Aaro Aakash Reaching Out

Aa-RO a rural outreach programme

Text By : Uday Hajra Photographs : Kaushik Ghara

Aa-RO

is a rural outreach programme undertaken by Aaro Aakash, the rural resort. The resort, itself an eco-friendly initiative, comprising of three mud cottages in acres of greenery, is

in a village in the vicinity of Shantiniketan. Owners of the resort, Suchandra and Uday Hajra, teacher and artist respectively, conceptualized Aa-RO as an extension of the resort with logistical support from their friends and ‘guests’. In its current chapter, Aa-RO focuses on collecting and distributing old, but wearable, clothes among village folks, mostly tribals and backward classes in areas close to the resort.

To start with, there was no project, no big picture, no plan. There was only a need to put to some use, clothes that people had outgrown or had not been used in the recent past. The venture was only restricted to a family of three. Gradually others joined in, the stock grew, the process of distribution became more organized, some images were posted on the net...more publicity, more clothes, more villages to reach out to and thus Aa-RO(AaroAakash Reaching Out) was born!

Food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, education, economic well-being are six steps to an equitable and just society. Aa-RO plans to focus on clothing, healthcare and education.

‘First things first’ - is a good and strong dictum to follow. There will always be ‘visionaries’ to dream of unreachable dreams such as providing broadband services to villages where there is no potable water but Aa-RO believes in sacrificing the spectacular for the mundane.

The word was out that clothes will be distributed from Aaro Aakash, the farmhouse in a village near Shantiniketan. There was a crowd at the gate quite early.

Clothes, old and new, collected from friends and contacts, about to be distributed from the farmhouse, Aaro Aakash.

‘Charity’ is not a politically correct word anymore. ‘Giving’ sounds better, they say. The village of Kamarpara is not backward as per cut-off points devised by the govt. There are families that have members who have done masters. At the same time there are people living in abject poverty, not sure from where their next meal will come. Aa-RO works primarily in this village not because it is based there but because of the presence of such paradoxes.

A member of the Aa-RO family with a handful of clothes, building bridges accross class and status, with an easy to grasp gesture. Aa-RO believes that it is always better to go directly to the end-user instead of dumping it all with some facilitator to do the actual distribution.

The economic planners are still groping for an answer to the question writ large in her beautiful eyes. Millions of rupees are spent on organizing games extravaganzas when basic needs of the populace have not yet been met.

The state of children born 50 years after India’s independence - no healthcare, no education, no proper clothing and not enough nutritionous food. They have got used to expecting nothing so they go back satisfied with whatever falls on their plate.

Till we achieve ‘social justice’, charity-whatever color or tag we may give it, cannot be ignored. Pundits may split hairs over nomenclature but the fact remains that these people need help.

The ‘sharer’ and the ‘shared with’ caught in a single frame. Sometimes ‘explanations’ are called for especially when there is not enough to go around. A tactful ‘no, not this time sorry’, is the only way out of these situations.

They say, ‘unplanned development’ creates fault lines between the rich and the poor. Two individuals born, maybe 60 years apart, have come all the way from one village to another for a couple of old clothes. Does globalization take into account people forever living on the edge of the poverty line?

“I am my brother’s keeper�. She has not been taught this in school but knows it from experience.

Aa-RO has noticed that children always ask for something for their brother or sister. Sharing is intrinsic to survival in these rural outreaches.

“Rich man’s burden”? Far from it! They are a dignified lot who do not care much about being pigeon holed as ‘deprived’ although we know, that to be the unfortunate harsh truth. When the ‘haves’ share a part of their good fortune with the ‘have-nots’, they should think of it as a duty and not as some grand gesture. India works as a country because it still has people working on its fields for ‘minimum’ wages. Wages that cannot buy them decent clothes.

Winter is the worst time for underclothed people. They don’t look forward to winter like the city slickers. Winter clothes are expensive which they cannot afford to buy. Aa-RO gifted shawls, sponsored by supporters, to the elderly just before the onset of winter this year.

A couple of latecomers! But there is never ever enough to go around-the vaccum is too large to be filled by individual or even collective efforts. Only time can tell whether the gap is bridgable. Till then intiatives such as Aa-RO must continue and grow.

Another village, another stop. For the accomodating villagers, any house is your home. Use it anyway you like-your makeshift office, store or workshop. If told in advance, the village youths themselves make all the arrangements, so when Aa-RO arrives, distribution can be conducted without a hitch.

Patience is the name of the game-for both the ‘giver’ and the ‘receiver’. Villagers specially tribals are very disciplined unlike people in the city slums. Working among them is a breeze. Even if there is a big crowd, things never get out of hand.

Proud individuals with no sense of deprivation. They never lie, have no greed, wait patiently and go back happy with their share. Best of all, they are never disgruntled and believe, when you leave with the promise of coming back sometime in the near future.

“Charity is injurious unless it helps the recepient to become independent of it�.

These words by John D Rockeffler are always on the mind of Aa-RO, but the road is long and ardous.

They treat such events as...well, an event! A jamboree of sorts, with laughter, fun and jokes doing the rounds. The ladies express their happiness with their smiles and sometimes with gifts of flowers. The children run around comparing their stuff while the men are perpetually confused about size. Nothing gives more pleasure to the Aa-RO than sights like these.

Happiness all around? Not quite! Granny looks a bit disgruntled, most probably she was looking for something for her husband and didn’t know what to pick! This is a hamlet inside a forest near Bolpur with 20 or so families. But everyone was at home to pick up the clothes as they were informed in advance resulting in a big crowd.

Aa-RO has observed that tribal men are extremely demure and inhibited when it comes to making a choice. While the ladies are cock-sure about their wants and likes, the men are perpetually confused. Being honest to the core, they always return what they don’t need or like.

Granny tries out a shirt with grandpa in mind! Values that have been gradually diluted from urban society, are alive and healthy among these people. Tribal ladies play a dominant role and are very dedicated toward their families.

Contrary to popular belief, men are tough customers! They take hours to settle on something! The good thing is that even if they don’t find anything they like, they only blame their luck and go back hoping for better luck next time.

Kids are the easiest to please! The fact that the organisers get more kids clothes as donation, for obvious reasons, only makes things easier.

Not just a face in the crowd, but an inspirational model! She is what drives initiatives like Aa-RO to work!

Guarding her posessions with both arms! The govt has many well intentioned and well funded programmes-to keep the population growth in check, to take healthcare to all etc. Most of these programmes have not achieved expected results because of faulty and corruption ridden implementation. Basic needs at this level, should have been eradicated way back.

Inspite of the daily grind, tribal ladies take life with a smile and pragmatism that helps them maintain the delicate balance of their society.

Aa-RO at work in a tribal village in the Chowpahari forest near Ilambazar, Birbhum. Signs of ‘development’ such as electricity, drinking water, schools are evident in villages like these but more as half-baked vote catching gestures rather than a complete and genuine step towards a better future.

Something for his kids, no doubt! To make these initiatives sucessful one has to arrive early at the site - otherwise the children leave for school and the adults, for their fields.

Happy to have got something for himself, and something for his kid brother/ sister, he has all the time in the world to pose for the camera! Making children happy and bringing a little cheer in their otherwise eventless lives, heads the agenda of Aa-RO.

Children queue up to collect new clothes just before the pujas. A small effort by city folks can go a long way in making hundreds of children happy during the festive season. At the end of this wait is happiness! Scene from the village where Aa-RO primarily works.

On an average, a middle class bengali family of four spends about Rs.10,00015,000 on puja shopping. A little money set aside from that, as little as Rs.100, is enough for a new dress for the less privileged. Aa-RO spent only Rs.7,000 to buy new clothes for 200 children.

‘Here’s a new shirt for you, little one!” Cofucius had said - “He who wished to secure the good of others has already secured his own.” The villagers themselves had prepared a list of names to make things easy for Aa-RO.

Charity looks at the need and not at the cause! The cause is for others, such as economists, social scientists, politicians and corporations to see. Small organisations like Aa-RO does what it is capable of and leaves the rest to others. Changing the social order is a big ‘ask’, let big people work on it.

More justice means less charity....true! But till such ‘kingdom come’, let there be charity and more charity! Do not give charity or philanthrophy a bad name if you are not capable of removing the need for charity.

A shy girl, not very comfortable with her role today, perhaps. Sometimes, one has to deal with individuals who are hesitant to accept a gift from an unknown person. Aa-RO has observed that this usually happens with children from families that were well off in the past but have fallen on bad times, for whatever reason.

The magic van that comes with goodies, before the festive season, before winter and sometimes ‘just like that..’! This old and battered red van that belongs to the rural resort ‘Aaro Aakash’, is well known in the villages spread accross an area of about 100 sqkms.

To think that villages within half a kilometre of giant mobile towers - that ubiquituous symbol of development, do not have basic amenities like clean drinking water or basic medical facilities is a riddle that few are inclined to solve.

Who’ll hold the light of enlightenment for them to follow? The darkness in these eyes is bottomless. Just 10kms from the bustling town of Bolpur and Shantiniketanwhere the who’s who of Kolkata build sprawling bungalows, these children are staring at an uncertain future. Most of them will end up as ‘helpers’ in construction sites, earn a pittance, resort to alchoholism and domestic violence, leading to uncertain futures of their children too - a continuing viscious circle.

While the mothers toil throughout the day, the children are left at home to fend for themselves. School dropout rates are high, because they donot see where education, atleast the variety that they have access to, will take them.

Govt sponsored mega projects often begin and end on pieces of paper, of academic interest for the keepers of records(there are exceptions ofcourse, like the Anganwadi Project which is a major success). In that light it seems, micro projects,with attention to detail, and run by individuals, work better.

Taken and worn, with no time lost! It is a very humbling and embarassing feeling to realize that what is ‘fit for throwing away’ for some can actually be a prized possession for others.

As long as they can be worn, size doesn’t matter! ‘Conforming to fashion’ is not very high on their agenda for obvious reasons.

For me and my family! Most of the clothes donated were in excellent condition(some as good as new) and could be worn for atleast a couple of seasons.

No need for a trial room or a mirror! When children, or for that matter anyone, tries out something, there are always others to tell them whether they look okay in it or not.

While mama is waiting I’ve already got mine! Healthcare is in shambles in these villages. The food the children have is basically rice and only rice. Signs of protein deficiency in their diet is quite evident.

Of all the stuff that are collected from donors, sarees are the least in number, while in the villages, they are the most in demand. This is the situation that Aa-RO is trying to address but so far success has been negligible. Sarees it seems, never grow old unlike men’s clothes, salwars suits or skirts and tops.

Unlike in the cities, family ties are still very strong. Joint families are alive and it is not unusual to find three generations living under the same roof in apparent happiness inspite of hardships.

Even though she couldn’t get anything for herself - used sarees are rare - she’s happy to have picked up something for her child.

Ladies are eager to pick up the best from what’s in stock. One paradox is that they dress up in their best for the ‘esteemed visitors’(Aa-RO), unknowingly giving a wrong impression about their needs.

On a lighter vein, it seems, in our society male dominence ends when we come to clothes. Whether in backward villages or posh malls, males it seems are stuck with whites and greys!

To wrap up...

Some sage had said - ‘Even a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step’. Aa-RO has already taken that very important ‘single step’ - the journey has begun. It is a journey without a fixed destination. Or to put it better, it is a journey with many destinations, a journey undertaken as a leap of faith! We’ll pick up fellow-travellers on the way, on this journey of discovering the self as well as the collective.

for contributions contact Suchandra Hajra - suchandra.h@gmail.com Uday Hajra - july4uday@gmail.com Phone - 9830181462 for documentary projects contact Kaushik Ghara - kaushikghara@yahoo.com