Seaside clinic, Vaalinookum

August 29, 2012 

I regret that I never finished this post. I took a few moments to add some things and even then, it is woefully inadequate. Hopefully, on my next trip I can be much more on top of the news!

February 2011

We left Madurai at seven in the morning.  My guide had advised me that it was a two and a half hour trip.  After, riding three buses and a motorbike we arrived at the seaside village, five hours later.  I was exhausted, hot and dusty when I arrived but have to say that the journey was quite spectacular as far as scenery goes, especially the last hour on the motorbike.

We switched buses in Paramakudi, and it was there that I realized that there were no foreigners.  There were numerous curious glances at me but certainly nothing hostile.  Still I was very grateful for the presence of my guide.  It was that point on that it was clear that we would be going deeper into the remote regions of India's vast countryside.

There is something magical about this land.  It is like the country is oblivious to any other sense of time or existence but their own. Farmers harvest their crops in the middle of the roads, mainly rice and spices. It was explained to me that that is the only flat surface with which to sift the grain from the stems.  The aroma of coriander wafts in and out as we pass them.  Herds of goats amble along. And even the buses themselves travel at a pace that seems to say, "we will get there when get there". 

Of all the days that I have been in India, this day really struck a chord in me.  Although, I have been learning about the mission of Barefoot Acupuncturists for days now, it wasn't until this day that I truly, fully understood what Walter is hoping to accomplish.  The people of this village are so far removed from much of anything outside a 20 mile radius.  There are hospitals or medical centers that are provided in each area, but it is rare that a doctor comes to visit.  Sometimes nurses are sent, but even then they are scarce.  More often then not, an assistant of some sort arrives, and they are not properly trained. 

The village of Vaalinookum is beautiful and just a short walk from the seaside.  When I first laid eyes on it my heart did a little leap.  I fantasized about how simple life could be if daily it was shared with people I loved and my eyes could rest on such  surroundings.  However, I'm sure that the life here is far from idyllic. The people of Vaalinookum are very poor.  The main source of income is from fishing.  At one point, it did provide a fairly decent living,  However, much was destroyed in the early 1990's when a large tsunami hit the area.  Some work has been done to restore living conditions for the people, such as government built homes but recovery is painfully slow. They are not able to travel far as much is done on foot and many chores keep them home.

Every where I go, I have seen repeatedly how the effect of the two main religions of India (Hindus and Muslims and to some degree, Christians) impact the local people.  In this village, most of the people are Muslims.  While that may not say a lot for those us who live in fairly educated and tolerant countries, it says a lot for this village of less than 5,000 people.  The main area, where the clinic also is located, is resided by the Muslims.  Off to the side closer to the sea, is another smaller cluster of houses and those people are Hindus.  In Mumbai and in Madurai, most of the patients are Hindus, therefore it was interesting to observe the manners of the Muslims in this village.  The women are quite shy and reserved.  The traditional garb of burkas is worn and while the weather was clear in the high eighties, they were still covered from head to toe.

Ninety percent of the patients that we saw that day were women.  The men that did come were elderly.  There were a number of young women who were not much more than twenty that were brought by their mothers.  It was the mothers that were imploring us to help their daughters conceive.

I was immediately humbled and overjoyed by the reception that we received by the villagers.  Even though it was difficult to convey that one treatment was not going to create miracles, I could see how much people seemed to appreciate being heard and given some hope as to what the clinic could possibly offer.  As I mentioned earlier, these people's lives revolve around a radius that is limited by the ability to travel on foot or bicycle.  And what was available through the government was so ineffectual.   Seeing this village and the remoteness of it with my own eyes, made me come to fully understand the implications of what  this project really means. To be able to teach the local women to do acupuncture so that they could help their own people would vastly improve the quality of their lives. 

This clinic shared a courtyard with a children's school.  I fell in love with these children. They were quite curious as to what we were doing and came to stare at us.  I'll never forget seeing them with their clear open gaze and the smiles that came so easily.  I took time to take photos and a short a video in which I proceeded to show them to much giggling and fascination.  Again, I am reminded of the simplicity of their lives and how happy they appear even with such glaring lack of any sort of technology my children take much for granted.  They had simple books and the classroom lacked windows, doors and even some of the walls were open.  I was also struck with the difference in the appearance of these children compared to the ones in Mumbai.  Their white shirts and clothing were immaculate. Their facial features were symmetrical (eyes were even, teeth were white and full, skin was smooth, and cheeks were round, robust).  I could only attribute it to the diet that was mainly fish and local vegetables which was in stark contrast to the starchy processed foods that is readily available in the city.  Also, the living conditions in the village was much cleaner even though there was still the ubiquitous garbage that seems to plague the whole of India.  

I was thoroughly charmed by this woman who made lunch for the children every day. 

This woman was a patient.  I thought her sunglasses were odd here so far out in the middle of nowhere. 

Barefoot Acupuncturists clinic... Looking back as I was leaving. 

I added this photo of the water well.  Every day the women and children walked here to get their water in which they would use for everything from cooking to washing to cleaning. 

Again, I am amazed at how much I take for granted.  Something that is so abundant in the U.S. and that we waste with no regards to how precious this commodity is in much of the rest of the world. 

Looking at the beauty of these people and their surroundings, it would break my heart to see them end up in the slums of Mumbai.  And yet millions of people migrate there in hopes of a better life.

It was shortly after I came back that I was told that the clinic never made it.  It was with a heavy heart to learn of this news.  Opening clinics like these require more man power and funding that we just didn't have at that time. Still, I was very grateful to get a glimpse of the vision that we hope to have someday.  

Introduction to Barefoot Acupuncturists

My original plan had been to blog while I was there but that proved to be futile.  The days were so busy and by the time I got to sleep, it was easily one or two in the morning.  As it is though, I've had a lot of time to absorb my experiences and hopefully put together more thoughtful posts.

I want to introduce the main people who are a part of this organization and who I was fortunate to meet.  There are others such as David from Spain and Jaques from Switzerland who are part of the project but our paths did not cross on this trip. I look forward to meeting them sometime in the future!

Walter Fischer is an acupuncturist and whose vision is the foundation of this organization.  He is from Belgium and studied in Switzerland at the Swiss Institute of Chinese Medicine Guang Ming.  He also spent two years studying in China in both government hospitals and private clinics.

Prior to my visit we had spoken a number of times on skype and emailed each other frequently.  And every time I had a sense of Walter's integrity.  But it was after working with him that I got the full breadth of his personality.  I was more than pleasantly pleased to learn of his strong commitment to build clinics based on top quality care and high expectations of professionalism.  Furthermore, upon learning of the quality of hygiene and cultural lifestyles of the population coupled with a very basic education provided to Indian acupuncturists, I have greatly appreciated the challenges he has had to tackle in order to maintain his high standards.  Below is a video that was taken when he opened the first clinic in East Bandra slums. 

It is through the work and connections of Ujwala Patil that we were able to have the clinics in the slums.  She found all the people to work with us, the assistants, the acupuncturists, the clinic space and so forth.  Essentially, if it wasn't for her enthusiasm and commitment to the organization, we would have had a much more difficult time integrating into the community. 

Ujwala did much of the translation between the patients and I.  What made her so valuable was that not only did she do the literal translation but she took the time to explain to me the customs and cultural influences.  I came away with a deeper and richer understanding of these people and therefore allowing me to learn how to help more effectively.  She has an immensely strong presence.  Even though she is only in her 30’s I felt that the weight of responsibility, for her family and her work has given her wisdom much beyond her years.

Photo taken from the Barefoot Acupuncturists website

I miss this dear sweet girl Pooja.  When we walk into the clinic in the mornings she is already there with clean linens on the tables and needles in their proper places. 

She is our assistant and translator.  Nothing ever seems to upset her and if anything she'll give you this look that finds the situation humorous.  She makes sure that transitions between patients is smooth and often before we know it tasks are accomplished, such as mid-morning tea, ordered and arranged. 

I have very fond memories of going shopping with Pooja, Ujwala and Valerie.  Between train rides and motor ricksaws it took us two hours to get to the south of Mumbai where the famous Temple of Bombay looks out over the ocean.  At every moment either Pooja or Ujwala was holding my hand.  There were so many people, it would have been easy to be swallowed up in the second it takes to blink your eyes.  With these girls, I felt very safe.

In the picture below is Meghna.  She is an acupuncturist and had just joined the clinic when I had gotten there.  I have a lot admiration for Meghna.  I feel that she is the model of the modern day Indian woman.  She has two children and extended family to care for.  She has her own practice and yet still makes time for the Barefoot Clinic to volunteer.  It takes her an hour and a half each way to get to the clinic and every day she comes. 

I happened to cross paths with Valerie Boisson while I was there.  She is a photographer and shiatsu therapist from Paris.  This was her second trip to visit Barefoot Acupuncturists Clinic and she was busy volunteering her services to many patients.  She is also the one to be credited for two recent videos of the clinics, one of which is in my previous blog titled "Today".  It was wonderful getting to know her and furthermore, she is learning Chinese medicine.  We hope that she will come and join the clinics when she finishes.

The people that I introduced above, I met during the first part of my trip.  The second week I was in India, I flew to the state of Tamil Nadu and stayed in a city called Madurai.  From there I was fortunate to visit the two village clinics. Muhammed Rafee who is pictured below, is an acupuncturist and my tour guide.  I really was grateful to have him there as I learned a lot about the Indian people and their culture.  Muhammed is in charge of finding new villages and setting up the clinics.  He knows the countryside well and exudes this feeling that he is at home even in the remoteness of the regions.  His grandfather was one of the first acupuncturists in India and Muhammed is very serious about carrying on his legacy.  

The people in the picture below are part of the team in the Madurai clinic.  Ravathay and Priya are the two ladies on the right.  They are wonderful acupuncturists who are in charge of the village clinic.  I loved spending time with them and in fact we were all teary eyed as we parted on the last day.  They have such good hearts and their warmth is endearing.  Ravathay put henna on my hands and made them look so beautiful.  The other two men Ferose Khan and Yusuf Mulana are also acupuncturists who come to help out when they are able. 

That is just about everybody.  You will read more about them in the following posts about the individual clinics. 

Cheers!

Home and missing India

Me and Ujwala. Photo taken by Valerie Boisson,

It has been a week since I have been home and I am missing India; the people, the warmth, chai tea and even the nutty traffic.

It has taken all week to get over my jet lag and certainly have been feeling my age.  I think my son, Tenzin thinks that I am like an old woman, waking up at five in the morning and falling asleep at eight at night.  So different from my schedule before.  I was pondering why I didn't feel the jet lag there in India, but perhaps I was so busy I didn't have time to feel it.  Or the daily hot sun made it easier to reset my internal clock.

As it is though, I am feeling impatient to get the word out there about my trip.  Many of you have asked for updates and I apologize for having taken so long.  My brain was literally in a fog all week...  My father (a very seasoned traveler) warned me.

There is so much to share that it is really overwhelming. 

First I have to thank all the people who were part of my trip.  They were so kind and accommodating that my trip would not have been possible without them.  It did not take long for me to feel at home there in such a foreign country.  I will introduce the people properly in my next post which is already half put together...

It has been hard for me to think of much else but my trip for the past week.  Aside from the obvious things such as daily sunlight and 85 degree weather which we are sorely lacking here in Michigan, there are many little things when added up, make for something tremendous. 

My trip has changed me in many ways. It deepened my appreciation for people in general and all our struggles for meaning.  How much more we need each other to bring wholeness in our lives.  With the Barefoot Acupuncturists project I saw firsthand the enormousness of the impact of our actions, merely because we take the time to care, I was brought to tears with every moment that I was so fortunate to be a part of. 

Below is a clip of what I wrote on Nourishingdestiny.com. I reposted it here as it really summed up well much of what I observed and miss about India.

 

What I realized with the people that I met in India, in the clinic and outside was that there was very little prevalence of depression or anxiety.  I asked Walter who runs the organization and the head acupuncturist, if he sees many cases for stress and emotional issues, and he said “no”.  Even with all the cause for distress with the poverty and cultural limitations, these people are rooted in a deep abiding happiness. They take life as it comes and do what they need to do to survive. What I have noticed in our country, even with all the freedom and fortunate circumstance, that we have this deep dissatisfaction and depression with our lives.  It’s a stark contrast!!

I feel that the very basic value for human connection is lost here.  We get caught up in the minute details of what makes us better critical thinkers but lose heart in much of the basics.  How can we heal gender conditioning if we can’t even make the most basic connections with each other and emphasize maintaining it? 

India certainly is not a perfect place.  But they value community and relationships. 

I realized that if something were to happen to me, that it might be days before someone decides to do something about my absence.  Perhaps my boyfriend would call and make inquiries, or my children would wonder why I haven’t called them, or my patients would be upset that I am not there for their appointments.  But I know my neighbors wouldn’t come over to check on me or my friends would just think I am busy.  But in India, if something happens to anyone, everybody in the community knows and something is immediately done. We are lacking that here.  We don’t look out for each other and in fact with all the capabilities of connection with the internet and smart phones we are still an incredibly isolated culture.

 I walked away from my experience in India in awe of the power of Chinese medicine.  How we can use this as a vehicle for healing in ways that allows for seamlessly bridging culture and timeless values with actual results.  What a perfect medium to use in the remote villages as well as the bustle of city life.  And how as a vehicle we are able to make connections with the people in such a way that allows them to truly feel cared for, and respected amidst their customs.  I walked away with tremendously renewed faith in our abilities as Chinese medicine practitioners and what we are trained to do.  The versatility with which we are able to adapt the medicine to suit what is needed.  

And finally to get the whiff of something truly divine in the pure act of selfless work.  To know that we are a part of something that is way bigger than our individual selves is priceless.   

 

Please watch for the following blog posts.  My next post will introduce the people who are part of the organization.  After that I will be putting together posts about each of the four individual clinics.  It is only fair that they are done separately as each one is very different.  You'll see....  I am in love with this project and this country and after awhile I hope you will understand why.  

 

Walter, I know that our journey has just begun. You are a tremendous person with an incredible vision. I am honored to be welcomed into your life and to be asked to share this vision. I look forward to returning soon.

Day 3

It is the end of my third day here and my head is swimming with all that has been happening.  If someone would have shown me the pictures of Mumbai, one year ago and told me that that was where I would be I would not have believed them.  Unless you have been here and actually spent time walking these streets, you just cannot imagine this.

As soon as I walked out of the airport and upon arriving, the first thing that hit me was the smells.  Cardomom, jasmine, coriander, curry?  Like the whole city is cooking and burning incense at the same time.  Really, the sensory overload is... overwhelming.  The sounds, smells and sight of millions of people walking the streets side by side with cars, motor bikes and ricksaws is mind boggling.  And this was at 12:30 at night!  There was no easing into this country! 

Sunday being my first day and feeling a bit like in a dream, mostly from lack of proper sleep and time zone difference, was a good day for getting my head together and a grip on my surroundings.  The weather is beautiful, sunny and in the mid eighties!  I am told that there are two months that are the best months for visiting and that is December and January.  After that, it starts getting hot again and by April and May, sweltering with the heat. Monsoon season then runs from mid June to September.

I wanted to get an understanding of how the term "slum" is defined.  I spent the morning discussing this with Walter and then spent the afternoon going on a guided tour of Dharavi, one of the largest slums in all of Asia.  It is in the center of Mumbai and has over 1 million registered members with another million that is estimated who are not registered.  It was requested that no cameras be allowed so as to respect the privacy of its residents.  You must understand that all the pictures that I have taken are from another slum and not Dharavali.  While it was disarming the level of poverty, I grew to have great respect for the slums.  There are a number of misconceptions about it and having read only articles, I found it very interesting.  I really wanted to begin understanding it as I would be working with these people for the next two weeks.    While it is certainly is not the safest thing for a foreigner to walk there alone, it is by comparison to the ghettos of Los Angelos or Detroit, far more safe.  Rarely is there violence on the streets and gunshots are almost unheard of.  The slums are a defined area much like neighborhoods.  In Mumbai alone, there are hundreds of them and each one is run as a tight community.  Residents care for each other, often cook together, share responsibilities and respect each other.  Not once did I have a child come up asking for money or food.  Apparently, there is a difference between living in the slums and living on the streets.  It is the people that live on the streets that you will see begging or possibly try to steal from you. 

One of the other visiters that was in our group, asked the children if they wanted a cookie that he had in his bag.  They all went running away.  The guide explained to him that children are told never to take anything from strangers.  That moment stuck in my head and changed the way I saw the children immediately.  The girl that is in the photo has the same sweet expression that I saw on almost all the children.  They would come running up and ask in English "how are you?", "what is your name?".  They love to shake hands and stand there waving as you walk away.

Now, I am not trying to paint a pretty picture of the slums.  It is so painful to see the garbage that covers the grounds and the children playing in the dirt where the sewage lies.  The sight of so many people living in rooms eight by ten feet and one public toilet that services 15,000 thousand people a day is heartbreaking.  The poverty of people living on, in one month, less than what I make in a day or even in one hour is astounding.  The pictures that I have taken are no where as destitute as what I witnessed in Dharavi.

Contrary to what is usually understood, most people who live in the slums do have jobs but cannot afford to live in the metropolitan areas of the city.  These are people like taxi drivers, maids, cooks, etc...  Also, what is a large part of the slums is purely business.  There is the residential districts and then the business districts.  An unbelievable amount of money is made from there.  I will never look the same at a product that is "made in India".  Industrial manufacturing is procured there with minimal labor costs and finished products then being sold to major corporations.  We are not talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars, but billions.  I saw people tanning leather, collecting plastic and making them into recycled plastic pellets, the cleaning of gallon paint cans to be returned to the corporations that refill them, the embroidering and dyeing of fabrics, the list goes on.

The slums continue to grow at an alarming rate.  Many of the people come there from the countryside and villages with the hopes of making money.  Some are lured by the Bollywood, movie making industry.  Others, come because their life in the countryside is even more destitute.

I am finding that Mumbai and perhaps the whole of India is full of contradictions.  The people that come into the clinic are in such a way that you would never know it.  Their hygeine is carefully maintained and rarely do they ever smell.  As I swab their skin to prepare them for needling, the cotton always comes up clean.  Their clothes are clean and carefully pressed.  It is such a contrast to the conditions of the streets, the cars, and anything else visible from outside the home, where garbage, dogs and excrement proliferate.  The insides of the homes are kept immaculate.  The floors washed daily and provisions neatly arranged. 

More tomorrow... It is 2:30 in the morning and we have between 30 to 40 patients to treat.  I wanted to get this out to help you understand some of the basics as I had to learn.  Of course, there is still a mountain to be said but for now, I've got to sleep.  To my parents, I know you are reading this but to let you know that I am well taken care of here.  Someone is always with me and I am fed clean food...  To my son Tenzin, whom I hope will read this, I miss you very much.

Today!

It is fast approaching, my flight for Mumbai.  And while I still have a million things to do to wrap things up at the office and at home I couldn't help but take a few minutes to gather my thoughts.  I have never been to India before, much less any sense of remote areas unless you call the mountain peaks of Colorado or the middle of the rainforests in Hawaii remote.  But remote in the true sense that even in a city of nearly 17 million people and half of them living in slums, I will be so out of my element or near anything that resembles the familiar comforts of my home and country.  Nevertheless, the excitement can hardly be contained!

I am realizing that my post at best is going to be quite naive as I won't be speaking from experience.  But this will be a good vantage point with which to view from after my trip.   I have so many questions...

The biggest question that I have is what is the impact of culture in the slums on health.  The food and lifestyles are different. Does this make for different TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) patterns and diagnosis?  Kidney deficiency, for example is Kidney deficiency where ever you go but will I see more of a lack of Kidney Jing or more prevalance of Kidney yang or yin?  From what I have gathered in the articles that I have read from the internet search, lifestyles in the slums are way more physically demanding than what we are accustomed to here in the U.S.  Does that present for quicker burning of the Kidney Jing?

Food is limited to what one can afford.  What I have observed here in the U.S. is that people can still have food here even in the most destitute of situations.  But not only that, very often the food that is chosen is cheap processed food such as a box of macaroni and cheese that can be gotten for less than a dollar, rather than a head of broccoli for a little over a dollar that will have much more nutrition.  Is the diet in India simpler, such as a bowl of rice?  Often times I've wondered in other countries even with the scarcity of food if they are still eating better because the food is more wholesome.  And if that is the case, are some diseases less prevalant, like diabetes.  Will we see less damp/phlegm presentations?

And with Lonny's voice in the back of my head, Spirit is always first.  I hope that I can approach these people through the eyes of my spirit.  To be humbled and changed in ways that will help me to serve others better.  How can I help these people in ways that make for lasting change? Already, I am well aware that my two weeks there will be very insufficient to even touch the surface...

I am acutely aware of how fortunate I am living in the conditions that we have. While my income is certainly not in the six figures, I am so far from being destitute.  I often realize how appalling it is how much I take for granted.  If electricity is cut off for more than an hour, my life is halted and complaints are reported.  Often times I drive a car two blocks to the nearest store because the weather is too cold.  I take it for granted that there will be food on the table three times a day and that my children will never have to starve.  I have multiple computers in my house and how impatient I've become if the screen take longer than a second to load.  And I never give it another thought that I have running water to drink, a toilet to use and water for an automatic washing machine for clothes.  While I am not advocating a lifestyle that is different from what I have, I am doing what I can to be grateful for what I have.  And that is why this project means a lot to me.  I honestly have nothing to complain about and always have something to give. 

There are two clinics in the city of Mumbai and two in the village in the country called Tamil Nadu. Here is a youtube video that Walter Fischer had posted of the newest clinic.  I was struck by how close the clinic is to the train tracks.  Literally when you step out the front door, there are tracks!  And I love the last shot of the goat rambling up to the door. Now, every time I look at a goat I'll be thinking of you, Herman, raising your goats on your farm.  Even with the state of the surroundings, people are smiling. 

I have many more questions and I hope to be able to share them with you with each passing day.  There is something really incredible about leaving my sense of self behind and taking that leap into the unknown.  And what good is my existence if it is not there to serve the greater good of human kind.  As my plane approaches this country I will be greatly inspired by all those who have gone before me.  And my studies of the Theosophical Society (I will be forever grateful to you, Tim for having made me a part of your family!) will not have gone to waste.  The people I love and turn to often for sustenance, Mother Theresa, Dalai Lama, Krishnamurti, Gandhi, Maharishi, Aurobindo, and even Madame Blavatsky, just to name a few, all have roots in this great country!

That's all for now as I have to finish preparations!  Love to you all and I'll see you from the other side!

Welcome!

Dear Friends and Patients,

I will be joining Walter Fischer in January to visit for the first time his clinic in Mumbai, India.  Since so many have asked to be kept posted, I have decided to put together a blog so that you may join me on what I hope to be an amazing journey.  18 years ago when I first started acupuncture school I wanted to learn this amazing medicine so that I may travel the world and be able to help those who are in desperate need.  With so little required in equipment, merely needles and my hands what better way to bring help to those on such a global scale.  I came across Dr. Fischer's website and through various emails and skyping I have decided that this is a wonderful opportunity to share and help in any way possible.  Below is a bit of what he had sent me in a file so that you may read about his clinic.