We currently have a visitor from the US at JSS, Dr. Jonathan Fine, a resident of Cambridge, MA. Jonathan is associated with the Boston chapter of AID (Association for India's Development) and is in the last week of a month-long stay. Jonathan is 78 and retired, and has spent much of his life in human rights activism in places such as Iraq and the Philippines, among others.
Jonathan is very talkative, and asks questions machine-gun style, one right after another. You only get time to answer a small percentage of them, as before the answer to one question has started to come, another question knocks that answer out of the way. He is also very large-hearted, and has been very taken with JSS. This stay was supposed to be 2 weeks, and he extended it, and he plans on coming back in the summer.
His task is to interview the most oppressed and unfortunate stories to shed light on the relationship of poverty and disease. His first "case" is a boy who fell into the fire during an epileptic fit, requiring surgery to treat his burns. This is not an uncommon story. Jonathan has interviewed the family, finding that they can not afford enough food, they have borrowed heavily against their small plot of land, and they do not even have enough blankets to stay warm at night. So Jonathan gave them the money to claim their land, buy blankets and buy dal. His form of philanthropism (or at least, one of his forms) is very immediate. (For a much more detailed version of this story, visit his newly formed blog at povertyandhealth.blogspot.com)
Last night Dolly and I decided to go out for dinner and we invited Jonathan. Upon arriving at the restaurant, he invited the auto driver in to join us. The driver was clearly embarrassed, and after much coaxing agreed to come in for something to eat, but he would not sit with us, and he ordered one of the least expensive things on the menu (a half order of chicken Briyani), which we told the waiters to make a full order. The waiters, in the comically bungling manner we have come to expect, brought him a half order of mutton Briyani. The driver ate this quickly and retreated to the comfort of his vehicle. The other half of the order (this time chicken) was brought to our table near the close of the meal... we had this packed and gave it to the driver.
On the way back, Jonathan, energized by the food, kicked into question mode. I learned some things I had been wondering about. The driver owned the auto, and had paid 40,000 rps (about $850) for it. He was saving to buy a new one, which would cost 110,000 rps (about $2300). He had 50,000 rupees saved, and loans from the money lender were paid back with 10% monthly interest (as best we could understand). His savings would take a hit as he is getting married this month. His bride-to-be is a waitress/counter girl selling tea and samosa, and he is not taking dowry. He is 35, and used to be an electrician, and he lost his lower leg when he got hit by a truck 3 years ago (oh yeah, he's missing a lower leg, and came into the restaurant on crutches.) . He has a prosthesis from the government, but it is unusable.
By the end of the ride home, Jonathan had offered to find out more about getting him a proper prosthetic leg, and Dolly had ended up offering to help plan his wedding, which was a difficulty for him as he only had one woman at home to help.
It's been very nice having Jonathan here, not just for the comfort of having a fellow American and Bostonian around to relate to, but also because his energy is inspirational. Dolly and I have fallen into a kind of crankiness and weariness and to see him jump in with a fresh enthusiasm has been refreshing.
Jonathan is very talkative, and asks questions machine-gun style, one right after another. You only get time to answer a small percentage of them, as before the answer to one question has started to come, another question knocks that answer out of the way. He is also very large-hearted, and has been very taken with JSS. This stay was supposed to be 2 weeks, and he extended it, and he plans on coming back in the summer.
His task is to interview the most oppressed and unfortunate stories to shed light on the relationship of poverty and disease. His first "case" is a boy who fell into the fire during an epileptic fit, requiring surgery to treat his burns. This is not an uncommon story. Jonathan has interviewed the family, finding that they can not afford enough food, they have borrowed heavily against their small plot of land, and they do not even have enough blankets to stay warm at night. So Jonathan gave them the money to claim their land, buy blankets and buy dal. His form of philanthropism (or at least, one of his forms) is very immediate. (For a much more detailed version of this story, visit his newly formed blog at povertyandhealth.blogspot.com)
Last night Dolly and I decided to go out for dinner and we invited Jonathan. Upon arriving at the restaurant, he invited the auto driver in to join us. The driver was clearly embarrassed, and after much coaxing agreed to come in for something to eat, but he would not sit with us, and he ordered one of the least expensive things on the menu (a half order of chicken Briyani), which we told the waiters to make a full order. The waiters, in the comically bungling manner we have come to expect, brought him a half order of mutton Briyani. The driver ate this quickly and retreated to the comfort of his vehicle. The other half of the order (this time chicken) was brought to our table near the close of the meal... we had this packed and gave it to the driver.
On the way back, Jonathan, energized by the food, kicked into question mode. I learned some things I had been wondering about. The driver owned the auto, and had paid 40,000 rps (about $850) for it. He was saving to buy a new one, which would cost 110,000 rps (about $2300). He had 50,000 rupees saved, and loans from the money lender were paid back with 10% monthly interest (as best we could understand). His savings would take a hit as he is getting married this month. His bride-to-be is a waitress/counter girl selling tea and samosa, and he is not taking dowry. He is 35, and used to be an electrician, and he lost his lower leg when he got hit by a truck 3 years ago (oh yeah, he's missing a lower leg, and came into the restaurant on crutches.) . He has a prosthesis from the government, but it is unusable.
By the end of the ride home, Jonathan had offered to find out more about getting him a proper prosthetic leg, and Dolly had ended up offering to help plan his wedding, which was a difficulty for him as he only had one woman at home to help.
It's been very nice having Jonathan here, not just for the comfort of having a fellow American and Bostonian around to relate to, but also because his energy is inspirational. Dolly and I have fallen into a kind of crankiness and weariness and to see him jump in with a fresh enthusiasm has been refreshing.
