3/9

This morning was another relaxing morning at Bolagon; breakfast, reading, packing, nothing too eventful. In the afternoon Sr. Anisha helped me wrap my sari as she was rushing around for last minute preparations for the event to begin at 1pm. The only problem so far, was that there was a bandh in Raiganj, so there were no vehicles traveling from Raiganj to Bindol. This meant that all of the guests coming from Raiganj were going to have a difficult time arriving.
An MC Sister came, and the two of us went to sit under the tent and wait for the program to begin. Because many people were not showing up the program began an hour late. Puthumai came for a while (I was glad to see him) and Dr. Prohibir (whom I met at the Health Awareness meeting in my first days in Raiganj. The program was wonderful. I can’t adequately describe it, although hopefully the pictures (soon to be posted) will help. There was a stage and a covered area for people to sit. Once the program began there were probably 600, then 700 and finally about 1000 people there (that is my guess, and I could be wrong). It was mostly women and children and the crowd was radiant with bright colors and grinning faces.
The theme of the International Woman’s Day program was health awareness, especially for leprosy, TB and AIDS. There were dances, songs, and dramas. I had met the health workers in the previous days, and they were the ones running the show. They are village women who are paid to go out into the villages and speak with the other villagers about health issues, promoting the Self Help Groups and various other trainings occurring in the area. The hostel girls danced a few numbers, and they looked absolutely gorgeous. The whole time the size of the crowd, the different cultural songs and dances, and the feeling of something making a difference enchanted me. Although admittedly I was hot, hot, hot, as it must have been in the high 90’s.
I loved watching the kids creep closer and closer to the stage, some of them even got brave enough to sit on the side of the stage. Eventually a woman in charge of the hostel came to move them back, but even after that, they kept progressively scooting closer and closer to the stage. There were village women there who were young, old and in between. There were infants and children in school uniforms having just been released from school.
I was given a shall of sorts and a dot on my head, as a welcoming gesture for the honorary guests, and I was even asked to come up in front of everyone and help light the ceremonial lamp. I wish I could describe in words how many people were there; it was really amazing. After the program ended Dr. Prohibir took me back to Raiganj in his vehicle. I said a quick goodbye and thank you to the Sisters, promising to come again. Dr. Prohibir and I had a lively conversation on the ride home about road safety, and if Pee-a-lee (sorry for the awful spelling) see this, I wish her luck on her upcoming exams.
Once at SWI I checked emails, and had dinner. I will be spending some parts of the later week in another village, so I may not be able to update. The 10th and 11th are a color throwing holiday, so hopefully I will have some interesting pictures of what that is like. On the 14th Puthumai is inaugurating a new program, which I am excited about and then on the 16th and 17th is the Regional Perspective Planning for all of the religious NGO’s of W. Bengal. I leave on the evening train the night of the 17th. Then in the early hours of the 19th, more like the late hours of the 18th I leave for America. Hopefully on my last day I will be able to meet up with Ruchi in Calcutta.
Only 8 days left. There really is no better word to describe it than bittersweet, bitter to be leaving what has been so etched into my heart, and sweet to be returning to family and friends I have dearly missed.
Sending love.