mosquito nets are as the tiny insects attack our friends.

For a few moments, the sweets, which are also distributed here, make the people forget their hard everyday life. Then, they sit down again under their small shelters and continue their hard work.

With mixed feelings, the team continues to the Chakia colony. Upon arrival, Alexandra and Jürgen are particularly pleased with the condition of a boy who four years ago almost died of malnutrition. At that time, the child was examined by Michael and provided medical care. The mother got baby milk, food and vitamin supplements for a long time. The mother is as well doing much better now and the difficult family circumstances have fortunately improved a lot.

After school, all children gather in the extra tuition room of friends help friends and show what they have learned in the meantime. Regular participation in lessons is also controlled. As the number of students has increased and the knowledge level of younger and older students is now very different, the number of tutoring hours will be increased.

The kids need new sweaters. One of the school's admission criteria for the children is to appear clean and tidy. In addition, it is getting cooler at this time of the year. Each child in the village is allowed to pick a sweater in a shop. When the right piece is found, we can see the children’s eyes sparkle. 101 sweaters are bought, costing on average of 2.50 euros per piece. The two teachers are allowed to choose a jacket or a sweater.

In the meantime, Mila and Wendelin are providing baby milk and baby food for an underweight colony girl and a deworming agent. Back at the village, Mila gives the baby the medicine and explains to the parents the exact preparation of baby milk.

For a woman with a uterine prolapse and a man with heart problems, hospital visits are organized before the team drives back to Motihari in the late evening.

Saturday, November 18

Today we drive to the small village Chota Phool, which means "little flower".

In this region, the stigmatization of leprosy sufferers and their relatives is particularly severe. When a few years ago FriendCircle WorldHelp visited the remote village for the first time, the affected parents were depressed and sad that their children were not allowed to go to school. Despite intense efforts to break the prevailing prejudices, it took months to have an educational institution finally accept the children.

In order to make the Indian population think it over, all children of the leprosy colony together with the German friends are allowed to walk to a candy store. Usually, immediately a cluster of people gathers to watch the unusual happening. The small shop is not designed for so many customers; therefore, the children are seated in twos and threes on benches, chairs and tables.

When the candies are distributed, the kids on the back tables become visibly nervous, apparently for fear of being overlooked. A few of them jump off the tables. With stuffed cheeks, little hands stretching out to get more as well as loud shouting the childish chaos is perfect.

In the meantime, Wendelin discovers a banana stand nearby and to the delight of the little ones and the stand owner, he buys the delicious fruits as "stock piling" for the next few days. One kilo bananas cost about 50 cents, too much for regular consumption. Before we return to the hotel, warm jackets are bought for the teachers, who receive only a very modest salary, and hygiene items such as toothbrushes, soap, washing powder etc. are distributed

Sunday, November 19

Kumar-Bagh, a village that the team visits for the first time, looks particularly poor compared to the other leprosy villages in which a lot has been improved by FriendCircle WorldHelp.

Here as well, the vicious circle of illness, rejection, unemployment and poverty forces those affected to beg. The children are the only hope of the older generation for a better future. However, as most of the adults themselves never had the chance to attend school, they do not realize the need of regular school attendance for their children.

Alexandra urges the parents to send their children to school every day and reports on the achievements in other villages. Textiles are purchased for the necessary clothes as well as shoes for each child. Around 30 children and their companions are enthusiastically crowding in the eight-square-meter fabric store. Although it is already cool, all children run barefoot.

In another village, Bhajroganj, work began about a year ago. At that time the village was in a miserable condition. Everywhere in the village there were foul-smelling, green ponds full of insects and likely to spread illnesses. To drain the village, a drainage channel was built, which now leads excess sewage into a pond outside the living space. New windows and doors were built into the huts to protect against theft and wild animals.

A year ago, the only source of income for the village consisted in collecting garbage and begging. Due to a newly established garbage collection system, the seven healthy men of the settlement are now able to earn some money for themselves and the village.

In the first three months the project generated a profit of 300 euros. “All beginnings are difficult”, but these men are proud that despite the marginalization of their village they are able to maintain their position in society. To work more effectively and collect more garbage, a bicycle rickshaw with a loading area is bought. In addition, the capital stock is increased by a few hundred euros in order to buy also larger parts, such as old cars.

In order to offer also the women of the village the possibility to contribute to the livelihood, a knitting teacher was engaged to teach the women six days a week. First knitted products such as scarves, shoes and blankets are presented. As suggested by the teacher, to teach the women also sewing, a sewing machine is purchased.

Monday, November 20

Today’s destination is Chauradano, 30 km away. The roads in Bihar are very bad; therefore, the trip takes about 1.5 hours. The young men, adult sons of leprosy sufferers, sometimes have the opportunity to earn money on the construction site, approximately two to four euros a day after usually twelve working hours.

The leprosy sufferers themselves have no alternative but to beg. Therefore, they are always again away for weeks to beg in larger cities. Then they return and bring the money to their families. In order to give the young girls a perspective for the future, a "sewing project" was started. A young seamstress teaches the women daily for two hours, seven days a week. The eleven women proudly display their skills on the sewing machine and present their self-sewn clothes. Some of them wear dresses sewn by them.

A young man (14 years old) reports that some time ago he had to leave school in eighth grade. His mother had died and his father is a heavy nursing case. Without graduation and as the only relative of his father, he sees no future prospects. Tears are running down his face as he describes his situation. Ashok does not want to go begging because he is healthy and wants to work. His big dream is the training as a tailor. Therefore, he will get his own sewing machine and also receive lessons from the tailor. Together with the girls and Ashok, a new sewing machine as well as scissors, yarn, tapes, irons and fabrics are purchased in the nearby village. The sewing machine for Ashok's dream costs about 95 €.

The team learns that only two families in the colony are sending their children to school. There are several reasons for that. Often, parents do not realize that their children will have a better future. But for many, school supplies like pens, books, and notebooks are simply unaffordable. Therefore, also school supplies for the children are purchased.

The news reaches the team that one of our Indian friends had a motorcycle accident while taking care of the projects. As soon as possible they return to Motihari and Alexandra has Ramavaraj brought to the hospital. One leg is broken and needs surgery. Alexandra and Mila talk to the doctor and arrange everything.

Tuesday, November 21

Shortly before we reach the next village we see on the left side the "State School", which is also attended by the children of the leprosy village. Under an open bamboo shelter with a thatched roof, the children are sitting on empty grain sacks on the ground. On one side the roof construction is transparent and perforated, so that the children are exposed for hours unprotected to the weather - in summer to the blazing sun.

There is no money to buy the bamboo necessary to fix the roof. Without hesitating we decide to have the roof repaired (for about 100 Euro!).

In the leprosy village, Jürgen and Mila distribute the pullovers to the children, Wendelin and Rudi the blankets. Wendelin, who regularly supplies everyone with bananas on this trip, distributes bananas to the children. Finally, the hygiene and school supplies are handed over and then we say goodbye to the villagers.

In the evening all of us pay a visit to Ramavaraj. He has meanwhile undergone surgery and is in the recovery room of the hospital. Mila looks at the X-ray image of the leg after surgery and a photo is sent to Michael. Both are not satisfied with the result of the operation. It is decided to take Ramavaraj to another hospital to have him undergo another surgery.

Wednesday, November 22

Today the schedule foresees visits to Bhairoganj and Kumar-Bagh. Blankets and caps are distributed and organizational matters clarified.

Then we proceed to a nearby brickyard. Workers work and live there with their families. Here, too, caps and blankets are distributed. People only have thin sheets as cover for the night, because they can hardly afford the purchase of a blanket for € 3.50.

The dwellings of the workers are tiny, stuffy and damp. They sleep directly on the floor as there are no beds and a thin layer of reeds serves as a mattress. One of the workers shows how a brick is made. First, clay is soaked and then kneaded by hand. A wooden mold is sprinkled with sand and then the clay is pressed into the mold by hand. The mold is stamped several times, turned over and the brick laid out to dry in rows.

On average, a couple can produce 2000 bricks in four days. They are paid 0.5 Rupee (0.66 cents) per brick. Thus, they earn about 250 Rupees per day (3.30 €) for themselves and their children.

In the dark the team arrives in Kumar Bagh. The path is illuminated with two flashlights since the village has no electricity. First, an approximately seven-year-old boy, who had lost one leg in an accident three months ago, receives crutches. He is so incredibly happy that it almost breaks our heart. He laughs and beams and tries to run right away and everybody is happy with him. Then a tarpaulin is laid out on the village square and the blankets, toys, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps and biscuits are spread upon it.

All children and colonial residents gather around the tarpaulin and a Christmas mood comes up. The children eyes are bright and they are overjoyed as the toys are distributed while the adults are happy to receive blankets. Also the caps are a highlight for the people and everyone is looking forward to getting a pretty model. Mila and Alexandra show the children how to jump with the skipping ropes and Alexandra teaches them how to brush their teeth.

As the team leaves, an elderly couple is sitting in front of a smoldering, fuming and foul-smelling hearth where garbage is burned to warm up. The nights are now noticeably cooler and the small fire places are the only way to warm up.

Thursday, November 23

Today, we will again visit the Chakia colony. Mila looks again after the small, sick Rani, who is doing much better today. She is crawling a bit, not only lying apathetically in her father's arm as in the last visit.

The results of the examination of the two sick residents are also available. The woman has to undergo surgery, and FriendCircle WorldHelp will bear the costs. During the stay of the group, the collapsed hut of an old woman is rebuilt. To save money, people use an old sari (sold on the market for 5-10 rupees) which they tear into strips for tying the bamboo frame. Here, too, warm blankets are distributed and caps which are received with much joy.

The last leprosy colony on this trip is Bibra, located on a narrow piece of land directly on the road, inhabited by mostly high age people. The residents receive blankets and caps. Although their dwellings are very poor and they only have very little resources, we notice the loving care in this colony.

In the evening, the friends visit Ramavaraj again in the hospital. He will be taken home by the drivers, who are now returning to their hometown.

Monday, November 27

The group has returned to Delhi. In the middle of the night, the team meets with its Indian friends (Sunny and his boys as well as Venu and his son) for the nightly distribution of blankets. From the Indian Himalayas, the state of Uttarakhand Manju and Negi have arrived to help.

They have brought incense cones produced by Indian women in the Himalayas in a friends help friends workshop to be sold in the next few days on the market and then bring the hardworking women their first pay.

At 1:30 at night the truck with the blankets arrives. 300 of the total 1600 blankets are unloaded for another action and after a short briefing, we start. It is high time to begin with the distribution, since the needy people stay in their sleeping places only until dawn.

Sunny leads the group through the city. Everywhere people are sleeping: in open spaces, among bushes, in front of entrances, in underpasses or directly on the roadside. Most of them are men, workers from other states, who earn so little that they cannot afford accommodation. They are sending home to their families all they earn.

However, there are also women with children, old and disabled people. As a mattress, most of them have not more than a piece of cardboard or an empty bag of grain. The lucky ones have a warm blanket, many only have thin cloths and some only a plastic tarpaulin as cover. Riksha drivers sleep so crumpled on their vehicles that they are hardly seen despite only thin blankets. Whenever the group discovers lying people, the convoy stops to distribute the treasures to the sleeping people.

The action must take place quietly and quickly in order not to attract attention. Still, the distribution must be stopped and continued several times, as people in their distress try to storm the truck.

In the early morning almost all caps and blankets are distributed. At the last stop there are many people but only few blankets and caps left. All are searching once again all vehicles to possibly find overlooked caps and blankets. But unfortunately, not all people can be provided with the things that are so important to them. In this night, the possible has been done and yet all are sad about this situation.

In the afternoon, the team visits Sunny's construction site. The ground floor is already bricked and the ceiling for the first floor finished. He proudly shows us to the shell. Since there is not enough building material, we go and buy some more. They had to leave the old accommodation in the meantime and Sunny now sleeps with some young men on the roadside in front of the shell. From poles and plastic tarpaulin they have built a makeshift "shelter". Every night it gets cooler and the only heat source of the men is a tiny fire as large as a small pot.

Tuesday, November 28

Sunny and Sundr, who had been addicted to alcohol himself and is now a great help to the other homeless, take the friends to the homeless people under the bridges of Delhi. The soup kitchen takes place once or twice on the occasion of each trip. Immediately, people come rushing from all sides. Then they all sit disciplined in a row on the curb eagerly waiting for the food. Especially for the children it is obviously hard to wait. All the greater is their joy, when it finally is their turn. A little boy, no more than two years old with pink eyes and a little snot-nose, spoons his whole plate. He does not seem to be full and gets his plate filled again.

After the meal there is freshly squeezed juice for everyone. Fruit is unaffordable for the people on the street and this fresh juice is something very special for them. In order to survive the coming cold nights better, they receive blankets and the lovingly knitted caps.

Back at the hotel, the first shoeshine boys wait for the promised blankets. A few shoeshine workers are sent out to bring their friends so the action can start. The hotel allows the team the distribution in the breakfast room and the personnel even helps with enthusiasm. The caps are spread on a table and everyone is allowed to choose one. Before the shoeshine boys leave, the friends get their shoes cleaned as thanks. They do not allow payment as they want to give something back.

Then come workers and children from the area, who are also living and sleeping on the street to get caps and blankets. The remaining warm treasures are packed in two cars and at night distributed on the streets of Delhi.

Two blankets are left as the friends see two adults lying on the roadside. They receive the blankets and then we discover the newborn on the woman's arm. It wears a warm jacket, but down the waist it is naked. A toddler is sleeping on the ground next to the woman. The only protection of the small family from the damp ground cold is a piece of cardboard. The four share two thin blankets. The two children get caps, for the adults there are unfortunately none left.

Despite the great poverty that can be seen everywhere, these individual moments make our team sad

And yet, for many and as well for us, it was something like Christmas ... a give and take that made both sides richer.

Fri, Nov. 24, 2017 - 8:50am, written by Jürgen, published by Frank

Visit to nine leprosy colonies in Bihar - short report in advance

Hello from Bihar in India,

In the last few days we provided nine different leprosy colonies within a larger area with the most needed items. We also distributed blankets and mosquito nets to a working group of stonemasons. Also the workers in a brickyard and their families got blankets.

People are always especially happy to get one of the self-knitted caps.

Although it is still warm during the day, it cools off at night. The simple dwellings have no heating and no comfort at all.

Tomorrow we will take the train back to Delhi where we will supply families living on the street with the soup kitchen, and at night we are going to distribute blankets and caps to the homeless. 1600 blankets and thousands of caps are waiting to be distributed. We will not start before midnight. At this time you can immediately see who is in need, because no one will lie down on a plastic bag on the roadside just for fun - as we had experienced during the nightly distributions of recent years.

Greetings from the whole friends help friends team,

Jürgen

Tue, Nov. 14, 2017 - 11:15pm, written by Frank, publishedby Frank

Team reached India - onward journey to Bihar

Since last Thursday our team is on the way in India. They took the flight from Nuremberg via Istanbul, with over 200 kg of luggage - thousands of woolen caps for the winter in the north. Together with Venu, the journey then continued by train from Delhi to Bihar. On the way Alexandra, Petra, Jürgen, Rudi and Wendelin met Michaela, so the team is now complete.

Currently there is no internet access, a first report and photos will follow ...

Here is an impression from the train station before leaving to Delhi.