Posted on March 16, 2017 under Faces in the Crowd with one comment

Grace and poise

 

“ My dream is to be able to support my niece and nephew so that they can get a good education.”

Meet Gracie Akrose.

The eldest of five children, Gracie was born in Vallavallai, Tamil Nadu, India in 1977. Her father was a fisherman and her mother sold fish at the local market.

At the age of one, Gracie was dealt a blow as she contracted polio. Polio or poliomyelitis is a disease caused by poliovirus. It can cause lifelong paralysis and can be deadly. By the time she was five and with more children in her home, her parents were no longer able to cope and sent her to live at Mercy Home, run by an order of Roman Catholic Sisters. Initially, this was a very traumatic experience for Gracie but eventually she settled in and spent the next ten years with the Sisters.

She began school and by all accounts was a very good student. Upon completion of her 10^th standard ( grade 10 ), she returned home. She was sad to leave the convent as she had been very well treated. Over the next two years she studied tailoring at a convent run by the Sisters of Bethany. She learned quickly and discovered a new talent which was both satisfying and practical. She began doing sewing jobs at home with a machine provided by the Sisters.

Over time her new found abilities became crucial to the survival of the family as a string of misfortunes made her the sole income earner. Along with her parents, she was also supporting a sister, a niece and a nephew who were all living under the same roof. Gradually it became very difficult to run her small business with all of the other distractions at home.

In January of 2017, the Sisters at Sanditham Bethania School offered her a teaching position and also provided her with food and accommodation at the adjacent convent. In addition to a modest monthy income from teaching, she is also able to earn additional money by doing private work for people in the community. She loves living at the convent where she finds peace by attending mass.

As hard as Gracie works, she still finds it very difficult to pay the mounting medical bills, food and repairs at the family home.

Gracie’s future is uncertain as there are no guarantees that she can keep her position at the school and the convent. She worries about her family, especially her niece and nephew. She knows that their best chance to succeed in life is to get a good education but after the 10^th. standard, government funding for education ceases. In order to continue their education, these children must pay and there is simply no money for this.Gracie is hoping that with a newer model sewing machine, she can increase her output.

Gracie has no bitter feelings or regrets about the cards she’s been dealt. “ I accepted my physical limitations a long time ago.” Polio has slowed her down but it has not dampened her indomitable spirit. She hasn’t ruled out marriage although she figures that her age and physical challenges present obstacles.

But nothing would surprise anyone who meets this wonderful woman with the perpetual smile and positive outlook on life.

 

 She lives life with dignity and grace.

 

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If you would like to make a contribution towards a new sewing machine for Gracie ( $500 ) please go to my fundraising page at http://www.week45.com/supporting-the-daughters-of-mary-in-india/

Posted on March 13, 2017 under Monday Morning Musings with 3 comments

Sunrise

“ Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset

Quickly flow the days”

Sunrise, Sunset. Fiddler on the Roof

 

I completed the “ daily double” yesterday.

No, I didn’t go to the race track and pick the winner of two horse races nor was I playing Jeopardy. I wasn’t even referring to the iconic Canadian coffee combo, a Tim Horton’s “ double double.”

Kanyakumari, India is the very last city on the Southern tip of India and is surrounded by three Oceans: The Indian Ocean, The Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Because of its location, it is a very popular tourist stop. The primary reason that most people come is to view the sunrise and sunset. Most of us from the Atlantic Provinces might find this surprising as this is just a way of life for us. But in India, the sun is an important religious symbol and devotees come to worship.

It is quite a spectacle. Long before the sun comes up, the buses start to arrive near Sunrise Point and all along Beach Road. During certain festivals the number of buses can be in the hundreds. And these are not just your garden variety buses. These are touring buses with all the creature comforts. They are small, self-contained micro communities. The buses are resplendent with flashing colored lights and all kinds of decorations. If they are transporting young people, then you can expect loud , thumping music and lots of screaming… especially when they spy people like me!

Once parked, they go through their morning rituals. They bring all of their own food and prepare it right on the spot. The city provides huge tanks of water for washing up and drinking. There are “pay toilets” scattered throughout the area. As the sky brightens, there is a heightened sense of anticipation as people get as close to the water as possible… thousands of them. Many people sit quietly and meditate.

While there are several places to watch the sunset, there is one focal area called Sunset Point. Everyone goes there. There are all kinds of vendors and hawkers… and people handing out religious pamphlets. I am a regular consumer at one of the mobile ice cream vendor carts. Part of the beach is strewn with very large boulders that gradually thin out into a pristine beach suitable for swimming. Many people just sit on the rocks in the hour leading up to sunset while others frolic in the water. For some, it is the first time that they’ve ever dipped their toes in the ocean. As the sun begins to dip, everyone stops what they’re doing and simply watches. It is quite something to watch thousands of people entranced by one of nature’s finest moments.

And then they cheer and clap… and stampede for the exits!

The next 15 minutes is sheer pandemonium as everyone seems to be in a rush to go somewhere. The parking area is filled with buses, taxis and auto rickshaws and the road leading out of Sunset Point is narrow and poorly maintained. Pedestrians travel at their own peril in the waning light.

So yesterday, I completed both ends of the double double. The sunrise and sunset didn’t disappoint but just watching all of these people was every bit as entertaining.

My 14 young “ aspirants” ( girls studying to become nuns ) left on the weekend. I spent a lot of time with them over the past month, helping them with their English. We became very close and I was really sad to see them leave.

If you’re not a Facebook person, you would have missed a letter that I posted the other day. It was written in Tamil by Mariyappam, a recipient of one of the wheelchair tricycles. He presented me with the letter the evening he received his bike. I was very touched by his sentiments. “ I have nothing to give in return to show my gratitude. But all I can do is pray for all blessings to be showered upon you in abundance.” He signed his name and in brackets wrote ( “ The differently abled.” )

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the water taps, the wheelchairs and the wheelchair tricycles. It has made a big difference in the leprosy community. May blessings be showered upon all of you in abundance.

Story time. Coming up this week, I have a shopping story. It is called “ Pothy Training.” Pothy is the name of a large department store. I could just as easily called it “Potty Training.” Stay tuned.

“ Quickly flow the days.” I only have three more weeks in Southern India before flying to Delhi to meet up with brother Don to do some traveling in North India. Before I know it, my six months in India will be over and I’ll be winging my way back to Canada.

Looking forward to coffee and chats will old friends and new.

Have a great week.

 

Sunset

Posted on March 9, 2017 under Thursday Tidbits with 2 comments

Gracie’s new chair

 

“ Some days are diamonds…”

Some Days Are Diamonds. John Denver

I’m still trying to process the events of yesterday afternoon and evening as the Sisters hosted their first International Women’s Day celebration. Approximately 500 Indian women in saris arrived and marched through the streets of Kanyakumari with placards. A stage had been erected on the grounds of the convent and there was a full program of events including speeches, dance and music. My friend Carol ,from the B@B, was the guest speaker and she exhorted the women to move forward boldly in their lives with confidence, in the knowledge that anything is possible.

The Sisters took this opportunity to start passing out a few of the new wheelchairs and wheelchair tricycles with money donated from people like you. They decided to give one of the wheelchairs to a young woman who lives at another convent just down the road from here. She is paralyzed from the waist down. She lives with the Sisters and is an expert seamstress. It was determined that only four wheelchairs were needed at the leprosy community so they decided to give the fifth chair to Gracie.

 They wheeled her to the stage in her rickety old wheelchair. The seat is made of wood. Neither she nor I knew that she was getting a gift from Canada. We both shed tears and embraced as she was helped from the old to the new. It was one of the most joyous and utterly surprising moments of my life. When the event was over, Gracie was swarmed by well wishers.

The gentleman from the leprosy colony who received his new wheelchair handed me a letter after getting his chair. It was written in Tamil but required no translation. His hug said it all.

The M/C made a big deal about the wheelchairs and the water taps and the kindness of strangers.

Oh yes. I was asked to sing a song to close the event. I sang “ Let it Be” with a chorus of 14 young noviciates. They had never been on a stage before let alone sing for 500 people.

I won’t soon forget this day. I was so proud to be a Canadian.

As most of you who are reading this know, I am working with the Daughters of Mary. Much of my work has to do with raising money to support the various projects that they run. I am also working with the Sisters to come up with innovative ideas so that they can eventually become self-supporting. We are looking at reducing electricity costs by installing solar panels. With 320 days of sunlight and technology that has proven effective ( you can see it in the dramatically reduced power bills ), the savings can be directed towards program costs.

There are still several other projects that require a financial boost and I am asking those of you who might still want to contribute to go to my website and follow the fundraising link: http://www.week45.com/supporting-the-daughters-of-mary-in-india/ Actually, you are on my website right now so save yourself a trip and check it out now.

Have a great day, and thanks again for your generosity of spirit.

 

Mariyappan sporting his new tricycle