Well drilling, distribution of blankets, roofing...

Mon, Jan. 23, 2017 - 9:23pm, written by Katrin and Alexandra, published by Frank

Two wells drilled
New roof panels for huts of elderly people
Rice and lentils for lepers
Soup kitchen and distribution of blankets for people on the street

Sun, Jan. 22nd, 2017 - 12:55, written by Katrin and Alexandra, published by Frank

Orissa in eastern India – visit to three villages

Our team flies from Hyderabad to Bhubaneswar, the capital of the state of Orissa, India. From there it takes six hours by taxi to a leprosy village called Ghudikania L.K., where the inhabitants are suffering from bad quality and insufficient quantity of drinking water. Many years ago these people who were excluded from society built mud houses on the edge of the jungle.
In many parts of India, lepers are granted land by the government for their lifetime use.
This area near the jungle, however, was illegally taken because people simply did not know where to settle. This is the reason why there is no connection to the public power supply.

For Katrin, Ingrid, Erni and our Indian friends this means that they have to rethink of the drilling method. In general, it is advisable for leprosy sufferers to drill wells functioning with an electric pump since many disabled persons have great difficulties with the manual operation of the water pumps. However, in this case our team has no choice but to drill the well manually.
The affection shown to our team when it is welcomed is very touching. Men are drumming, women take our friends by the hand and take them dancing to the place where the drilling will take place. Bouquets of rhododendron flowers are given to the visitors.
In many leper villages people are particularly grateful. Already during previous visits, people often told us that they have been abandoned by all family members. They appreciate all the more the visit of the team of FriendCircle WorldHelp and even more that they will get support for what they need most...

It is the first time that this kind of drilling is carried out with donations of FriendCircle WorldHelp: A triangular scaffold is set up with a drill in the center. Men are circuiting around extracting the soil similar to a corkscrew, thus digging a hole.
The children of the village are sitting on the rotating construction, playfully 'helping' to increase the power of the thread. An artificial stream is set up to transport especially provided water to the drill hole to avoid the drill head from getting too hot. This method is lengthy and exhausting, but our team is happy to always find a solution for an unexpected situation. In four or five days we will know whether the working group found water.

Here and there we still have difficulties with the way of payment. The impact of the main payment notes in India having become worthless overnight beginning of November 2016 and the fact that the old notes are only very slowly exchanged into new notes still continues.
Cash is scarce and alternative payment with visa card or checks only in few places possible. This is a challenge that constantly requires creativity and spontaneous rethinking.

As a consequence, we cannot buy the materials for the well construction in the nearby small town, but only in the capital of Bhubaneswar, where payment by international credit card is possible. This requires longer driving times. For the organization of the trip and the project implementation, much has to be considered and planned for the short time available in order to settle as much as possible in one place. In Bhubaneswar our team also buys roofing for the leprosy village „Rama Krishna“, which is located directly in the city. During one of the last stays with Katrin the elderly people of the colony had been promised to get new corrugated roofs for their huts to avoid the wetness from penetrating inside during the rainy season. This is among other reasons harmful since the few supplies of rice and lentils, which people have to beg for are likely to be spoiled by penetrating moisture.
Here again, the kind of payment turns out to be a challenge. The shop owner accepts payment by check on the condition that he will deliver the roof panels only after the check has been successfully cashed. Katrin and Venu agree to this compromise.

At dusk our team visits the village. There is great joy and everyone enjoys the biscuits and bananas brought along.
Then the team continues quickly by night train. The program is tight. In the morning, Venu, Ingrid, Erni and Katrin arrive in Rourkela to visit the leprosy village „Radha Krishna“. Years ago a well had been drilled which is now irrigating a garden, which previously was a garbage dump. A basin had been built for the people to wash themselves and their clothes more easily in the open. Girls had got sewing machines several years ago and have learnt to sew clothes for themselves and their family. At the beginning of the sewing workshop we had hoped that the young women would someday open up a business in the city, but there are limits to all idealistic ideas! At the moment is looks as if the discrimination of lepers is still a hindrance for our girls, though they are absolutely healthy children of formerly sick parents. The people in town would probably not buy sufficient quantities of clothes from the girls.
The young women show us garments made by them. Some have got married and therefore left the colony. However, they were allowed to take their sewing machine to their new home and continue to apply what they have learned. Ingrid and Erni have enough experience to judge the products and attest good quality.

Once more we realize that small steps of support and a helping hand give hope to the people. To get more self-awareness, more confidence in the own abilities and the possibility to contribute however little to the family income is an invaluable asset for these women which will help them also in the future.
Katrin, Erni, Ingrid and Venu have a look at the gardens. Many species known to us as well as exotic vegetables and flowers grow and flourish here. They are very satisfied and pleased to see that people continue diligently despite obstacles and hardships such as dryness and flooding. Then, Ingrid, Erni and Katrin plant three fruit trees, which the people of the colony see as a blessing and good luck. Before departing, the elderly people of the colony get rice and lentils and the children bananas. Then our team takes the night train back to Bhubaneswar and the following day flies to Delhi and the same day back to Germany.

It was a short stay in India as our German team used the Christmas holidays in Bavaria to promote the projects in India. All the more we are pleased about the great success in so many places. On the way back, our team gets the good news that also the second – manually drilled – well delivers a lot of clean water!

As usual after the return, also this time Katrin, Erni and Ingrid are quickly returning to their normal work in Germany. The power and energy they are investing in these trips is invaluable and we are all very happy about the success.

The teams of FriendCircle WorldHelp are working like a kind of „post office“ transporting donations and messages of love and joy from our friends ALL OVER the world to the places where people need help and inspiration to take their lives back into their own hands. This is not about the great things of life but often about the very small ones, because: „The great deeds of men are not those who make a lot of noise. The greatness is as simple as the trickling of the water, the flowing of the air and the growing of the corn.”  (Adalbert Stifter)

Fri, Jan. 13, 2017 - 7:55pm, written by Katrin and Alexandra, published by Frank

Onward flight to the state of Telangana

By the first domestic flight, Katrin, Erni and Ingrid travel to Telangana in the South after their stay in Delhi. Since June 2^nd, 2014, Telangana is an independent state and thus the 29th state of India. Previously, the area belonged to the state of Andhra Pradesh. The capital is Hyderabad. (See Wikipedia)

In the far-off leprosy village of „Jammikunta“ this time the well that had already been successfully drilled in November 2015 but collapsed underground after some months due to the strong water pressure, will again be drilled.

After consultation with experts the drill site is slightly modified and the drilling method adapted to the new conditions. A few hours later the sad news is announced that though drilling reached already a depth of 200 feet, ca. 70 meters, still no water was found. While lively talks about possible alternatives are going on, the many observers can finally still see water spouting forth.

Children and adults of the leprosy village stand around, beaming with joy. To ensure that also in the future there will be an abundant flow of water of good quality it is decided to drill further 30 meters deep. Lovingly and gratefully the people say good-bye to Ingrid, Erni and Katrin. The fact that these multi-handicapped people get very little support due to the distance to the nearest city makes our team all the happier about this successful action.

In the next village in the same federal state, the well that had been completed by FriendCircle WorldHelp is checked. Abundant clean water comes out of the taps which are connected to the water tank. In addition, a washing area has been built which makes it easier for the disabled and elderly people to wash themselves and their clothes. Previously, buckets of water had to be towed to the houses, which was especially difficult for those who had lost several fingers as a consequence of the disease.

THANKS to ALL friends at home! By your support people get clean water!

Fri, Jan. 6, 2017 -9:30pm, written by Frank, published by Frank

Arrival of the next team and distribution of caps and blankets

On December 26, 2016 our next team of FriendCircle WorldHelp departed from Munich and is presently under way in India. This time Katrin, Ingrid and Erni will visit three Indian states within only 10 days to further develop the projects on site. Achim drove the team with a minibus to the airport and helped check in the huge amount of knitted caps from our knitting ladies. Six large transport bags containing the warm treasures were ‚optimized‘ to the weight limit at the airport!
The photo shows our team after arrival in Delhi.
Already on the first two days, many preparations were made and blankets, caps and hot food were distributed...
To be continued ;-)

Best regards,
Frank