To work and to play

The weekend held a number of fun adventures and learning experiences. On Friday I was determined to explore the town of Thanjavur and find out more about the place I've been living. I ventured out on my own into the heart of town, which is busy and lively and full of... well everything! People, cows, vendors, garbage, cars, motorbikes, rickshaws, fruit, flowers... there's something for everyone here. I was continually amazed at the sheer numbers of people (although it's still notably far less chaotic than Chennai) and vendors in particular- if you want sarees, there are at least 10 stores in a block. Need jewelry? Just go to one of the 50ish vendors in a half mile radius. I visited numerous shops of all kinds just to get a feel for what was out there. I wandered around admiring the seemingly ancient architecture intermingled with newer homes and vending stalls. I stumbled upon a neighborhood with a cluster of tiny stalls for what appeared to be handicrafters, metalworkers, sawyers, and other manual laborers perfecting their talents- it was incredibly intriguing to watch and admire the use of hand-powered tools and other appliances we would rarely see in the U.S.
On the work side of things, our class learned about maternal and child health, looking at the tremendous improvements that have been made in India over time, especially in the region we are in- Tamil Nadu. Infant mortality has declined significantly, and the fairly recent government-run primary health clinics that we've been visiting have played a large role in that. Women can receive incentives for delivering their babies in a medical facility, and thus fewer women are delivering at home where there is increased danger to the mother and child. There is still a fairly common problem of children being undernourished, sometimes due to the mothers being malnourished and unable to breastfeed, and for other reasons as well. Tamil Nadu overall, however, has a lot to show for the health and wellbeing of mothers and children.
Our project is moving along smoothly- my group is digging deeper to find out what foods are locally available, what people are purchasing and cooking, and what modifications may be feasible to help improve the health of people with hypertension. Tomorrow we will do a fruit and vegetable inventory of Karambayam, looking at what trees are nearby, what is being sold at the small shops, and what people have in their homes. I'm looking forward to also visiting with one or two women as they prepare a meal to see how they measure ingredients (if they do), how much salt and oil goes into the food, etc. We'll also explore what venues, if any, exist for physical activity (other than the physical labor that many people engage in for work) to see if it's feasible for people to incorporate exercise into their daily lives. While I know that lifestyle changes can be a hard sell, the feedback we have received from the village residents we've spoken with implies a willingness to adapt their lifestyles if it means better health. If nothing else, making sure that people have the information about how to take care of themselves is worth the effort. People can and will continue to make their own choices, but at least our efforts here will have contributed something to the community, however small.