There are times in life when a person feels a fresh breeze of clarity as they realise that the present moment will one day become a treasured memory, to be played over and over again.
Living and working in Chennai and surrounding villages for AID India, an India-based NGO, has been such an experience for me. This feeling is the strongest when I walk through rippling paddy fields or cling to the share-auto as it chugs past palm groves to reach the next village.
A bit of background first. When I first found out that I was going to India for a summer internship back in January, winter was holding the Canadian city of Montreal firmly in its grip and it was hard to imagine spending 14 weeks in temperatures hovering around the 40s. Nevertheless, I was extremely excited to work on the “Arogyam” health programme at AID India with hopes of preparing myself for a future in Public Health. I arrived in Chennai with two other interns from McGill University and together we adjusted to the sweltering heat, bargained with cunning autorickshaw drivers, savoured the delicious South Indian cuisine, and settled into our individual projects at AID India.
After the success of the “Eureka Super Kids” rural education program, AID India is now expanding its “Arogyam” health programs to focus on child malnutrition and health education in rural Tamil Nadu.
Into the countryside
I was given an opportunity to create and assist in conducting a 24-hour dietary survey in two districts on the outskirts of Chennai. This survey was an eye-opening and rewarding experience.
I switched between research and data entry in the office to field visits with the health project manager to the villages. During these visits, the field staff interviewed 100 mothers with children aged 5-13 on their dietary patterns to understand their needs and problems. This is the first step towards the implementation of a larger health programme.
Educational value aside, the many trips to the countryside were enriching experience. We took crowded local buses and bumpy share-auto rides on dusty roads with more ups-and-downs than a roller coaster ride. It was through these numerous field visits that I had a brief glimpse of the multi-faceted sides of India.I feel lucky to have seen both the frenzy of modern Chennai streets during the rush-hours and the lazy midday haze lingering over loitering cows in the fields. These snapshots are all a part of the magnetic spell of India that had drawn me in so powerfully.
It's hard to believe that there are only two weeks left in my internship before I am north-bound to assume the role of the stereotypical picture-snapping, Taj Mahal-gawking Western tourist. But I will always relish the snippets of Tamil Nadu that I have grown so fond of: idli vadai breakfasts, popular Tamil songs in full blast, and most of all, the wonderful and kind-hearted people that have made my stay memorable.
Sally Lin, IV year, U.G at McGill University in Montreal, Canada (Nungambakkam, Chennai)
