CAFOD and Peru

This evening I attended a CAFOD presentation in the Parish, after a 'creation' Mass - of course, did not know what was 'creative' about the Mass, or why was it qualified as a 'creation' Mass.  Anyway, the presentation after the Mass was quite appealing.  The main speaker was a CAFOD staff member overseeing its outreach programme in Peru.  Most of what she spoke about, in terms of the ground situation, the modes of intervention and the expected outcomes and accountability checks, was familiar to me.  In fact, one of the participants whom I know well, came up to me and said, "You could very well state the same of India as well." And I couldn't agree more.  However, he also added, "It could very well be the same here in UK! It is just that we most often do not accept that fact!"  I mentioned to him the scientific principle of physics: Matter can never be annihilated. It only changes form. 

A couple of things I learnt about Peru tonight. 

• That after Bangladesh and Honduras, it is the third country in the world most susceptible to climate change and environmental factors.  I thought Philippines and some of the south-east Asian countries would make the 'top ten'.  
• Lima, the capital of Peru, is the second largest desert capital cities of the world - after Cairo (Egypt). Well it was hard to digest that fact, given that Peru is in the heart of the Amazon region.  How can one expect to find a 'desert' there?  But in spite of 60% of Peru coming under the Amazon region, its capital city is a geographical 'desert'!  

Too much!

Three of the news items hitting the BBC top news list of today and what a contrast! 

There is the severe floods in Kerala and the destruction it has brought about.  Then there is the devastating drought in Australia.  Two places suffering from two extremes of weather and climate.  If only the rains were to fall in Australia and the sun shine down bright and hard on Kerala...!!  

The third news item is in stark contrast to the other two nonetheless shows what happens when we have plenty!  The news is about how one third of the vegetable and fruit produce never make it to the supermarkets in Europe, all because they are not the perfect shape and size or not good looking.  Consumers won't pick up those and supermarkets don't want to take in these fruits and vegetables from the farmers.  So what is the fate of these 'misshapen' produce? Thrown away as waste!

The most disgraceful aspect of the news itself was the use of words such as "ugly", "misshapen", "wonky", "blemished", "wrong size" to describe how the fruits and vegetables look!  Really?  I wonder if the floods of Kerala and the drought of Australia were to happen here, would people still go by the looks of the produce? 

It's not easy

A brief chat with one of my school mates stuck in the floods of Kerala revealed to me how difficult life can be for people with families and responsibilities to suddenly think of alternative ways of living.  The usual hour or so journey from his office to his home took him two days!  With some suggesting that he move out of Kerala for a couple of weeks, his only reply was, "It's not easy to leave!"

What he meant was not the actual situation of flood or lack of transportation.  He actually meant leaving behind every material possession and even the thought of whom to take along when leaving, made leaving all the more impossible.  He not only needs to see to his own wife and two kids, there is also his parents, his in-laws and others around.  Decisions about whom to send off first, where to and how to are not easy. 

For a religious like me, I'd be ready with my whole life possessions within half an hour.  But I tried to recreate the same scenario if I'm with a hundred children and a huge house.  There is no question of leaving!  The children are the first priority, but where do I send them to and even if I do manage to send them somewhere I also need to keep track of them!  Add to these children those in the neighbourhood who come to your place because their situation is far worse than ours!  Loss of property can be dealt with but how does one cope with loss of life, that too of a dear one.  What to do with the corpse?  How does the family cope with that loss? 

It's not easy!

The best and the worst

It is said that one gets to see the real nature of a person only in times of crisis.  It is also said that in times of natural calamities or disasters, one gets to see the worst of humanity.  Well, I've seen the best and the worst!

Here's the list of the worst (how and who):

• getting the survey inspectors to review the damage to farm and property: phone, plead, send emissaries, wait, and sometime even bribe the village secretary, only to get them to do the assessment
• approach the Revenue office with petition for compensation or help to repair damaged residence of the boys:  the MRO tells you, hostels are not residences! (So where do the boys stay? At his residence?)
• erecting fallen electrical poles and pulling new wires to restore electricity: bribe in someway or the other, practically every Tom, Dick and Harry
• distribution of food, clothing and essential material: not without labels bigger than the product stuck on each item, a big banner in the backdrop, atleast a couple of photographers and journalists, and the assurance that this 'charitable act' would appear in the newspaper the following day
• (may sound absurd, but true!) charging cell phones, in the face of lack of electricity: people charging Rs 150

On the other hand, it was amazing to see some people like Nagaraj, Appa Rao, Suribabu and several others, walk in time to time, to say hello and willingly join in some work being done.  Even past pupils of the place (who happened to drop in for collecting some certificates from the schools or some financial support) walk in and stay on to help, just like that! Or a farmer pulling down the fence around his property and well so that those around, or anyone for that matter, could use the water from the well.