In the field

Today we visited some of the at least 180 villages my aunt's NGO is working in. We were really impressed by the things we saw: how the caste system is still such a reality in Indian life, how even relatively wealthy rural Indians live in poverty and how women are the key to development and yet the subject of so much abuse and prejudice.

This boy is the grandson of one of the people who generated income through this NGO. This man, the grandfather, was taught how to use the resources to produce bricks. He taught his three sons and could provide a home for his extended family. Still it was sad to see how skinny this boy was and how his teeth were rotten.

We connected right away by shy smiles and waves. When I showed him this picture on my camera, he laughed so spontaneously I almost cried. All I could say was 'thank you' in Tamil, but that didn't quite capture my feelings. So here's to the future of this little boy, may he be able to study and flee his cast and become one of the people who will make India a better place to stay.