Day 9 – A Path to Nowhere

Today was a restful day. I spent much of the time lying down or reflecting on what I have seen.

 Isabella’s cooking would relax anyone. I am afraid I will not fit into my clothes back home. This evening,

 Isaac arranged a trip to a village near here.

We wound our way over bumps (surprise) and along a very narrow road. On one other occasion

 we encountered a bus on a similar road. We had to back up about 50 metres before we could find a

shoulder wide enough for it to pass. We got out at the end of the road and Isaac led the way onto a foot-wide path.

We walked along it for a short piece with Isaac ahead of me and two people behind me. It was dark and

I had visions of being led by a Mafia gang into the bush. In the distance I caught a glimpse of a flashlight

 coming towards us. The bearer was a young man sent to lead us to his village, Kanapadipudure.

Every village we visit, each of the people we speak to have their own personal agenda.

They also have a lot of commonality.

On the personal agenda list is number 1, a road to their village. You see, we had to walk almost a

kilometre along the narrow, winding path, or so it felt, to get to the village. That, in itself would give

 them a feeling of belonging and acceptance. They also have a few medical conditions which

would have been addressed in Canada without question.

• One condition, the worst, is that of a 7 year-old boy, Dominic, who has a severe heart condition. He has been examined by specialists and told that he needs surgery. Dr Jerald will check him at church tomorrow.
• A grade 10 girl has eyesight problems and must be seen.
• A 3 year-old has a fast heart beat – on the right side. The popular Dr Jerald will be asked about it tomorrow.
• There are many asthma problems.
• A woman has a severe cataract in her left eye

And those were just the ones at the meeting.

They need basic school assistance like:

• Books
• Fees
• Bussing
• A school building
• Teachers

A girl wishes to attend university but requires assistance with the tuition. Her Grade 12 level

 score is 1100 out of 1200. She is anxious to get an education and help break free from the

mire they are in. She needs 40 thousand Rupees for the year (about $1200). An education and

a change of life style would have a tremendous impact on her life.

There is a women self-help group which deposits 50 Rupees per month for each member. Loans are

given to members from the fund and are repaid at 12% interest.

The meeting ended and we headed back along the trail. It seemed longer and narrower now.

 I have a lot to think about.