Hesitation with trepidation leads to exaltation.

08.05.11

Tumultuous ride
Vast green fields are spreading wide
Here lies unknown land

The window is blurred
The clouds linger blearily
The world feels heavy

My body rejects
My mind feels toxicity
Imodium please

Many miles pass by
Within a gate we do find
A microcosm

This school is my heart
This tribal clan is my kin
This unknown is home

I find purpose here
My path is suddenly clear
This school is my home

Their smiles are loving
Their interest is sincere
These children know me

Their laughs enchant me
But I see their hidden pain
All, deficiency

One NGO works
Impact India does help
But is this enough?

Many dreams they have
But what could be their future
No college for them

These children are bright
Some strive to be doctors
But how can that be?

I feel great sorrow
I feel great, fiery passion
I want to bring change

This school is the start
Education is a must
Opportunity

Invest in knowledge
Without school, there is no hope
The rice fields await

I wish I could stay
Spend my life helping these kids
I am here for you

This school is the start
Education is a must
Opportunity

But, alas, I left
I may never see them again
That thought breaks my heart

But I am hopeful
Another school I shall serve
Valsad waits for me

This trip gave me hope
This school is where I should be
Teaching tribal kids

This school is the start
Education is a must
Opportunity

This school is my heart
This tribal clan is my kin
This unknown is home.

this school is the start.

"I want to be a Doctor when I grow up"

Today at lunch we had a group reflection and discussion on the time we spent in the rural area north of Mumbai, the Thane district. We had a lovely representative from Impact India, Neelam, as our guide and leader throughout the day. She brought us to two different schools, a maternal and child health clinic, as well as the government sponsored community health clinic which is responsible for the primary care of over 50,000 individuals.

At the second school we visited one of the young girls, perhaps 9 or 10 years old, expressed her interest in becoming a Doctor. This, of course, thrilled us – seeing a young girl so full of ambition and aspiring to help others. Neelam had a different perspective; however, and upon leaving the girls’ ear shot quickly proclaimed that this sentiment was simply a pipe dream and was out of the realm of possibility.

This specific experience drove a lot of today’s conversation about the entire days’ experience and leads me on a thought path that branches at many different points. On one hand, how heartbreaking to think that this young girl has such a wonderful dream yet currently has very, very few if any resources to achieve it. On the other, perhaps it is almost a naïve bliss that she knows what she wants but perhaps her scope of understanding is narrow enough to spare her from extreme disappointment. Even yet another thought leads me to believe that it IS entirely possible for this astute young woman to pursue a career in medicine but perhaps not as a traditional American might view it. I would find it entirely possible for her to achieve some level of ayurvedic or tribal education and then be able to practice her medicinal trade throughout her village. Even though she wouldn’t be a Doctor in the sense of the word that we understand it, wouldn’t she still be providing the same type of support, care and service?

For every child we met on that day, there is a story. There is a story of who they are, where they came from, where they want to go and ultimately where they will end up. As budding social entrepreneurs and practitioners of both public and clinical health, it is our job to understand the present and future of our patients and community members, and also to truly understand their past. Without this knowledge, I feel that it may be impossible to impart information, treatment or any type of appropriate care.

Through the eyes of the one little girl, who so aspires to help people through medicine, it is possible to begin to see a global landscape that so greatly affects every part of each human on this planet. Understanding where we come from is the only way to truly understand where we can go.