Today we met up with our dear friend Ann Witchalls. She and her husband Brian have been here off and on (more on than off) since 1962. They came out here as CMS missionaries, and have loved the place ever since, and are themselves much loved here. We had a Thali Lunch at The Darling Residency Hotel, which was most enjoyable, and then Ann invited us to the Christian Medical College and Hospital Rehab. Unit "Mela" - a cunning way to bring back Rehab. patients to give them check-ups, but with the invitation to a party and a sleep-over. It's a bit like a festival without all the boom-boom-boom music! Great fun to watch, as we saw them taking part in simple games to test their co-ordination.
I managed to speak to the former CMC Director, who was also watching. I asked him if they had any residents on the site (The Mary Vorghese Centre), and he then described how they invited rehab. patients who were making decent enough progress to enter a short period of vocational training at the place. Bearing in mind that these folk were all disabled,there had to be some sensitivity in the choice of vocational work. They had tried pottery in the past, but as potters are a caste, those who are not of that caste are not allowed to practice that particular craft! He mentioned that many disabled people are treated as second-class citizens, and that it was common for them to be cheated. People not paying for their services or their workmanship is common. The Centre has been careful to pick trades where they can least be cheated, and where they can gain skill in and respect for the work they do.The trades that seem best-suited are tailoring (because the customer provides the cloth, and has to return with money to receive the finished product), also cycle repair, because again, the customer has to return for his cycle, rather than just riding-off on a new one!
Tomorrow - St John's Church in the morning, and The Orphanage in the afternoon. It's going to be a full week, with a lot of interesting and new things to see and experience.
Next Blog Post? -whenever I can get back on the Internet again! Sorry it's sporadic! Pictures may well have to wait until we reach Pondicherry.
I managed to speak to the former CMC Director, who was also watching. I asked him if they had any residents on the site (The Mary Vorghese Centre), and he then described how they invited rehab. patients who were making decent enough progress to enter a short period of vocational training at the place. Bearing in mind that these folk were all disabled,there had to be some sensitivity in the choice of vocational work. They had tried pottery in the past, but as potters are a caste, those who are not of that caste are not allowed to practice that particular craft! He mentioned that many disabled people are treated as second-class citizens, and that it was common for them to be cheated. People not paying for their services or their workmanship is common. The Centre has been careful to pick trades where they can least be cheated, and where they can gain skill in and respect for the work they do.The trades that seem best-suited are tailoring (because the customer provides the cloth, and has to return with money to receive the finished product), also cycle repair, because again, the customer has to return for his cycle, rather than just riding-off on a new one!
Tomorrow - St John's Church in the morning, and The Orphanage in the afternoon. It's going to be a full week, with a lot of interesting and new things to see and experience.
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