First week in Delhi

 we have just got to the end of our first week in India which has been really inspirational. 

Asha have given us a great experience visiting a different slum each day and also provided us with a translator so Steve can do a surgery and I can do an antenatal clinic. Aalthough I've learnt a smattering of Hindi (which the locals finds very amusing) the difficulties come when anyone replies to my questions, so the translator is very important! Sometimes it's hard to know how best to refer etc., but Asha are able to do simple blood tests and ultrasound and the health workers provide some really good guidance. I think Steve has a far harder job than me trying to sort out 'total body pain' and some chronic conditions that have gone in for years, but he is doing a great job.

During the week we have met amazing women from the slums that Asha have helped to empower. In one slum they described how collecting water had previously taken 2 hours to fetch and carry water, but how Asha taught them how to campaign for their rights. They described how almost every day they lobbied health ministers and after 6 months finally got the results- water in the slum lanes! Lovely to see how proud they are of their achievements.

I was particularly happy to vist Seelampur slum, home to 38,000 people. This was the slum I visited with the group from New Gen in 2009 where we mostly did painting, but I also ran a few midwifery workshops for the Comminity health volunteers. I had absolutely no expectations that they would remember me- but they did! 

Moreover 2 of the ladies- Saira and Ameena told me that they always remembered what I had taught them when they attended a home delivery and the baby needs some resus. It just shows that we don't always know when something may be having an impact.  Felt so humbled by their gifts of bangles, a necklace and a mug for Steve. They are so poor and yet so generous......

Phil, Elizabeth, Jane and Brian have now arrived from New gen so we are really enjoying spending time with them and having some fun times. We are all off for a big Asha celebration tonight! 1200 young people from the slums have now gone through University! How amazing is that!