Chai and conversations

Saalam Aleikum, madam. Chai? (Hello, madam. Chai?)

Aleikum saalam. Haanji, babu. Dhonnawad. (Returns greetings. Yes, babu. thank you).

What is it about this brown milky stuff that brings so much joy to my little heart? Currently sipping a tiny cup (why..oh..why are the cups so small here?), listening to my favourite desi music, the honking of cars outside and the newspaper-wallah calling out his wares. And reflecting on the past few days of my time in Bangladesh. Wish I could show you pictorially what I've seen and experienced - but alas left my camera cord back in Washington, DC - so pictures will have wait.

The purpose of my visit was to co-facilitate a workshop to design a maternal and child health program in one of the poorest and cyclone-prone parts of Bangladesh. The workshop itself went well. Was super nervous about it (especially since i hate speaking publicly). But I've learnt a lot. What to do better next time.

Our teams here are amazing, I have to say. Our staff-members who do the bulk of the work that we in the US write up/theorize/politicize about have to get all the credit for the success of anything my organization does. Every time I visit the 'field', I am always blessed to meet some of the most down-to-earth hard-working people. With little to no sense of 'self-importance', they go about their daily lives in the bustling chaos that is Bangladesh. Such a refreshing break from Washington, DC!!

Anyways, it's been busy time. Between the hotel and the office and the hotel in preparing/leading the workshop, I haven't had much time to do much outside. But drink chai and converse with our staff to learn about Bideshi life. (insert content smile)

Here's some things I've learnt:

History of Bangladesh: I did some reading on the plane ride here to learn a bit about this country that earned its independence from Pakistan (yes, Pakistan owned this bit of the land from across India) in 1972. Lots of turmoil and restructuring has taken place since. But the spirit of the Bideshi people isn't broken.

Floods/cyclones: the country gets an annual spot in world headlines with all the natural calamities it faces. From yearly flooding via rivers from the Himalayas, and the cyclones from the Bay of Bengal to the shifting land masses whenever the flood-waters recedes. When I sympathized, 'wow - this must be difficult to face on a yearly basis', I was reminded of the positive spirit. 'No, madam. The annual flooding is a gift, otherwise without the rich silt-filled soil, how would we sustain our agricultural production?' (this coming from a man who'd lost his home in floods)

Migration: My flight from Dubai to Dhaka was one full of education for me! The flight was 98% full of casual laborers from the UAE. I was asked to assist in filling the arrival forms as they were not english-literate. Via faltering sentences (they spoke Bangla and I spoke Hindi), they explained to me, how without the benefit of natural resources, and a burgeoning population, they leave their wives and children to go find work with Chinese companies in the Middle East. 'And madam, we are the fortunate ones. Most Bideshi people in rural areas don't have that opportunity'. Becoming a rickshaw-wallah or a casual construction worker in Dhaka or Chittagong (the two largest cities) is often the next best option. As I turned the pages of countless passports, filled arrival forms for these men and asked questions about goods for the customs form, I couldn't help but notice the looks and sounds of joy as they all talked about the 'goods' they were bringing for their families and excitement at going home.

All in all, this country has captured a small piece of my heart. People are kind. They work hard. In the face of so much hustle and bustle, there's always a smile and an open heart. Such a great reminder to count my blessings. We who have much will be accountable for much.

Famine No More

Several thousand died ten years ago today, and our world was shaken. Today hunger is stalking 12.4 million people across the Horn of Africa.

Are we being shaken?

If I could change the world..

Every day humanitarian aid workers help millions of people around the world. The day recognizes the sacrifices and contributions of those who risk their lives to give others help and hope. It is also about inspiring the spirit of aid work in everyone.

Love is really what it's about. Showing love in tangible ways to the most vulnerable and marginalized amongst us is not easy. It requires sacrifice and getting outside our comfort zone. It can mean being misunderstood and disenfranchised. But that which we do for the least is also what we do for God.

To all the incredible people I've had the pleasure of meeting since starting on this journey, happy humanitarian day! I am blessed by the efforts of my team-mates, colleagues and former classmates and friends. May we never forget what a privilege it is to live this life as we do.

Evangelicals without Blowhards

Christian evangelicalism has been given a bad name, but there’s a strain that is extraordinarily generous and compassionate.

In this article, popular writer and journalist Nick Kristoff argues that religious people and secular people alike do fantastic work on humanitarian issues — but they often don’t work together because of mutual suspicions.

If we could bridge this “God gulf,” we would make far more progress on the world’s ills.

President Sirleaf’s Ambition for Liberia: Aid-Free in a Decade

Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—the first elected female head of state in Africa— spoke at an event hosted by CGD. President Sirleaf set a hugely ambitious goal of being aid-free within ten years. Gives me so much hope for Liberia and other countries in the fatherland.

Family Planning Reduces Abortions – And Faith-Based Groups Can Help!

Many Christians around the world are concerned about abortion. But the facts linking the availability of family planning with a reduction in abortions is little understood.

A 2008 survey conducted by Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) showed that there is tremendous support for international family planning programs among Christian faith-based organizations and Christian individuals.

This new CCIH publication helps to provide more information on the connections between family planning and abortion, and what the faith community can do to mitigate abortions worldwide!

The Opposite of Love is not Hate...but Fear.

I visited my housemate’s church today and heard the above line. I won’t go into the nuances of the sermon taught by a guest preacher Gene Robinson on a topic which deserves an entire blog post of its own: homosexuality and the Christian church. He threw the above-mentioned line in response to the question of how to respond to those in the church who show retribution against the LGBT community. The line above stuck with me today and has given me much to think about...I could write a book!

For starters, what is love really? Who are the subjects of my love? Both questions have been answered for me in the Bible. The what: The Bible tells me Love is supposed to be sacrificial and focused on the needs of others and not my own. The who: my biggest imperative as a follower of Jesus is to love God and to love people in my life. But what does it mean to love God? An entity that I haven't seen but simply believe exists. And how do I really love people? Especially when my social construct and definition of love may be different from those around me.

However - this is not a post about Love. It's about Hate and Fear. The preacher went to speak about homosexuality - a topic that makes my mind normally spin in 10-million directions - but today my mind was riveted on to this: When am I most prone to hate? What things am I bitter about? Why do those feelings arise? Who causes those emotions to arise? Is it things like hunger, poverty, oppression and war in some far off land? Or is it when something close to my heart hits home.

And what is hate anyway? Is it a bitter feeling against an event or a person? Webster defines hate as an intense feeling of dislike and hostility. Most of us are uncomfortable using the word 'hate' against people - as it denotes too strong an emotion, and perhaps we want to be perceived as balanced, rational beings. In fact, as I write this - I wonder - is there any thing or person that I actually hate? I cannot think of one person that I hate. However, to be completely candid, there are people who are not high on my favorite-people-list. Do I hate them? No. Do I have a hard time loving them? Yes.

While I deeply care about many issues especially that which relates to injustice and inequality even in far-off international settings and I hate - for example corporate money-making machines that exploit poor people in sweat shops and I hate people who fuel the market for child pornography and the sex industries in places like Mumbai and Bangkok, I find that I am most prone to 'hate' when feeling slighted by those that claim to care for me and that I care for. Family who are a part of my human existence and friends who make my social being a reality.

And so - what is it in my struggle to love someone that inspires this 'hate'? A sense of injury is usually tied to this 'hate'. I couldn't care less if a stranger off the street said or did something mean towards me. But if family/friend failed me, it is often difficult to love them. I often have to relearn how to love again instead of holding onto hate.

Today - I understood for the first time the notion that fear can be tied to hate. That fear of self and fear of man could drive the underlying sense of injury which then leads to 'hate'. Instead of loving someone, I am fearful and afraid of what they could do to me, and how they could crush me at my most vulnerable state. How is it that the Fear of Man cripples us so much so that we choose to hold onto 'hate' instead of looking beyond the immediate and choosing to love?

(sigh) I don't know. My responses towards others are conditioned from years of interacting with other human beings. As self-aware as I try to be, I'll likely still do both - love and hate. It's part of my innate human nature, I suppose. However - as I learn more and more how to be like Jesus, I hope that I can let go of my fear and learn to love others well.

To give or not to give

I landed in India in late August. Almost immediately...all five senses were tantalized. From the plethora of food options that teased my taste-buds, to the smells and sounds (talk about the ubiquitous honking of cars!) And the sights! India is a beautiful country...with mass disorganization and chaos, but with raw beauty and warm people. To say that India is capable of bringing out every single emotion out of you is an understatement.

One of the sights that has haunted me since I landed in this wonderful country is the sight of children begging. I took the picture above many moons ago.

I cannot reconcile proximity that stark poverty has to ultimate opulence. To see people living in shanties on the sides of roads in Mumbai and the sight of little ones with tattered rags in New Delhi doing little tricks in the hopes of procuring a few rupees simply breaks my heart. And right next to the largest slums in Asia are high-rise apartment buildings with every single amenity that money can buy. I had read that the divide between the rich and the poor is great here – but to see it in actual terms is quite disconcerting.

And mentally – I still haven’t reconciled what to do when a child comes up to me to beg for money. What is the best thing for that child – to give or not.

Does giving away money serve as a temporary solution akin to a bandaid over a leaky faucet? Or does it serve an immediate need to feed an empty stomach? Or does it simply sooth our conscience that our daily quota for a ‘good-deed’ was met?

Growing up in Kenya, even as a teenager, I used to pack simple sandwiches whenever I went out to give away to anyone that came up to me to beg for money. It was so deeply ingrained in me that money could be potentially used for things other than basic survival tools (such as drugs, etc), that food was the best option to give.

Extreme poverty is such a complex issue and tackling it from any one angle requires much thought. Do the said-beggars in places like India and Kenya even have a choice to do something other than begging? Or is structural violence so deeply entrenched that a vicious cycle of poverty and lack of access to basic needs such as food, clean water, and education do not facilitate ability to do anything else but beg?

I think of donor agencies who give development assistance to resource-poor countries in various forms – food aid, technical assistance and expertise, hard money, etc. How is that different from a single person giving a few rupees or shillings to a single child? Therefore the ultimate question, does giving serve to encourage a culture of begging and dilapidate a person so much that they feel they do not have a choice but to ask for help? Or does it truly help to meet some basic needs?

Having been here five months – I am still nowhere close to the answers. As I continue to work as global health professional in India and beyond, my ultimate aim is not only to set up new projects, but to ensure sustainability of any work that I do. To train capable people and transfer knowledge to ensure that someone can do the work that I do after I leave. Knowing that I do not have all the answers and do not understand the complexity to local problems in the global context, I choose to give.

Change.

Fantastic! I am very..I mean..VERY impressed and proud of you young ppl who can express themselves freely and truly. The sad part is our African govements will never change coz of the greediness and corruption which has been playing for a very long time. Hope and pray for the day I will see " CHANGE" in Kenya and Africa as a whole coz only the young generation is willing to bring that CHANGE. But what about thoese stoned in there?I hope u understand what I am talking about. I love my country and proud to be an african but the ways of Motherland are just SAD!!
- Anonymous
(posted on Aug 18th 2009 in response to my blog post - Obama Fever)

Dear Anonymous,
(wish I could address this personally to you as we could have a lively discussion on Kenya and the change that we wish to see for our nation..but alas, Anonymous it will have to be..)

I don't believe that our government will never change. Call it youthful idealism but someone with a dose of realism once said, "Change comes from within". That is true - be it at the national level in government offices or at the personal level within the home. Our governments continue to be 'greedy and corrupt', because we ALLOW this to happen.

It is easy to say that the ways of our motherland are sad, but harder to be the change that we want to see. Easy to rant and rave. Harder to attempt providing the solutions to some of the challenges. Easy to philosophize about the problem and point to historical reasons as to why we are in the pit that we are in. Harder to think ahead to the future to prevent history from being repeated.

Each one of us, (be it old or young) need to be engaged with our local elected leaders/community leaders to hold them accountable. If you are a citizen of a country, then there is NO reason why you shouldn't do this. If an engaged and vibrant group of Kenyans demand the service that public servants (aka elected officials) should give to the constituents, then change CAN happen.

It is not up to the 'young people'. It is up to YOU! Yes, you! You, who are reading this! Look around you. What is your passion in life? Are you simply existing? Or are you living? Truly, madly, deeply LIVING.

Back to Kenya: Being part of the diaspora, I actively read and follow Kenyan politics and current affairs on the Internet. I dream of the day that we, as part of the global Kenyan citizenry, can organize ourselves enough to go beyond the provision of the occasional remittances back home. Instead of sending money, can you send your time? Are you a doctor, a nurse, an engineer, business professional? Can you 'send' your skills and train others back home? There are SO MANY talented and smart people back home! Instead of sending gifts (and there's nothing wrong with that, by the way!), can we encourage others to look beyond the 'fish' and learn 'how to fish'? Can you contact your nearest embassy and find out who else in the diaspora lives in your area code and hold 'town hall' meetings in your home to discuss these issues?

As usual, I don't have answers. I rant and rave because Kenya is my home. And I wish that those who live at home (a place close to my heart) would simply stop existing and start living. Living to make change happen. Living to hold elected officials accountable. Living to make hard decisions that may or may not bear fruit as we understand 'fruit' to be. Living to engage in the environment around them. We CAN be the change that we wish to see in this world. It takes one step at a time. Make it happen!

India Adventure

So..the time has come to start blogging about India! I am embarking on one of the bigger adventures of my life, to date. I’m going to India for six months to work with a non-profit organization in Bangalore, India.

Excited? Yes! Nervous? Double-yes! If you haven’t guessed from the title of my blog, I’m a Kenyan-Indian currently living in America. I’ve actually never been to India – so this going back to the motherland should make for an interesting experience.

So why am I going to India? (No, I’m not going to vacation – although there’s SO much to see...i’m sure it’d fill six months easily!) Well, I have to do an internship for my MPH (masters in public health) program – pick a country, pick a problem, work on a project, write a policy brief that would inform policies surrounding said-problem in said-country. So, I chose India.

Since I want to work with women/vulnerable children, I sought out organizations that work on the ground to help improve the health of women and children in India.

After negotiating scopes of work with three NGOs, I settled on Population Services International, a Washington DC‐based NGO that works in about 60 countries. They run programs in malaria, reproductive health, child survival, HIV and tuberculosis – all areas of interest to me. In India, they have been in existence since 1988 and I’m told that their teams do some great work on the ground. I’ll be working under the Regional Director in South India as a Program Assistant. The job will be based primarily out of their Bangalore offices, but will also involve travel around the state of Karnataka to oversee projects in rural parts of the state.

So..I leave in mid-July and will be back in January. Currently in the throes of working out some visa issues, getting my travel vaccinations, reading up about India (thanks to my good friend Michelle, who saw it fit to get me a 1000+ pg book on India!) while starting to write my thesis and taking my last class as a masters student in international public health. Yikes! I suppose, I’m partly keeping busy so I don’t have to think too much and freak out even more. Ha!

So…watch this space for stories – from my very first auto-rickshaw ride to checking out the beautiful hill-stations in Southern India on my off-days. From the joys (and pains!) of working in public health in the land of my mother, to the loneliness that’ll undoubtedly set in once the novelty has worn off. Looking forward to it all – the joys, pains and everything in between. Wish me luck!

Of Partnerships.

How do I respond to the fact that many of our brothers and sisters live in poverty? Daily I read and listen to reports on some of most abject dehumanizing conditions that my fellow men live under and my heart breaks. War. Lack of basic human rights. Clean water. Basic primary health care. Good nutritious food. Lack of economic self-sufficiency.

As I reflect on this and ponder on how I may play a small role to mollify this, I am reminded of the basic premise of fundamental respect and partnership. Partnership is a simple and vitally important practice in international development, but one that has many facets and is difficult to achieve.

The word 'partnership' conjures up images of 'joining at the hip'. A relationship where no one person holds more power than the other. Where mutual respect and honesty is always at the forefront. Where no one is derided for their beliefs and background, however 'outlandish' they may be. 

I'm still a graduate student with very little experience in international health and development but the little that I do know tells me that most of us in this field enter into this field for altruistic reasons. We're driven by a nagging desire to be advocates for change. To part of the change that could somehow affect and touch another’s life.

Somewhere along that line (or perhaps even before long) we forget that in order to truly achieve change, we need to do this work with collaboration and partnership in mind. Understanding that we, as ‘international development experts’ do not have even 1% of the answers or the resources to make this change happen. We often study problems and have been trained to characterize issues and offer solutions within local contexts. However, how often do we draw up work plans for international projects and truly engage with local stakeholders before implementing our solutions? How can we honestly fly into another man’s land, and offer advice on problems on the ground?

Having worked in an organization where international health consultants fly all over the world to offer technical expertise to development and health projects, I have acquired a small taste of this world. It is quite disillusioning at times. As a graduate student, I am bright-eyed and eager to put some of my classroom learning to use. As a public health professional working alongside others who have worked in this for many more years than I have, I get the sense that some in this field have forgotten about partnership. True collaboration and respect. Where every stakeholder is considered an equal. In a world where titles get long, and egos get even longer, development is such a tricky word at times.  

Tomes have probably been written about this but I feel that international development – if not checked – can easily turn into a form of neocolonialism. It is worth examining ourselves every so often and reminding ourselves about the simple, and yet, powerful concept. Of partnership. 

Everything is amazing, nobody is happy!

Comedian Louis CK on the Conan O'Brien show. 

This is so true! (And funny as well!) 

India: Malnutrition and Moolah

India has higher malnutrition rates than much of Sub-Saharan Africa. The world's largest democracy is quickly becoming a powerhouse within the global economic community. However, with sustained growth rates comes an ever-widening gap in economic inequality across the country. 

Food is one of the cornerstones of proper health. Moreover, nutritious food supplied within 0-2 years of age (scientifically justified formative years of a child) is key to bolstering child health early on. While India has increased spending in many areas (military, technology etc - think the probe to the moon, Tata's new mini-cars..), basic public health areas, malnutrition initiatives being just one of them, continue to receive pithy portions of that spending pie. Furthermore, the extent to which malnutrition rates are reduced based on existing initiatives is not clear. 

Nutrition is simply one part of the problem. Two of the world's richest men in the world hail from India. Some of the poorest people in the world also live in India. If India is to create a middle-class bourgeoisie, and move the masses to from one economic class to another to close the gap between the rich and the poor, its government needs to be intentional in ensuring that essentials such as health and nutrition are not being tossed to the wayside. 

If all goes well, I hope to be involved later this year in a nutrition project in India, and as part of my master's degree, have to write a policy document to help inform policies surrounding this problem. As someone hoping to affect change in this area, it is exciting to see well-informed news coverage and dialogue on this issue. But more importantly, we need to remember to use information such as this to hold the leaders of our nations accountable to gross inadequacies in planning for proper health and well-being of their citizens.

Who wants to be a (Slumdog) millionaire?

Are movie-makers doing more harm than good when they take real-life kids out of destitute settings to play acting roles..? What are the ethical issues involved in making movies such as Slumdog, Kite Runner involving children? The psychological ramifications of having exposed children to the 'high life' and then putting them back into same settings is quite something to think about. Not to mention the probable exploitation that takes place. From the movie producers who might pay below-standard rates. To the parents of the children, well-intentioned as they may be, who might not have education as a top priority when poor health and malnutrition continue to ravage the family. Quite something to think about. 

This article brings to light some of these issues. The producers may have been well-intentioned in setting up trust funds for the two child stars of this block-buster. But I have to wonder. Are the trust funds the best way to better the lives of these kids? What about the other children? Children who grew up around Rubina and Azharuddin? Are they not worth this education? Isn't the slum itself - home to thousands of people - the setting for this movie? If the slum and the sum total of its inhabitants make up the reason for this movie's existence, shouldn't a trust fund be set up for all inhabitants of said-slum? 

Perhaps this is too lofty a request and the movie-makers did not mean to make this movie with a 100% altruistic motive. Perhaps the awareness generated around issues of urbanization and poverty is enough. Perhaps this is meant to inspire the local government to think of urban planning and setting up infrastructure for education and health as more and more people move to urban settings such as Mumbai in search of employment opportunities. However, I have to wonder is it too much to ask that a portion of the $150 million gross revenue go towards better health, better educational opportunities and ultimately a better life for the inhabitants (children especially) of the slums. 

Obama Fever

Today, as I sit during my lunch hour contemplating about last night’s election results here in the US and reactions from around the world, I can’t help but want to share some thoughts with anyone that might be inclined to read this.

As I watched the results unfold last night, and saw the status updates of friends on Facebook who live all over the world, I was struck immediately by the responses of my fellow Kenyans. People that I grew up and went to high school with. This morning, I read online some pieces about the Kenyan response to Obama’s win. And it made me sad.

Don’t get me wrong – I have been in support of Obama since the primary election – I do believe that his policies and vision for America might…just might…put America back on the map. I won’t go into all the reasons why I would have voted for Obama, had I an American passport. Suffice it to say that while I’m cynical about promise of change (the word ‘change’ is such a subjective word), I’m excited about current energy in this country and the democratic process here in the US. He will have a heck of time cleaning up the mess that this country has gotten into, but I do think he’s the better candidate to do that job.

Back to Kenya and what I read. Here are some quotes from a NY Times article:

"..Thousands of people sang, danced, blew whistles, honked horns, hugged, kissed and thumped on drums — all down the same streets where not so long ago huge flames of protest had raged. “Who needs a passport?” people yelled. “We’re going to America!” "

"..By mid-morning, the Kenyan government declared Thursday a national holiday. It meant a day off. And surely more partying..."

I realize that this displays only one extreme and there are countless who do not share this enthusiasm. However, when I read status updates on facebook from my dear friends and former classmates – all the next generation of Kenyans – who share in this blind enthusiasm, I wonder. I wonder at the misplaced pride. Wonder what we as Kenyans think is our benefit that a half-Kenyan got into the Oval Office.

I wonder – why is it that we are celebrating victory over another country’s elections, when we displayed violence over our own elections? Why are we so enthused about the democratic process in other places, and yet refuse to engage in the civic affairs of our own land? Is it any wonder that democracy, in its truest form, continues to elude us?

I was amazed at the energy of the young people, and how young people around me in Boston were so informed about the political visions of each candidate. I wonder – is this is the case in Kenya? Are we young people holding our current leaders to their campaign promises? If they are not delivering their campaign platform, are we protesting? (Not in violence, mind you) What are the ways in which we can do this and voice our concerns and build a more engaged civic society and ultimately a better Kenya? Do we speak to our district representatives when injustices occur? Or do we turn a blind eye and continue on with our day?

I don’t have answers. Just questions and thoughts. Enough of the rant. Comments are welcome. More than anything else, I wish to stimulate discussion rather than point fingers.