Our days were packed with activity. The main activity which we had between about 10am-1pm and 2pm-4pm was the village visits. Our class was divided into four groups, each group focussed on a particular village in the area. My group walked 1.5 kilometers each way to the village of Andhiparaudai.
When we asked the villagers if they knew the meaning of the name of their village - they expressed a double meaning! Andhiparaudai can mean either village of beggars or village of saints! They, of course, preferred the latter.
Andhiparaudai is 20 kms from the nearest town, five kms from the nearest post office, provisions store, hospital and schools past fifth grade. There is a bus that passes near to the village, once in the morning and returning back in the evening to the nearby town. Many feel content, however, staying in their village, rather than going out.
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My group is hard at work!
Eating Sugarcane fresh from the field.
The house with the satellite dish!
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Interesting facts...
Over 80% of India's population live in villages. Although Andhiparaudai may not be a typical Indian village ascetically, the people do live the typical village lifestyle.
In this village of fourty homes, very few had radios, televisions, bicycles or scooters. In addition, not even a single villager had a car, a newspaper, or indoor toilet! Even the one villager, whose home had a satellite dish placed strategically on top for best reception did not have indoor plumbing or a toilet!
Regarding the educational status of the people in this village, only one man had a BA, while most had barely finished fifth grade. This was, of course, more true of the females in the village, than the males. And, sadly of all, lived one destituted woman with her parents and daughters, saying she had been divorced by her husband for being unable to concieve sons.
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