Azmat - First Field Visit

It’s easy to think about social entrepreneurship while sitting in an air conditioned room enjoying a sub, but on reaching the harsh reality grounds - one learns what it really is - a toddler running with a dry roti and a stray dog wagging along to snap at the same meal.
The first Azmat visit...something that I’ll always remember;started pretty early, left for Ghaziabad at 8:30 am from Kashmere Gate. On our way to meet the community,driving on inside lanes next to fields, I could feel a new experience… like never before in my life.
 
We reached the establishment/hutments and there I was left shocked, SHELL shocked! It was the description one finds in the stories of foreign researchers and documentary makers. A part of “Real” India struck me hard. The lanes were narrow enough to allow only one person to walk across, the drains were open and all across basking in the sunshine were stray dogs. Add to it there were monkeys swinging on the branches of trees under whose shade we were seated on a charpai . 


Despite all the mess and dismal state of affairs, the women welcomed us and made us feel comfortable. They blessed all the senior members and interaction commenced.
 
Agrata, our dear project director immediately got to business. Slowly we got the requisite details, it took some time, but we ended up getting all the details and photographs. Meanwhile, I observed the environment around me; toddlers with their dripping nose running around, a child returning after school and a grandmother giving her grandson his lunch- a bit of roti with a piece of pickle and vegetable. It seemed awful, that we as a nation still believe we deserve the title of fastest growing economy in the developing world.
 
The sad scenario around me was made better only by the warmth of the community members who shooed away the monkeys and stray dogs and cooperated with all our questions. We went on to inspect the toilets constructed by Sulabh International and were satisfied with the progress. The houses where the toilets were constructed completely gave an extremely positive feedback. We even visited the community centre which seemed perfectly set up for the production. 


Overall, I learnt a lot about the community and the immense work yet to be done. 

The breakthroughs achieved by the second years despite all the blockades are indeed remarkable. I am humbled to be part of the project and words can’t express the humane feeling I felt. 

All I can say is after this visit I felt a greater desire to work harder for the welfare of "our" community, "our" India and "our “world.
 


As of now, the conditions for the community are definitely imperfect and undesirable, but the future gives me hope.  Hope for a better lifestyle, a better livelihood and more just and equitable society, which is not only profit making and encourages entrepreneurship but also growth sustainable.