Work in Kolkata

Over the past week, my brother and I have begun work in the slums of Kolkata. The unpleasant weather makes the work difficult and we barely spend two hours outside doing it. Nonetheless, the research is going along well. We are conducting surveys exploring the relationship between maternal education and child health.

One of the difficulties in doing this work is establishing rapport with these persons. At a certain level, I can sympathize with them and communicate. But, I cannot begin to empathize with their lives. Their lifestyle is completely foreign to me - as am I to them. Given these differences, we must devote significant effort to communicate. The problem is partly alleviated by the assistance of a local health worker who accompanies us. She works within the community and is familiar with the residents. As such, they trust her and are willing to open up.

Nonetheless, I have discovered a few differences between our (residents and myself) conceptions of illness and I must probe to ensure that we are not misinterpreting one another.
This makes the job a bit tedious, though it remains gratifying. The data we gather is likely to have a positive impact on the lives of these persons. The organization with which we are working . . . Nanritam is very devoted to their work.

All the associates of the NGO are inspired by the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Viveknanda. For those of you who are not familiar, I encourage you to explore their teachings. In fact, Kolkata has a large following of these teachers and their impact seems to be very positive.