Asha Kiran Society. Literally a "Ray of Hope". This amazing group of dreamers and doers has been serving the communities (largely tribal) of the Koraput district in remote southern Odisha for the past 25 years.
Sheba and I have been on the road for 5 weeks now as this is being typed in on a sultry pre-monsoonal day in Delhi. Time and tide wait for no one - and our time at Asha Kiran is already 2 weeks in the past. So up and at it to write down some of bright dazzle of what we saw and heard during our 9 days at Asha Kiran.
So far our pilgrim journey had been more or less with the masses. We did not go unreserved, but did experience the joys of travelling outside of our air-conditioned bubble. This bit, however, had us sky-high.
Thanks to some very generous folks who wanted us to stay with them maximum time, we flew from Patna down to Vishakhpatnam. A few hours later young Enoch joined us at the Vizag airport, having travelled 'on his own' from Mussoorie via Delhi to meet us. Though there were minders to drop him off at Dehra Dun railway station, pick him up at the New Delhi destination and finally drop him at the New Delhi airport, it was (for us parents at least) another step forward in the saga of junior Eicher's wing-spreadings.
A wonderful evening with our dear friends Nagesh and Sumangali and their lovely daughter Ruth Netanya and so we were on the morning passenger train for scenic Arakku.
The train pulls out of Vizag station at just before 7 AM and makes its unhurried way up the magnificent Eastern Ghats. Did I say up? Well, a lot of it is 'through' - there are tunnels galore and in each one of them we heard the delighted shrieks of some of our fellow passengers.
When we finally reached Arakku, we had been sated with beautiful views and were glad to see Victor and Sarah and their lovely daughter Joanna meet us at the station - along with our own lovely Asha who had gone there 2 weeks earlier along with Joanna.
After the hot cauldrons of Kachhwa and Madhepura - what a joy to be welcomed by the cool of Arakku - a kind of hill station for Andhra Pradesh. I have never been in a cool part of Andhra - so here was something new.
The lovely 1 hour drive from Arakku over the border into Odisha'a Koraput district was sweetened by having so many loved ones in one vehicle!
The hills are rolling, with most at least 1000 m above sea-level. I had some flashbacks to my visit to the Rukungeri dist. of Uganda in 1997 when Stefan was working at Kisiizi Christian Hospital. Rolling green hills, small villages, red earth. The only thing missing was large banana plantations.
There is something very special about family. We spend so much time apart, and so when we do come together we have both the sublime ... and the challenges of meeting up with high expectations to have 'quality time.' I think we parked our expectations along with the vehicle which had brought us - and were rewarded with a blessed time of just being together as family.
We are acutely aware that many changes are afoot. Our own pilgrim journey continues, as Sheba and I seek the face of our Lord about where next. And then we have Asha about to spread her wings and fly off to the US to start college at Taylor this fall. Joanna is in her final year at Woodstock. Enoch in 11th standard at Wynberg. In 2 years this picture will probably only be of the 4 parents!
Victor and Sarah have completed a year based out of Asha Kiran. They have continued to live out their lives of love, and though we associate them very much with Delhi, it is quite natural for them to be at Lamtaput since they have served on the Asha Kiran Society board for years.
There is something wonderful about the community life at Asha Kiran. We just sampled a bit of it, meeting a few of the dear ones, while mainly camping out in Victor and Sarah and Joanna's lovely little flat.
A staff family who live in a near-by village celebrated their twin sons' birthday with us. A chocolate cake was rustled up for Jimmy and Johnny's birthday. Their father helps with the community services team - helping local farmers start eco-friendly land use (more on that later) and their mother helps in house-keeping. Both boys and their older sister attend English-medium schools which the Asha Kiran Society have been instrumental in setting up and running. The family lives in a village 1 km away from the hospital and are just radiant.
Victor is a walking miracle. Literally. Two years ago he discovered that one of his heart vessels was 90% obstructed and the other completely. He has a family history of heart problems with his elder brother having had surgery and his father dying at a tragically young age. But as the top heart specialists tested Victor they found something amazing. His main heart vessels are almost completely obstructed, but his heart is still functioning! The secondary vessels outside the heart have grown larger and have compensated for the lack of functioning of the primary ones. Its a natural 'by-pass' surgery that gradually took place without Victor ever noticing. How good our God is!
Victor doesn't take any of this lightly. He is deeply grateful for the grace of Jesus his maker and sustainer (as are we all) and is very careful with his diet (ragi dosas anyone?) and exercise. Here is one of the joys we had. Every morning (when the rain isn't pouring of course) Victor and Sarah have a walk from 5.15 to 6 AM.
And what beautiful countryside to walk in.
The wonderful old hymn comes to mind:
When morning gilds the skies
my soul awakening cries
may Jesus Christ be praised
alike in work and prayer
to Jesus I repair
may Jesus Christ be praised.
How much our souls yearn for beauty. How little time we give to exercise and soul / body care. Walking, especially walking in a gorgeous place, is so therapeutic. So right. So needed.
And so neglected by yours truly whose waist has reached new horizons. Something has to be done about this! The lovely morning walks we had with Victor and Sarah are an inspiration for us.
It's not often that you meet a farmer out in the fields, who was part of a prayer gathering the night before. On one of our morning walks we met one such man. We had the privilege of sharing in a village study held in one of the members homes. The next morning, after a good night of rain, it was time for the farmers to get out their oxen and plough. And one of our dear friends was also hard at work, tilling the soil and getting ready to sow.
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Asha Kiran Society. A ray of hope. Many rays of hope. Their society symbol captures much of who they are. The following is my take on
The bow and arrow in the background is the largest element. It captures the tribal ethos and clearly signals that this society is primarily here for the tribal groups living in the villages across the Koraput district.
We are told that Odisha has 63 different tribal communities. We learned that 54 of these groups live in the former 'undivided Koraput' district (which is now 4 districts of which the current 'Koraput' is one). There are clearly many different groups - each one with its own distinct culture and sets of practices - and their own special challenges as they negotiate what it means to be themselves within the relentless tides of change.
The cross in the middle signifies medical care, and originally comes from the One who gives healing.
The fish in the cross reminds us that food is vital. The old saying that teaching a man to fish is much better than just giving a person fish to eat comes to mind. The fish symbol also reminds me personally of the early followers of the Master who drew it on walls of the catacombs.
Sheba was deeply challenged by the original founders of Asha Kiran Hospital when they were setting up shop in the early 1990s. She was in medical college in Cuttack, Odisha and Drs. Manoj and Manju and VP and Nirmala met with her and other medical students and shared their dreams and experiences. It is a full circle for us to finally be visiting this amazing place. Strangely, it was the first time for Sheba and myself to be at Asha Kiran in the flesh. My own question was really, why has it taken us this long?
For one, the place is beautiful. The given beauty of hill and sunrise and matching glorious sunset is one matter. The edenic campus is another. Add to this the
lovely brick-master architecture that unites all the work and living spaces with each other and the local communities. Wow.
But this place is not just a place to come for picnics. The dear friends who live and work and grow here are an intentional community. That is clear. It is more than just a work-place. More than a pleasant Disney-land. It is a place where ordinary people have banded together to be out-of-the-ordinary in their commitment to each other and to their Lord.
Obviously as an outsider, first-time guest things will look rosier to me than for those who have been serving with each other for years. But there it is. For years. People have worked together and are building each other up in the long term.
When the founders of Asha Kiran left their spiritual home of the Christian Fellowship Hospital in Oddanchataram, Dr. Tharien gave them a profound charge. They had to love and serve each other and keep the fellowship going. Dr. Tharien and his cohort had done the same in setting up CFH a generation before. But to do this he said: "one of you must die every day." One person at least, will have to lay down their dreams, their will, their strong passionate desire... for the sake of the whole, for the building up of the fellowship. To live out the intentional part of being and intentional community.
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And so we have the
Asha Kiran Society which is providing many rays of light.
The flagship work started with appropriate medical care and has been built up into a 40 bedded hospital run by an amazing team of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and a variety of different support staff.
It was my deep privilege to share a series of 5 morning devotions looking at what Jesus did with His hands during His earthly ministry. And I could not help reflecting over and over again how the dear staff were in fact living this out in they own fields of ministry.
The patients stream into Asha Kiran Hospital. Last year over 35 thousand out-patient visits took place. The majority of these patients being the tribal and vulnerable communities that Asha Kiran was set up to serve. More than 2 thousand were admitted for medical care into the wards. The surgeon - Dr. Ravi and visiting surgeons at times - were kept busy with 353 major surgeries taking place - one for almost every day of the year. Many children saw the light of day at Asha Kiran with 425 deliveries taking place...
The numbers can go on and on, but what we saw is what a mission hospital should be. Compassionate, egalitarian care. Given with dignity and in a way that the patients and their relatives are able to understand. Services meeting the needs of those who otherwise fall through the cracks... no make that the gaping fissures of our health care system.
I was moved to see the quiet dignity of the patients waiting in the OPD for their turn. And to witness the open OPD where doctors of various skill and experience levels worked as a team. Where no one was referred to as a 'specialist' despite a number of them having received advanced training at some of the best institutions we have. This is what medicine done in community can be. Look and see friends, look and see!
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| Asha Kiran Hospital OPD waiting place - picture courtesy AKS Annual Report 2018/19 |
Sheba was pressed into service - since one of the doctor couples was away - and so did a series of morning OPD consultations. What a blessing that she knows Odiya - having been born and brought up in Rourkela, and then doing her medical college in Cuttack.
She did have a few funny moments though. One dear lady listened to her and then told Sheba: "please speak in Odiya, I don't understand the language you are speaking." Most of the patients actually don't speak Odiya in general - instead they speak a local trade language called 'Desiya' which links the different tribal groups together.
Sheba's inputs were deeply appreciated by the medical team though. What a blessing to be able to come to a place and immediately get to work! The worth of a doctor is huge. Especially one who is willing to serve in places that many don't want to go. The team that currently is running the Asha Kiran Hospital are just gold. Amazing people doing amazing things.
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One of the roots of ill-health is poor nutrition. This is a paradox in a place where there is plenty of land, but where many farmers plant eucalyptus trees on their land and go off for cash-for-labour migration.
The Asha Kiran Society community service unit works in various ways to address health issues before they become issues. There is training of field partners through the Community Lay-leaders Health-care Training Course (CLHTC) which is done together with the distance learning folks from CMC Vellore. There is also the regular interaction with community health volunteers in specific villages. And then there is the farming work.
That's right folks. Farming work. The Asha Kiran team is committed to helping local communities use the land in ways that help both the land and the tiller. And one of them has been to implement the
SALT (Sloping Agriculture Land Technology) approach first developed in the Philippines.
And when they say using the land, the really mean it. Putting soil erosion and water retention structures in place. Uprooting Eucalyptus trees which have the potential to deplete water tables. Doing agroforestry by including helpful tree plantations and cash crops to make maximum use of the land.
Initial uptake was slow - but now the farmers who started 5 years ago are seeing the benefits of their land intensification - and the Asha Kiran Community Services Unit is partnering with the government to scale up to already 300 farmers with a target of 500 in sight.
These 'Adarsh Baghicha' (model gardens) are based on simple pattern which can be adapted to each farmers needs. The top third of the plot is given over to agro-forestry. Silver oaks are planted who grow straight and tall. Once they have grown a bit, then an understory plantation of coffee bushes is introduced. Pepper vines are planted to creep up the Silver oak - providing another cash crop.
The middle third of the plot is used for horticulture. Mango, papaya and other fruit trees are planted. When we say tree - we mean sapling. And in the harsh sun, the saplings need to be tended well. The Adarsh Baghicha concept demands hard work. It is good to see a number of farmers taking up the challenge.
If you look closely at the base of this mango sapling, you will see that it is well fertilised with a manure / compost mix. On each Adarsh Baghicha, the farmer is encouraged to set up composting pits which are helped by vermiculture. The worms break down the manure and biomass so much quicker and produce soil enhancing and productivity increasing bio-fertilisers.
But if you look even more closely, you will see a clay pot near the base of the mango sapling. This pot has a small hole in its base. The farmer fills the pot with water, and the life-giving liquid slowly seeps out, giving just the right amount of moisture for the mango sapling's roots to rejoice. And in addition, a companion vine is added, to utilise the space and time as the sapling grows into the fruit tree it has been planted as.
Finally, the lowest third of the land is used for cultivating multiple kinds of vegetables. These provide healthy organic food for the farmer and his and her family, as well as a salable surplus.
The initial setting up of these multiple use 'gardens' takes lime and the returns are not immediate. So many farmers have not started implementing it yet. But for those who have stuck with it, the rewards are now accruing.
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A major part of the Asha Kiran Society work in the area focusses on education.
Besides running the Asha Kiran Academy - an English medium school just behind the main campus which caters to students up to class 10, a major task has been to set up "Multi-Lingual Education" approaches in many of the surrounding villages.
The challenge for most tribal students is that they just don't know enough of Odiya, the state language and the main language of instruction in government schools. So the Asha Kiran folks have been working to develop ways of teaching students in their own languages of Bonda and Gabbada or in the local trade language of Desiya - and then concurrently start teaching them Odiya. The aim is to help them join government schools in 5th standards.
Here are some fresh figures about what the amazing network of educators that Asha Kiran has developed were able to do with God's help and grace last year:
Amazing to see what can be done. Using local people. Building up the capacity of teachers from villages. One of the facilities that Asha Kiran has developed is this building below, which has been instrumental in building up a whole generation of young talent.
I met one of the youth from this village. He is now studying and has been accepted for a Masters of Public Health at the Tata Institute for Social Sciences in Mumbai. And that too from a village where previously no one had completed 10th standard. I am in awe of this who went as pioneers, and those who have stayed on and faithfully been building people up.
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One of the highlights of our time was spending and afternoon with one of the most vulnerable tribal groups.
We set off on the long jeep drive that took us up and up into the hills. After some time the paved road stopped and we churned up a red-earth dirt road. The reason it was not paved? The local Naxalites had burned 6 vehicles of the contractor who was building the road for the government. Needless to say no other contractor dares to build a road here.
The village at the base of this hill section is where the Asha Kiran staff had initially set up their operations. People from this tribe would come down to this village on market days. The Asha Kiran staff would work on making contact with them. Till then no one had been allowed by the villagers to ever spend a night up in their village.
After much work, Dr. Alex, the pioneer of this work was given a local name by the group and allowed to come up and spend nights in their village. Later he was able to build a small house and live among them with his wife.
Today Dr. Alex is no more. He died suddenly of a previously undetected heart complication, but the work that he and others started continue. The village in question now has a small health centre and local women are serving as trained health visitors to this village and a number of other ones around them.
The view from the village is like you are at the end of the world. Range upon range of hills all around.
Most of the hills are cultivated with shifting agriculture - the classic 'slash and burn' where a plot of land will be cleared of vegetation and burned. Simple crops will then be sown in the ground, with the fertiliser being the previous biomass. Needless to say, the local men are not interested in the Adarsh Bagicha model at this time.
The local tribal elders decide who can use what plots of land. There are levels of order even in what looks rather destructive.
Needless to say, the high incline leads to erosion. But the local villagers are not interested in long-term cultivation and making terraces etc. like we see in hilly regions of Nepal or Garhwal.
One of the many challenges of living so far away from the mainstream. And also one of the strengths. If the village community can be helped to gather and make positive choices, how much of God's beautiful creation will be around of their precious descendants.
In the raw beauty of creation, there are also some very human problems and challenges.
Malaria continues to be a challenge, and the Asha Kiran staff work with the government to do rapid screening of malaria cases. Here you can see some of the used kits. The three slots are C for 'control', Pv for Malaria positive for
Plasmodium vivax and Pf standing for Malaria positive for
Plasmodium falciparum. Infection with the latter form of the malarial parasite is by far the more dangerous. Most malarial deaths are the result of
Plasmodium falciparum infections.
The good news is that early detection and prompt treatment saves lives. Big time!
The malarial drugs themselves are available and the government gives them to the Asha Kiran team to use - which they do. Life after life has been saved by timely treatment with medications.
To help the village health animators, the Asha Kiran team have made simple charts which guide them about what doses to give and when.
This deep love for the people is evident to me. But it is not always reciprocated.
The metal door to the small clinic that Asha Kiran set up in this village as a hole in it. An irate man accused the team of neglecting his child - and used an axe to try and break down the door to wreak havoc. The door held and he and the others lived to see another day. The hole is a sobering reminder of the challenges faced by the HBM Family.
One of the jewels we met was this lovely family.
Hailing from Kerala, they have been faithfully serving in this very, very remote part of the country.
I saw their children playing freely with their neighbours. A large number of small tribal children who did not seem to think it odd that their new friends are dressed differently to them.
What amazing integration - and that too when the original architect of contact with these precious group lived his life to the fullest - and was then taken to glory.
I was deeply moved to see the house where the pioneering doctor first stayed (below). It is a physical reminder of what sacrifice means. It is also a learning for us all. What seems impossible, God can make possible.
Amazingly there are now high-school graduates from this village. I saw a young man show me his freshly received 12th standard mark sheet. How wonderful that this young man has been able to do this. Another young man came back down the hill with us. His face with just shining. He has finished class 10 and is now going on a long trip South (US South that means). The Asha Kiran staff are helping this young man to enroll in higher studies all the way down south. Marvels never cease.
Besides the health work, the Multi Lingual Education work is also happening with great gusto in this area. There are of course so many more stories to tell.
We just cannot do justice to the many-splendoured glory that is the Asha Kiran family and which is shown in so many different ways. Words are not enough. But at least they are a start.
And so we said 'adieu' to Asha Kiran Hospital. It was a deeply moving time. God has really blessed the senior leadership and is working out his blessings to each member of the staff.
Here is a final shot - taken on long way back to Asha Kiran hospital from the village.
The good news, the excellent good news is that our loving Lord stands at the door of our hearts, knocking. He loves us so very, very much. And Jesus tells us "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." 
"Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me... Song of Solomon 2.10
