Santhosh's ramblings

I live with two of my close relatives, one with physical disability and other with cognitive disability. Does that make me an expert on issues of disability? Of course not, it leaves me more confused! The so called physically and cognitively challenged has definitely more ability to see what they are going through “abled vision” or the perspective of faith. Whereas, the one who claims to be physically and cognitively abled, (this itself is controversial, what is ability today might be disability tomorrow!) and who sees the challenges through scientific and logical perspectives, seems to be more disabled and finds it tough to understand the complexities of life! We need a renewed understanding of ability and disability. To have this renewed understanding, we need abled eyes, which will see people through the eyes of the creator. The Creator, who sees every human being He created as abled by the “Imago Dei” which He has put in, at the same as disabled and marred by the effect of ...

We are at a point of time, various challenges are facing us, as faith based and not for profit organizations.  There is the challenge of “competition” from the corporate and commoditized health and development programs. There is the regulatory frame work which is breathing down our necks, the CEA and the implications of the same. The escalating costs of health care and the challenge it brings in taking care of the poor and the people in need. Looking ahead, from the political scenario, there could be a situation in the country where a market friendly government and potentially not FBO friendly one, could be in power and this could affect some of our work. It is in this back ground, we need to think through how we look at the work we are involved in. And also be clear and succinct on why we are doing what we are doing. We could compromise and give in or stand clear holding on to the clarity of what God wants us to do and be and have the courage to live with this clarity on ...

I came across these stories when I was traveling in some of our project locations in North Bihar recently. P was a young teenage girl growing up in one of the MD tola of a North Bihar village. She, like any girl of her age had her aspirations of a life with her “ideal man” and spent time dreaming about the same. But little did she realize that life would turn out different for her soon. A man in his mid-thirties introduced to parents by her chacha, was proposed for marriage to her, which was agreed upon for a bride price of 50,000/-. She had not much choice in the matter. Money was the deciding factor. What they were getting was more than what some others had received. And this was not unusual, others from their village had gone through these kinds of alliances earlier. The man was from nearby state of UP, and the chacha was close to the village Pradhan from a higher caste, (AC) who had connections with Netas. Chacha was respected as one of the few from their caste who had studied...

Sitting through a lessons learnt workshop of EHA HIV AIDS Project (Project Orchid) it was heartening to know that their involvement has led to empowering many marginalized communities. How does a Christian Community involvement – the ideal - should look like? Our role as individuals and organizations would be to facilitate people to “ come together ” or “ community building ” in communities. Most of the communities though there are various groups, there is no actual feeling of togetherness or community. This building of relationships and community creation has to be an on-going work and process till communities become “ caring ” and “ compassionate ” with each other. This happens only through on going “ capacity building ” both for coming together and taking up specific issues of concern as they identify. As we interact with communities, we need to cover “critical mass ” and key groups who need to be catered to. The coverage has to be such that, key indicators of health and or de...

Am I a shareholder in my father’s house? Like the younger son, who felt he was a shareholder and was restless till he got his share, am I not also restless? The restlessness did not end with receiving his part of the inheritance. With inner restlessness he kept running. Till he ran out of energy to run. He was a rightful shareholder, and was potentially right in wanting his shares. But issue was his not what he wanted but what he was struggling with. His relationship with his father as a shareholder instead of being a son. Am I like a slave in my father’s house? Like the elder one who was also restless. He was restless, not because he wanted his rights, but he was full of strong feeling of resentment. Resentment emerging out of a deeper inner issue of identity again. He saw himself as a slave in his father’s house. And when there was a party going on in his father’s house, his true inner identify came out. He was good at masking his true identity with busy work and involvement in ...

Brain Drain is - brains drained out of the context where brain is required to retain “value drain”; “compassion drain”; “credibility drain”; and “perseverance drain”. This is a physical movement out of the context where these brains are required and there is a need for facilitating retention.   Brain Drain happens out a “philosophical drain” a “Mission drain”. A drain of purpose, the purpose of why we are in health care, or why we have been given the privilege of being in health care. This is an intellectual movement – a movement from one way of thinking to another way of thinking. Why does “Mission Drain” occur? Because there is a “vision drain”. Loss of big picture, loss of the grand narrative the “Big Brain” behind the small brains we have or the micro brains we have. That loss of the inner spiritual perspective is what leads to external intellectual and physical brain drains. Why does this Brian Drain happen? Due to lack of a brains which are role models. This lack...

“Men of Issachar were 200 men who understood the times and knew what they should be doing” – they lived in the early years of the Nation of Israel.   The post independence era of India, produced many such  “Men of Issachar's”. The need to respond to the various challenges facing the new born nation, or nation in its childhood and adolescence, institutions, organizations and movements were created, to provide compassionate care, holistic education and people building,  and to take forward the “Great Commission” and “Great Commandment”. Creating “new wine” and “new wineskins” of institutions and movements, these men mobilized people around these “dreams” they dreamt.   Today, we reap the results of these men. The organization I am part of, the church I attend, the school my children went to are few examples, from our own family life. Look around, you will see many such examples.   50 to 60 years have passed. The context has changed. What was one count...