Renewal
Kolkata has taken on a very different feel over the last few weeks with the onset of the monsoons. The air is cooler thanks to the daily downpours and they are a welcomed relief beyond anything I can put into words. Everyday it rains for either part of the day or for the entire day and this brings a renewal of the spirit that his hard to describe. You see the heat of Kolkata, during the summer, is extremely oppressive. It makes you so lazy, cranky, and tired that the thought of even walking to the corner store becomes a chore you have to think twice about.
Just walking a few blocks, or for that matter just standing outside for a few minutes, becomes a true test of one's limits. Very quickly you discover that your tolerance is much lower than you thought and you're no where near as tough as you may have imagined yourself to be. The monsoons end this hard time of the year and make life "bearable" again. This renews your energy and gives you back your vitality. You can focus again. You can work harder and longer, and you can enjoy the simple pleasure of a day with a cool breeze.
I feel very sorry for the people that live here and have to deal with the heat year after year. My empathy is especially strong for those that live in the slums or on the streets. They, as always, suffer the most. They have no access to a fan, not to even mention AC, and they also have very limited supplies, if any, of fresh, cold drinking water. For anyone that's been sweaty and sticky and hot, imagine not being able to just grab a drink of water or take a cold shower. It's quite horrendous and in my opinion a version of torture that's inflicted mercilessly by mother nature.
The monsoons were way over due (by at least a few weeks) and many people were starting to get very worried about it. You see the rains are THE most important thing to a country like India. Without the annual rains the people, animals and land would suffer unimaginable loss and suffering. Water is of course the life blood for every part of the world, but it's even more important here. When the monsoons come they replenish the Ganges River, the lifeblood of the country. The banks of this most ancient and sacred of rivers overflow and flood the valleys where they fertilize the soil and allow for the production of rice and other necessitates the population depends on for survival. The gushing waters spread silt and nutrients for thousands of miles which allow another year of harvest. Without this annual deluge India would wither and die. It's because of this gift the Ganges brings the people of India that it's considered so sacred. The legend's behind the river's creation are some of the most fascinating stories I've ever heard.
The river is named after the goddess Ganja and use to flow only in the heavens. The gods wanted the river to descend to earth to help purify it but realized that the force of the water hitting the earth would basically destroy it. So to prevent this Shiva caught the river in his locks of hair and let it trickle down to the earth slowly so as not to destroy it. The water came to earth and was split into seven parts, forming the 7 great rivers of India and therefore giving birth to human civilization. There is much more to this myth, as well as many different versions, and I encourage you to do some research and read up on them. They are all very beautiful stories and highlight the mystical aspect of Indian culture.
We are using our renewed energy to try and get some new projects off the ground at Destiny. We are looking into several local vendors that can sell some of the items made by the girls and we've had some great leads. We look forward to reporting on them in the near future. We are also setting up a sponsorship program for the Destiny Center. Plans are in the works and you should be seeing information on the program very shortly. If you're interested and can't wait please feel free to contact Sarah, John or myself and we will be glad to give you more details. And last but not least we also have the annual volunteer trip to India coming up this January 30th - February 13th. This is an exciting time for both the volunteers and the girls. As a previous member of the team I can tell you there's nothing like going to India and meeting the girls and our NGO partner's and seeing first hand the success of the support you and many like you give. If you're interested in joining the team please contact me at paul@madebysurvivors.com and I will be glad to send you more info.
Tomorrow is the official one year anniversary of the Destiny Center opening and we have some festivities planned to celebrate. I will post another entry tomorrow to let you know how they went.
Namaste!
