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. 

Musicka - Idan Raichel

What is it about music in other languages that tantalizes me so much? A friend recently introduced me to Idan Raichel - hot Israeli guy in dreads who sings in Hebrew and Amharic and draws on sounds from Africa, Caribbean, and the Middle East. The cast in his first album The Idan Raichel Project hail from all over the world - South Africa, Ethiopia, Suriname etc. In addition, he has collaborated with other award-winning artists such as Rokia Traoré from Mali (another one of my favourite artists) and Ivri Lider from Israel. 

Can't understand a word of what he sings but a brief web-search on his projects tells me that his songs extend a message of hope, love, and tolerance. Messages that bode well and are much needed in a part of the world where conflict is the norm and so much part of the daily. 

I missed a chance to see him live last week in Boston due to class (I did contemplate skipping out on class to go watch his concert!), but he's currently touring the US..so definitely see him if you get a chance to!  I love so many songs on his albums..but this song is one of my favourites. Reminiscent of Psalm 130 - traditionally recited by Jews in times of distress - it means 'Out of the Depths. 

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.

Musicka - Aradhna

From time to time I'll post new music that I have discovered...or am currently listening to..

I don't know what it is about music that overcomes me but I often find myself enamored by one or two songs and listen to them over and over again. Music is often for me more of a spiritual and emotional thing than anything else. (Unless it's any genre of dance music - which is more of a shaking-my-booty thing!) Years later, if I hear a song or listen to an older CD, the emotions of the time-period within which I listened to that song often washes over me afresh. It's amazing how the human mind associates memories with sensory experiences tied to sound, smell, sight etc. 

Currently listening to Aradhna's Amrit Vani. This group blends music from the east and west to create beautiful Indian bhajans (devotional songs). I grew up listening to bhajans played by my grandmother and mother in the morning as they prepared for the day ahead. This along with the fact that Aradhna so eloquently sing those bhajans to my Lord and captures exactly what I want to say, has me enamored. Captivated by so many songs on their albums. Particularly Man Mera perfectly describes the state of my mind right now.

Check out the lyrics and listen along..

Skiing..err...Falling Weekend

I went Falling this past weekend. This is how it went down: 

My friend asked, 'Hey Devina, you wanna go skiing or snowboarding this next weekend?'

Devina: Sure! I'll go skiing. It's been on my 'things-to-do-before-I-die-list' 

Friend (not yet sure about blogging etiquette - am I allowed to name names? Ah..well!): Cool. Here's the details. New Hampshire. Meet at my place at 7am on Sunday, and we'll pack into cars and drive up. Here's the details on the lift tickets...equipment..etc..blah..blah. 

Devina: Sure thing. I'll be there. 

So..of course Devina has to do some research online. Is it better as a first-timer to try and learn skiing or snowboarding? Any tips that would help..etc. Equiped with 'knowledge' of skiing and borrowed ski apparel from my roommate, I woke up at the crack of dawn on a cold Sunday morning and embarked on my get-skiing-off-my-bucket-list adventure. 

And they say, book learning ain't gonna help ya!  Falling is the only experience I got. I did learn a few things: 

• I learnt the best way to fall. (apparently, there's a technique to falling. If you fall the wrong way, it'll take a heck of a time getting back up!) 
  
• I learnt how to quickly snap off the boot from the ski. (If you experience said-not-best-way fall, you won't be able to get back up! You'll have to physically take off ski from the boot from fallen position).
  
• I learnt how to put back on the ski on the side of a mountain and making sure that i don't slide down on one ski. (So, after you snap off the boot, you get up and try to put the ski back on. However, you're on the side of a slopey mountain and in the process of putting the ski back on - you inevitably start sliding down!) 

And on..and on. 

As you guessed it, I did very little skiing and lots of falling and getting back up. But get back up I did! In fact, if it weren't so expensive, I'd go again - to learn how to ski this time, since I've got the falling part down. ha! 

Picture taken by my friend's camera phone as I left my camera at home. Yes, we know. The light was behind us so the picture came out dark. But the point was to capture the whiteness on the mountain behind me. :) 

Facebook Relationships

What is it about Facebook that has the world going crazy? I mean, I can understand it to an extent. People have no time and it's a great way to keep in touch with folks who live all over the world. I, for one, joined Facebook in college to save money on a banner ad for a fund-raising event that was being held by organization that I was involved with. I stayed on as more and more people from my former life in Kenya started appearing on the scene. People who lived all over the world, and who I could now keep in touch with and see their lives via photos etc. Awesome. Great.

So, what's the problem, you may ask? Well - Facebook has reduced friendships and relationships to a friendly poke and a two-line wall post. There were days where people visited each other. Then came phones era and people started calling. This reduced the need to interact with others face-to-face. Enter email. People started emailing each other - thereby eliminating the need to actually hear each others' voices. Then comes the world of Instant Messaging. Where conversations are held via acronymized sentences: 'it's g8', 'r u there' 'c u l8r'.

Into this already fast-paced-no-need-to-have-human-interactions world, enters Facebook. While comments and wall posts are great, I wonder - does it reduce the need to have real friendships? I have lots of friends at varying levels of intimacy. We all do. However, how many times have I tried to get to know someone beyond the 'good-laughs-good-times'? To actually make time to get to know people? To put up with a friends' cribbyness? Or is just easier to comment on a picture or a status update and simply shut the person out via clicking away from their profile after you're done?

Facebook and online social networking has opened up a whole new way of interacting others. But somehow I think it has also created a culture of not investing in the people right next to us. We tend to keep in touch with people far away, but not really find out who our next door neighbor is. And more so, it has created a culture of reducing friendships/relationships to a friendly 2-min stalk-fest. And that makes me think, this Facebook thing is overrated. :)

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.

Welcome to the World of.

So. First post. Not quite sure what to add here yet. Still trying to figure out how this whole blogging thing works. I know...I know. It is 2008 after all. Where bloggers have been known exist since the eve of the Internet-age.

However, after much deliberation, I'm finally at the stage where unleashing random thoughts and the writing that results from reflection of the world around me to the blog-reading community, seems to be an okay thing to do.

So, welcome to the world of. Happy reflecting. Happy blogging.