Tag: India

Rescued from slavery on rose farm

Rose FarmImagine fields of roses and a farm dedicated to the supply of these beautiful flowers to wealthy people in Bangalore, India. Roses represent romance and beauty.

But there is a darker side to this idyllic picture. The farm relied on 4 young boys, held as slaves to supply the labour. Two brothers had been trapped there for 5 years. One boy was just 9 years old.

They had been working on the farm to pay back a loan their parents had taken from the owner. But it was obvious that the loan would never be repaid and the children were effectively slaves. Continue reading “Rescued from slavery on rose farm”

The largest slum in Mumbai

Slum in MumbaiOur senses were overwhelmed at every level. Multiple smells filled the air – air we could almost taste. All around were noises; people shouting and noises from machinery, and animals. We were jostled along the narrow streets – no place for the agrophobic. We could feel the mud squelch under our feet. Poverty and degradation dominated. We were being shown around the largest slum in Bombay (Now known as Mumbai).

And yet we were told that people like bank managers lived here. Decent property is so expensive in Mumbai that many prefer to live here, rather than commute from distant suburbs into the city centre. First perceptions are deceiving. It is not all poverty and deprivation. The slums are vibrant places. There is a sense of community that is missing among the modern apartment blocks.

Continue reading “The largest slum in Mumbai”

A farm in the foothills of the Himalayas

s cornWhat do you do when you’re in a car and suddenly four lorries are heading towards you? We were driving from Delhi in India, towards Dehradun in the foothills of the Himalayas. In the distance a very slow, overladen lorry was being overtaken gradually by another lorry on our side of the road. Now we were on a normal highway with one lane in each direction but at the sides of the road there was packed earth. As the two lorries got nearer to us, a third lorry getting impatient with the other two started to overtake on the earth at the other side of the road. Then a fourth lorry appeared, and started to overtake on the hard earth on our side of the road. So we were in a situation where all four lorries were heading towards us, and we had nowhere to go. The driver pulled to the side and somehow, all four lorries passed us!

We were heading for Atak farm in the village of Selakui where Yip and Frieda McRae ran a farm, boy’s home, school and training centre.

Continue reading “A farm in the foothills of the Himalayas”

The “Rice bowl of India”

The Godavari Express
The Godavari Express

Note to self: if you ever go snorkelling again, remember that the sun can still scorch your back even though it is underwater and cool. I had arrived in Indonesia to spend a day or two with our friends Chuck and Angela Shelton. By the time I reached India my back was really red and painful. I was on the overnight train from Madras (Chennai) to Andhra Pradesh with Sagar to visit a work amongst disabled children. Sleeping on the bunk bed on the train was virtually impossible and anyway I needed to keep an eye on my suitcase.

Continue reading “The “Rice bowl of India””

Mahatma Gandhi – one of my Heroes

Mahatma GandhiGandhi is one of my heroes. I use the word “heroes” with caution. No one is perfect and we can be tempted to idolise. But there can be no doubt that Mahatma Gandhi was a remarkable man. People have written books about him, many films have been made about him including the well-known film directed by Richard Attenborough.

I will not attempt to retell the story but wish to explain why he is one of my heroes and to see what we can learn from him. Continue reading “Mahatma Gandhi – one of my Heroes”

Appropriate Paper-based Technology

Appropriate Paper Technology
Appropriate Paper Technology in Africa

In many developing countries, raw materials are costly but labour is comparatively inexpensive. In India, for example, recycling is the key. Nearly everything that can be recycled is collected and re-used. This reduces dependence on costly raw materials which may have to be imported.

Appropriate paper technology provides the means for poorer communities to add value by turning waste paper and cardboard into furniture and other useful items. The only costs are flour to make paste and varnish to make the product more sale-able.

By pasting together multiple sheets of cardboard like Continue reading “Appropriate Paper-based Technology”