Development in Action

DEEDS Children's Club Trip to the Tamil Nadu coast - Richard Sleight

The Children's Club at DEEDS consists of all the school-going children in the area above the age of ten. It's a bit like a youth club with games, skills sessions and sports, but it also discusses the environment and children's rights.

The trip was for three days to a coastal region in Tamil Nadu, with staff and children; about 200 people on three buses. I have never been on such a long distance journey that was so cramped. Lots of kids were sleeping on the floor or on top of one another on the seats. I had local volunteer Shivagami's two year old sleeping on top of me for the majority of the journey. The most astounding thing however was that in a 16 hour journey or so the music never stopped at all. Everyone was up dancing in the aisles a lot of the time which was great. Indian music is so fast (the dance music, anyway) and the dancing is manic. All the children are experts from watching the movies, so they put me completely to shame. Bus jolting from side to side I didn't know whether I was dancing or falling over most of the time. No sleep at all.

The first destination was the beach. As soon as we got there all the children ran in, clothes on, clothes off, it didn't matter (for the boys anyway, of course). Most of the children had never seen the sea before. All the staff and volunteers went in as well, going straight under the waves, saris and all.

It would have made a good surfing beach, great sand in a thin strip for miles, palm trees, blue murderous sky, white waves going straight over your head, you get the picture. It was beautiful and more importantly loads of fun. There were of course loads of shacks along the beach selling food of all kinds and behind these a strip of rubbish dump which only spoiled things a bit if you looked in that direction instead of the sea. Even with all the kids there the sea tends to bring out a very calm atmosphere, and everything is all right with the world.

Back on the bus, everyone slept, tired from the beach, except the music still blares out. I was told later that this was more peaceful, and had more space to sleep than most of the children got at home. Luxury for them, roughing it for me! Since the trip I have been house visiting for the Credit Union and some of the houses do not have enough space for an adult to lie down in and 4 people have to sleep there! We eventually got to a large building in the middle of the countryside where we would be staying. This is one of the project areas of FCS. We (the English volunteers) were put in a room with beds, a luxury none of the children nor the other staff got, and I felt a bit embarrassed they were treating us so well.

After a good night's sleep it was back on the bus and off to see a huge and very impressive Hindu temple. It was like the temples I had seen at Hampi but in the middle of a town. One of the kids decided to be my special guide so I got all the history of the place in detail. There was also an elephant there that all the children enjoyed. I'd love to see a free elephant one day. Next we went to another temple where there were huge queues to pray, break coconuts, throw flowers and give gifts.

Back at the building we were staying at it was time for the ‘Cultural Show'. The Cultural Show is about everyone dancing, doing plays, singing and so forth. Everyone! A lot of the kids had organised skits to perform about child rights issues and difficulties in the family. A lot of them had been practising dances and a few songs taken from Tamil films. All these were excellent. All the staff, unbeknown to us had been practising dances as well. All the kids and staff seemed to be amazing dancers and singers. I, on the other hand, know no formal dances, cannot sing, and as for acting… in another language?! So about 300 people (children form the local area as well) were watching all the dancing on stage when someone came up and asked Liza, Elinor and I “just do something English; a skit, a song, a dance, you know, something simple!” Now, these were children but we were way beyond the extent of my talents of ‘I'm a little teapot'. We were going to do the actions to ‘Saturday Night' (Whigfield) song actions to a Jamiroquai track [I'm sure it all made sense at the time. Ed.] but the tape broke and we ended up on stage with a few of the kids (great dancers) prancing about to some Indian music. For over 1 month since the date, teachers, volunteers, kids, would come up to me and say something like “great dance Mr Richard!”. “Thanks”, I'd say, and other things within my mind. I fear any public gathering now.

After a good nights sleep we were back on the bus for the trip back to Bangalore . It had been an eventful few days and I would definitely need a holiday to recover from it!

Making a song and dance about development - Tom Wilmot

Development can take many different forms, and progress can sometimes be impossible to measure. This is illustrated by the diversity of ways in which art and the social community can feed into the development process. In this issue we see examples of artistic expression and community activities, which promote awareness, improve ‘quality of life', or simply provide a means of expression. Such things have always helped mankind through repression, poverty or trauma in many different contexts. But, as David Cameron has recently pointed out, even stable societies need to foster happiness.

In his book ‘On Writing' Stephen King says " Life isn't a support system for art - it's the other way around. " The acclaimed author was reflecting on his road accident, which he subsequently incorporated into the final novel of his Dark Tower series. This is, of course, all a bit morbid, but the more I considered Mr King's assertion, the more I believed it to be true. Read the articles in this issue and see if you agree that it is certainly true with respect to our endeavours to reduce poverty, neglect and ignorance, and to move towards a sustainable world.

Art, by which I mean the expression of beauty, emotion, narrative or nature, is essential to maintaining a healthy life, healthy communities and ultimately a healthy world. In building economic and social stability, we should never underestimate the importance of empowering individuals and communities to express themselves. This encourages communication, stability, freedom, understanding, and, of course, happiness.

In this issue Nabeela Ahmed, our India correspondent during her time as a volunteer in Tamil Nadu, describes how a development organisation has used songs as a ‘tool' to promote awareness of important issues in rural communities.

Over a thousand miles away in the northern city of Chandigarh , there is an unusual public space where artistic creativity has both highlighted the issue of waste, and reduced the problem locally. Liz Horsefield describes the delightful Nek Chands rock garden.

Back in Tamil Nadu, Richard Sleight describes a community activity with a difference; the DEEDS ‘children's club trip' from Bangalore . The events that this involved enhanced the lives of a large group of disadvantaged children immeasurably. Oh, and looking back I think Rich quite enjoyed it too!

From yet another corner of India we have a visual treat from amateur photographer Alice Piggott, as she shares her photographic diary of community activities at VIDYA Mumbai.

‘What about the role of art and the community here in the UK ?' I hear you cry! Well, artist and Oxfam volunteer Amber-Lee Robinson describes a unique event involving concerned artists in Ipswich , in which they have been able to express issues of poverty, development and sustainability in a very public forum.

Art with a heart - Amber Robinson

Promoting global citizenship on the high street

Suffolk-based artists have been asked to contribute artwork that expresses the issues and ethics of the Oxfam charity and help promote in store products and sales. The work is being displayed in the window of the bookshop in fortnightly slots to encourage and increase the awareness of global issues.

Printmaker Wendy Rainbow was the first to exhibit. Her work ‘Fade-out' is a paper scroll displaying images of African children and animals affected by drought and malnutrition. Printed onto specialised photographic paper, the print was designed to gradually fade away in the sunlight, reflecting the death and decay in these harsh environments.

‘Bookscape’ bringing literature closer to nature

‘Bookscape' was a living installation inspired by the ‘Oxfam Unwrapped' replanting and watering scheme. The aim of the work was to “…highlight the cycle of regeneration. Books are made from trees as a raw material; the money raised from their sale is given to support schemes such as replanting.”

The work was created from a collection of old books that appear ‘sprouting' from a bed of soil – reminiscent of their original form, with cress and mustard plants growing from the pages. Artist Amber Robinson commented “… Over a period of two weeks the work has become a living sculpture, plants have grown and changed. Insects have taken residency. It reflects the basic requirements of nurture and time to sustain life”

Every day more than 25,000 people die from water borne diseases

The latest work to be displayed is a wood-fired clay pot with the inscription “Everyday more than 25,000 people die from water-borne diseases” created by ceramicist Laura Potter.

Based on traditional design ‘killer-Thirst' is a water vessel with a stark message that emphasises the concern of access to clean safe water being a global crisis. Artist Laura Potter said “The base of the artwork also incorporates clay which is not fired. I'd hoped that naturally drying the clay would give the effect of cracked earth devoid of moisture”.

Project organiser Jay Miller is clear about the reasons behind developing the ‘Oxfam Opens 2 Art' scheme. “I wanted local artists to respond to the ethos and ethics of Oxfam and bear in mind the charity's interests. The space gives the artists an opportunity to explore their ideas and present them to the public. The artwork brings focus to third world issues, reminding people of the pure gluttony of the way we shop in the west and to keep the charitable work prominent.”

The project will run until December 2006, and depending on the success and popularity will continue for a further 6 months in 2007.

Something from nothing; the rock garden with a difference - Liz Horsefield

In the planned city dubbed India 's equivalent of Milton Keynes , I was on a mission to visit a huge sculpture park created entirely from rubbish and cement. How could such an amazing tribute to recycling, and a unique artistic creation be possible? And how could such a place establish itself and attract visitors in a country traditionally known neither for its modern art, nor for its willingness to prioritise issues such as re-use of waste? As the Shatabdi Express pulled into Chandigarh , my questions were soon to be answered.

Waterfall at the Nek Chand Rock garden

The Nek Chand Rock Garden is truly an inspiring and wonderful space to explore and admire, and all for a couple of rupees entrance fee. There are at least 5000 sculptures of men, women and children, monkeys, birds, tigers and more. As the route through the park invites the visitor to bend through arches and along passageways, new delights are constantly revealed. I remember being particularly struck by a huge, looming waterfall which appeared ahead, a row of sculpted women with water jars on their heads lining the water's edge. It was only with a double take that I realised the line of men peering down from the top of the falls were not fellow tourists, but also made entirely of chipped tiles and cement.

Women created from broken bangles

The variety of materials used is impressive, some hardly recognisable, others at once familiar but routinely considered useless, broken or ugly. All have been skilfully reworked and carefully displayed on this huge expanse of what was once government land. It began in the 1960s, as the planned city of Chandigarh continued to develop and expand, so too did the work of Nek Chand, initially without any recognition. Thousands of broken coloured women's bangles, bottle tops, used plugs, broken tiles and pots, bricks, old tyres, pieces of metal, plastic and much more has been collected and remodelled over the last thirty five years. And the beauty of the garden is that its creation is still growing, as Chand continues to work on what will be Phase III of the park.

I was at times reminded of Gaudi's architectural wonders in Barcelona , and Chand's sculptures are also at times perhaps reminiscent of Henry Moore, but the park remains an original and thought-provoking concept in the State of Punjab and Haryana. The National Geographic News in 2002 referred to Nek Chand's “ode to sustainable development,” and the visitor cannot help but consider the otherwise much less attractive fate of so much industrial and urban waste.

Open to the public since 1976, and featuring on an Indian postage stamp in 1983, the Rock Garden continues to recycle waste in the name of art, or “engineering,” as Chand himself refers to it. Collection centres and local networks have since been set up, ridding Chandigarh of some of its urban and industrial rubbish, and channelling it into Chand's ingenious and on-going project. Although the city temporarily withdrew the park's funding in the 1990s, it is currently being promoted and preserved both locally and internationally. The Nek Chand Foundation, a registered charity, was set up in 1997 to help raise awareness of the park, and to maintain and develop its construction.

Nek Chand's monkies

An Indian environmental magazine, TerraGreen , thought it strange that the Rock Garden idea has not been developed in other areas of the sub-continent, where recycling is indeed an everyday part of many people's lives. Perhaps it is the sheer scale of Nek Chand's creation, and the atmosphere of tranquillity, without a hint of flamboyancy, that allows his message to rest so succinctly with the visitor to the garden. It is enterprising work, presenting issues of global pollution in what is perhaps a more optimistic and encouraging light than we are used to. We can only hope that the huge numbers of Indian tourists and locals alike will leave the park with an increased awareness of the severity of such issues today, as well as an appreciation of a very touching and inspiring work of art.

Further reading:

“ India 's Vast Trash Garden a Monument to Recycling,” Pallava Bagla for National Geographic News, October 7 th , 2002 .

“Nek Chand: An Early Encounter” by M.N.Sharma, Former Chief Architectof the Punjab State and Chandigarh , Nek Chand Foundation, 2002. www.nekchand.com

“The Rock Garden, Chandigarh , India ,” Off The Map, Travelogue, www.pbs.org

Awareness songs in rural Tamil Nadu - Nabeela Ahmed

Harmoniums and tabla drums, accompanied by joyous singing and clapping, and a tambourine too…one would assume these were all ingredients for the sheer merriment of a good old-fashioned shindig. Except it's just another weekday morning in the office for a bunch of hard-working social workers based in Tamil Nadu.

Music and performance have proved to be the most effective platforms for communication and awareness in the rural communities of Tamil Nadu served by the Development Education Society (DEEDS), the small NGO set up by Reverend J.D. Balasandrum over a decade ago. The NGO sought to address the local problems of disease and illiteracy, brought on by poverty in the drought-struck northern region of Tamil Nadu but had difficulty in finding the right ‘tools' to spread awareness to communities.

DiA volunteers try out some of the instruments

Social worker and herbal doctor, Dr. Rajan explains, “When we first tried talking to people via door-to-door canvassing, they just weren't interested and our campaign didn't succeed at all.” The DEEDS team realised their biggest hurdle lay in capturing the faith, as well as the attention of a community disillusioned by governmental negligence and rapacious moneylenders.

The answer lay in music – something all members of the DEEDS staff are passionate about, all belonging to church music groups or drama groups of some kind. Music is a means of communication that transcends linguistic and social barriers and opens up eyes, as well as ears to new ideas and allow for interaction. The team decided to develop songs and drama skits and then perform these on their regular visits to villages in the district.

Women's empowerment, health and immunisation, ignorance, child rights and caste discrimination were the key issues that need to be addressed in the Sholinghur district in northern Tamil Nadu and the DEEDS staff began to craft songs and short sketches tailored to the main issues relating to each area they visited. By 1996, a total of 53 songs were printed and the output is still flowing today.

Hearing a showcase of these awareness songs which range from heart-rending ballads that evoke a mother's pain at not being able to provide for her child, to soul-stirring and empowering stompers celebrating the importance of child and women's rights is truly inspiring. The DEEDS team have set a precedent in the region for a means of communications that is powerful, yet simple. Dr. Rajan highlights their aims; “ we don't just want to intrude into a village and impose what we think is right, communication and awareness are the most important things and what better way is there to start that off that atmosphere than with something as universal and inviting as music .”

The process of composing these awareness songs is as finely-tuned as the pieces themselves. The districts are sub-divided into ‘clusters' which are covered by different DEEDS social workers who visit on a twice-weekly basis. They identify key problems to address in their areas and then collate ideas together to write and compose songs that promote a message of motivation to target communities. The music and drama seek to encourage interaction on all parts, and there are both universal songs to uplift and empower as well as songs tailored to the individual cases of specific villages.

DEEDS continue to be as prolific as ever with their awareness songs, which remain the backbone of their awareness campaign in Tamil Nadu, This work has even found a following in government administrations, which have also adopted musical techniques in trying to reach rural communities. As the words below encapsulate, only unity can help address the struggle against poverty and ignorance…

Let's join together, let's join together all the people of the village

Let's join one then ten then 100 until we form a great movement

(DEEDS Song 3)

A photo diary of community activities at VIDYA Mumbai, 2005/2006 - Alice Piggott

These are kids from PhuleNagar (the slum adjacent to IIT Bombay campus) where VIDYA holds classes every morning from 8.45 - 11. These kids all live in the slum and go to government school, but appreciate the lessons and organised activities in addition to their classes. Jen brought some picture books with her, one entitled "The loudest roar in the jungle," which we read to the kids one Friday and I had some finger puppets we used to illustrate the story. They were totally taken with the puppets, and all wanted to have a go making the appropriate animal noises!

Rangoli made by the children for the Dussera festiva

The building where we taught was really a community space, and as such was used for celebrations for all the festivals. The rangoli in this picture was made by the children for the Dussera festival. On these occasions the ladies and children who were VIDYA students would bring food and get all dressed up.

Some of the VIDYA students

These are some of the VIDYA students in front of the community building at Dussera.

A rangoli that made just before Diwali

This was a rangoli that we made just before Diwali, at our friend's house. KB is the other VIDYA teacher in PhuleNagar and teaches Hindi and Marathi literacy to women and children. She was a great friend to us the whole time we were in India and even tried to teach us to cook, although was terrified that we were going to chop our fingers off! We made the rangoli by rubbing mus paste onto the floor outside her front door, then drizzling coloured powder onto the mud where it stuck, creating a pattern.

Masks of ducks, dogs, sheep and cows which the kids decorated themselves with

Every year VIDYA holds an "Annual Day" where all the students and participants in VIDYA activities are invited to perform. This is a celebration of the VIDYA family, as well as an opportunity to show sponsors and supporters what VIDYA has achieved. This year Jen and I taught our students from PhuleNagar "Old MacDonald" which involved me writing out the song transliterated into Hindi! Seeing as some of the kids write Hindi about as well as I do, it caused some problems and much hilarity! We made masks of ducks, dogs, sheep and cows which the kids all decorated themselves, using far more glitter than was really necessary, but they all got carried away.

Mehendi

In the New Year we went round to KB's house when her beautician was there, and we had mehendi done. It took about an hour and was the most mesmerizing process to watch as the pattern grew and evolved on your skin. The kids were all delighted that we were looking so "Indian" and everyone in the VIDYA office was very admiring.

Dancing at the New Year party

This picture shows Shadhna (left) and Sandhya dancing at the New Year party we had at the PhuleNagar school. They were dressed up in mini sarees for the occasion and looking gorgeous, singing and dancing away to Bollywood classics.

VIDYA students enjoying the New Year festivities

This shows more VIDYA students enjoying the New Year festivities.

The musicians beat a steady rhythm

Taking turns to dance