I would like to relate an experience which is deep-imprinted in my mind. When I look back, I realize that there nothing was special about it. There was no particular incident or event that stood out. It was just the realizations that left me changed for life.
I joined PRADAN on 7th November 2005 as a Development Executive (DA). I was then given a chance to explore the development field through the field-visits. Under this, I visited Galudih in Jamshedpur district and Hata in East Singhbhumi district. When I was sure I wanted to work in the development sector, I was posted at HATA (East Singhbhumi), which is about 30 km from Jamshedpur. My first assignment was to undergo a village stay for two months, and the village was about 15 km from this sub location.
This was Tribal village with Santhal Tribals basically. The total population is about 300 and most of them earn their livelihood from rain-fed agriculture, cultivating paddy for one season only. Some of them were also engaged in vegetable cultivation. Poultry intervention by PRADAN had reduced the vulnerability of this tribal community. They spoke Santhali and Bangali.
It was only after reaching there I was able to comprehend the problem I was supposed to face. Though I was briefed about the village and my host family, I was not able to foresee any major problems, and I thought this would be a cake-walk, a free salary package from PRADAN. After all, just staying in a village and doing nothing is easy right????? I had no idea how wrong I was then……………………
The first indication of trouble was the language barrier. But I was sure I would find some Hindi-speaking people. The place where I was supposed to stay was the living room of a family of six, which had just this & a kitchen, which is where the family would sleep now since I had taken up the living room. I was stunned when I realized I was supposed to sleep along with the cattle. I saw a short cot about 5 feet in length. Straw was used as a mattress (gadda) & this was my bed for the next two months. There was an uncomfortable silence with my host family for a few hours due to the language problem…Just when I was beginning to think we would never talk, a man who knew Hindi arrived and saved the situation. It turned out that he was the only person who spoke Hindi in the whole village since he had migrated to UP and used to work as a daily laborer in a brick factory.
I then decided to tour the village. During that visit, I realized that there are just two wells which serve as a source of water, and only one of them was in use for drinking water. I could very well imagine the condition in summer when this well would be dry too – this made me appreciate the value of drinking water. During the peak summer season, they are forced to use river water for drinking, though its quality was highly questionable.
When I came back it was lunch time, and I was told that the host would provide me shelter only, and the families in the village had decided to share the cost of my meals, since it was too expensive for one family to bear. I though this was pretty strange since, I was instructed by PRADAN to pay thirty rupee per day for food. But no one was ready to provide me food on daily basis. The explanation they gave me was that money was not everything. The gravity of this statement I did not realize then. I accepted this and when I was severed my lunch, it had rice, rice water, tomato and one chilly. This was a very good lunch by their standards. Rice and rice water are only ingredients in their food, may it be lunch or dinner. This was due to the only one crop that was possible in that area i.e. paddy, which was consumed throughout the year. I was disappointed however, when I found that subsequently I had to survive only on rice & rice-water.
The cot provided me an excellent chilly and dreamy night. I managed to spend whole night only due to warmth provided by the straw. In the morning when I enquired about my bath, I was told that the river is the only place which is used by whole village for daily needs since they wanted to preserve the well-water due to water scarcity.
It was a great experience to use the same river water for washing, cleaning & bathing. I felt I was cleaner without that bath. Three whole days passed with numerous such surprises, but on fourth day my immune system failed and I fell ill. I was taking rest when I was informed that I was transferred to GUMLA by PRADAN. This was such a welcome change, that I left the village within the next ten minutes after saying good-bye to my hosts.
This village taught me the value of water, food, and different agricultural byproducts. Whenever I think about this village, I realize that every penny which I spend for leisure activities can be better used somewhere else by someone.
It can buy the basic needs required by many people in India…………..
By Sandeep Yadav,
PRM 27