In a recent report from Sanjay, the school and the students are faring relatively well in this challenging time of the Monsoons. Attendance is down, as the excess water in the fields ushers in “paddy season”, (rice planting?), the busiest season for farmers. This means that ALL hands in the family are needed either in the fields or in watching over young ones, so many families cannot afford to spare their kids from the work load. It is the work in the fields at this time that will determine the amount of food available later in the year.
The rainy season with its floods and sewer back ups often brings with it higher incidents of water borne disease. It is part of the mixed blessing of the Monsoons. Also from Sanjay’s email:
“…life is [a] little difficult in [the] village during rainy season but people are habituated . We have not heard [of] any diarhea cases and one day we have called a doctor and made all children checked up. Of course some children are affected with seasonal fever but they got medicine…”
We cross our fingers that those who are ill will receive the care they need and heal fully, and that the rest will manage to stay well throughout the rainy season.
This brings to mind another dire need in the village — access to health care. In our visit there in January we learned that a basic visit to the doctor costs about 50Rs (about $1.00), which is about equivalent to a full day’s wages for most people in the village (any medicine would be additional cost), and more than they can afford to pay without sacrificing some of the already meager food for the day. As we provide access to basic education for the children, we are improving their chances of earning higher incomes as adults. This, coupled with support from caring people like you, could make access to medical care possible for the people of Bakrour and Ganga Bigha villages. You can help make this happen by making a donation toward the building and operations of the School. Please join us.
