Sunday, April 13, 2014

Niali and Dhandamajhi Still Exist.

Do you remember reading about Niali and Dhandamajhi getting their forearms chopped off in December? Theirs is the violent kind of circumstance that happens with too much unnoticed frequency in some parts of South Asia. Once the dust settled around their story, I found it easy to forget and let their story slip out of my mind amidst the everydays. Luckily, my colleagues don't forget people like Niali and Dhandamajhi.

Few would argue that bonded labour is a terrible atrocity that should be addressed. I used to equate "addressing" bonded labour with a one-time rescue operation and a swift series of legal proceedings that would end in a fitting sentence for the trafficker. Legal accountability is in many ways the linchpin to combatting bonded labour and IJM does this work really, really well***. But the rescue operation and legal work are not the end of Niali and Dhandamajhi's story, so it cannot be the end of IJM's work either.

After coming out of a traumatic experience, it takes a long time for a person to regain their emotional, psychological, and financial footing in order to be a whole, active participant in their community. Thankfully, the government in Niali and Dhandamajhi's state have recognized their need for support. Last week, our office learned that Niali and Dhandamajhi are getting prosthetic limbs for free from a hospital, in addition to long term care.

Aftercare is a lesser-known pillar of IJM's work and I am astounded by the time and effort that some of my team put into their follow up work with clients. There is a huge need for long-term rehabilitation of South Asia's released bonded labourers. Highlight stories like this one give me hope for a region that will not only be free from boned labour, but able to move on from the experience into fuller, sustainable lives (kind of cheesy, but true).

Thank you to those who have helped make this experience possible over the past 16 months. As I write, I am sitting across from one of those pearl friends in a coffee shop, relishing in a Sabbath day of Vespa riding and good weather. And I am overwhelmed by the gift of it!

Truly yours,

Alice

***Don't believe me? Check out Gary Haugen's new book, The Locust Effect.

p.s. Interested in supporting me? There's a link for that!

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Pearls or Bubble Wrap?

This morning, I…

8:30am Wake up at Emily’s house with the intention of joining another friend at 9:30am to work in her classroom on my computer. Aka free internet.
 
8:35am Remember that I forgot a small gift for this friend (she’s a geologist and I brought her a sedimentary rock from the beaches of Malibu). Decide to run home to grab said rock.

8:50am Convince the fourth auto rickshaw driver I found to take me home. I am still struggling to understand why some auto drivers refuse work.

9:05am Arrive in my area. Auto driver has no change. Here, change is like gold. It is the consumer’s responsibility to have change. Especially early (before 11am) in the morning. My bad.

9:06am Stop at a road vendor selling a breakfast dish. It contains street water. I buy street water breakfast, get change and give it and the meal to the driver. Feel his astonished stare while walking away.

9:10am Try stopping at an atm. It is not giving cash.

9:12am Call the electrician, Suresh, who is able to arrive at 10am.

9:30am Text my geologist friend and tell her I’ll be an hour late. (It’s not ok for service men to work in your apartment with only one woman so I need to stay with my roommate for electrician Suresh’s visit.)

10:00am Suresh arrives. Then leaves to go buy parts for replacement light switches.

10:40am Call the malfunctioning phone number of our water delivery man for the 20th time this week. Get through to water delivery man. He says he was on his way and would be there by 11.
10:42am Do a happy dance because water delivery man’s number has been malfunctioning since last Sunday, when we started buying 2 litre water bottles.

11:00am Electrician Suresh finishes work and leaves.

11:05am I leave. No sign of water guy.

11:07am Call my geology friend to touch base and agreed to pick up cold coffee.

11:08am Stop at second atm. It is getting maintenance.
11:10am Successfully withdraw cash at third atm.
11:11am Enter a large food chain to buy cold coffees. Miscommunicate with the vendor and proceed to wait (rather impatiently) for small cups of “take-away” hot coffee- two small paper cups with tin foil covering the top. Promptly learn that cold coffee is “unavailable”.
Check out that coffee.
11:20am Stop at the gas station. Buy one overpriced can of cold coffee.
11:25am Grab an auto. Spill the “take-away” coffee.  
11:35am Join my geology friend, over two hours later than planned.
Today feels like an unending series of inefficiencies. I can choose to see these moments as pearls of experience to string into a pretty necklace or I can choose to see them as individual popping bags of plastic in my bubble wrap soul, with each pinprick taking a little more life.
I love living in a place that constantly forces me to make the choice between pearls and pin pricks. I am surrounded by a community of people who have chosen to adorn themselves with pearls. I have hope. Not hope to change my sometimes frustrating circumstances, but hope for living a life that chooses joy regardless.