Educating girls in rural India prevents child sex trafficking

As I prepare to return to Pardada Pardadi Educational Society, located in one of the poorest rural regions of India, I’d like to share the progress we have made since 2010.  Raising a village out of poverty begins with educating, empowering and employing girls and women.   Our volunteer experience has grown beyond what we could ever have imagined, and has become a medical, educational and economic whirlwind due to the generosity of local residents and organizations.

Girls from the village of Annupshar, have long been sold into sex trafficking, under the guise of marriage. Girls are considered an economic burden by their parents. Older men come to the village wanting to “marry” their daughters, paying as little as $25 for the girl.  Last year, one family sold their five daughters, ages 2-12, for $135. Child marriages, usually between age 12 and 14, are common and an issue that the school is working hard to stop. Incentives are provided to encourage  families to send their girls to school. Students are paid 10 rupees/day for daily attendance,provided with 3 meals a day, transportation, uniforms, shoes, textbooks and health care. 

Pardada  Pardadi was founded in 2000, by Sam Singh, the first Indian born man to be hired by the DuPont Company,  in 1963. He lived in the Wilmington area for most of his career. Upon retirement as head of DuPont India, he returned to his ancestral village to fulfill his lifelong dream of improving the lives of girls and women. Girls had never before attended school. Illiteracy is 70%.  The average family income is $14/month. Initially, Sam was met with great resistance and death threats, as villagers felt threatened by him wanting to educate their daughters.  Having met with over 1000 families, the school  opened  with 45 girls. By the end of the first year, 15 remained. Today, 1300 girls attend the school.  4000 are on a waiting list.    

While living and working daily at Pardada Pardadi, we experienced daily challenges and difficulties that are a part of life in this rural village.  Everything in rural India is the exact opposite from life in the US. The garbage, stench, constant noise, dirt and wild animals roaming everywhere required adjustments on our part.  Children rummage through piles of garbage, competing with buffalo, dogs, moneys  and pigs for what food they might find. At dusk, the sight of an older person sitting and scooping water out of a muddy street puddle to drink, is forever etched in my mind.   

During our 5 months at PPES in 2010, we started a hygiene program, teaching girls to brush their teeth and wash with soap. Both of these activities were new for most  students.  Since that time, the girls brush their teeth and wash with soap daily at school. As a result, illness has been significantly reduced.   Mike was able to connect the school to the internet, introducing the staff and students to the world beyond the village. While teaching art, I introduced colored paper(only white had been used until 2010!) and the concept of hanging student artwork on the school walls(until then, only teacher’s art was displayed in the school). We taught English classes, as well. Hindu is the language spoken in the village, so the school is anxious for students and staff alike to learn English.  

Upon our return to the US in 2011, we had no plans to India return to India again.  Though we found the experience to be incredibly worthwhile, we were worn down by limited electricity, water, internet access, the heat, and conditions related to dire poverty.  After a few months of struggling with reverse culture shock, I knew we needed to go back. While the conditions we faced living in the village diminished, we really missed the 1100 girls who we grew to love.  Knowing we were able to make a real difference in their lives, as well as the school, Mike and I eventually knew what we needed to do next. 

There is no health care in this village region of 180,000.  Our girls had no access to health care.  We began plans to build a Health Center at the school. In October of 2012, we headed back to India to open the new Health Center and hire a school nurse.  We took 150 lbs. of medical supplies donated by Missions Relief in Coatesville to stock the center.  For the next two months, I worked as school nurse, until the nurse that we hired was able to move to the village.   The health center has proven a great success, with an average of 100 girls a week visiting for health care.   

While we were in India, Mike applied to International Medical Relief, based in Colorado.   IMR has been sending medical teams to impoverished areas throughout the world for 12 years.  Upon our return to the US, we learned that our application was the one out of 100 they accepted.   For the next six months, we worked with IMR and the school to plan the trip. Last June, I accompanied the team of 22 US medical professionals to the school, and had the opportunity to witness the impact of lack of hygiene and health care on over 2500 villagers during six days of medical camps, in 110 degree heat and monsoon rains. 

During the week, I shadowed   a pediatrician, who diagnosed a new case of polio in a little boy. The child’s father was heartbroken, as he explained that his son had received one vaccination against polio. What he did not know, as is the case for most villagers, is that his son needed four doses.  This was the third child I have met in the village with polio. During the clinics, the team saw many malnourished, dying babies, as well as so many medical issues we will never see in the US. Health education seminars were held throughout the week, teaching villagers about good hygiene, hand washing and clean water.  Due to the success of the trip, IMR will be returning to the school again in June, 2014.Volunteers are still needed for this trip. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Mary for information. 

I will be returning to the school on March 27, along with two doctors from Baltimore, who will be running dermatology clinics for the girls and their families. Skin infections and diseases are rampant, primarily due to lack of sanitation. We recently hired two doctors, who will come to the school one day a week to provide medical care.  One doctor is a woman gynecologist, who has been most welcomed by the girls and their mothers. 

On this trip I will be taking along undies for all of the girls, which have been donated by the local community.  Last June, I took over 1000 bras, which were collected for the girls and women of the village. Living in dire poverty, these basic necessities are considered luxuries.  The girls were thrilled to receive bras, and asked that I bring undies when I returned.  

Our next dream is to build a Medical Clinic for women and children of the village.  $35,000 is needed for this project to become another reality.  Having made incredible strides since our introduction to life in rural India, we hope that the funding for the center is raised, so that it can be built by 2015.  To support to the school, sponsor students and support the Health and Hygiene program financial donations are needed.  To learn more about Pardada Pardadi,  to donate or learn about volunteer opportunities, or to schedule a speaking engagement, call Mary Cairns at 610-444-2139.  Or visit the school website at education4change.org. 

Chadds Ford Live article 2014

Local woman continues her work at girls school in rural India

On September 11, 2010, Mary Cairns, an interior decorator from Kennett Square, and Mike Mays, travelled to a girls school,  Pardada Pardadi Educational Society, in one of the poorest areas of rural India.  For the next 5 months, they immersed themselves into the culture and lives of some of the neediest children in the world.  Mary had known that she wanted to have an impact on girls who are victims of sex trafficking, and that education is one of the solutions to prevention.   

Girls from this extremely impoverished village region are often sold into sex trafficking, under the guise of marriage, by their parents. Older men come to the village wanting to “marry” their daughters, paying as little as $25 for the girl.  Child marriages, usually between age 12 and 14, are common and an issue that the school is working hard to change.   In order to reduce the economic burden on the family, students are paid 10 rupees/day for attending school and provided with 3 meals a day.

Pardada  Pardadi was founded in 2000, by Sam Singh, the first Indian born man to be hired by the DuPont Company in 1963. Upon his retirement as head of DuPont India, he returned to his ancestral village to fulfill his lifelong dream, of improving the lives of girls and women. Girls had never attended school in the village of Annupshar, Uttar Pradesh. Illiteracy is 70%. Average family income is $14/month. Sam was met with great resistance and death threats, as villagers had no understanding of why he wanted to educate girls. Having met with over 1000 families, he started the school with 45 girls. By the end of the first year, 15 remained. Today, 1300 girls attend the school, with 4000 on a waiting list.    

While living and working daily at Pardada Pardadi, Mary  describes the daily challenges and difficulties that are a part of life in this rural village.  “Everything in rural India is the exact opposite from life in the US.” The school was infested with rats, there is no concept of hygiene, monkeys and pigs roam wild throughout the village, and children can been seen rummaging through garbage, competing with buffalo, dogs and pigs for what they might find. “I will never forget the sight of an old person scooping water out of a muddy street puddle to drink.”   One day, a group of men were meeting on the school grounds. Witnessing a man with a gun walking around the men, Mary approached teachers questioning what was going on.  She was told that it was a political meeting, which often turn violent. There was no concern on the part of teachers, as this was not unusual for them. 

During the first trip to the school, Mary and Mike started a hygiene program, teaching girls to brush their teeth and wash with soap. This was new for most of the students.   The girls have been brushing their teeth and washing hands with soap daily at school since that time.     Mike connected the school to the internet, introducing the staff and students to the world beyond the village. While teaching art, Mary introduced colored paper(only white had been used until 2010!) and the concept of hanging student artwork on the school walls(teacher art only until this time!). They taught English classes, as well.

Upon returning to the US in 2011, Mary and Mike had no intention of returning to India again.  After several months, Mary knew she had to go back. Since there is no health care in this village region of 180.000 they decided to build a Health Center at the school.  With 150 lbs of medical supplies donated by Mission Relief in Coatesville, they were off to open the new center, and hire a school nurse.  While Mike worked to improve the computer system and teach computer classes, Mary worked as the school nurse. 

While in India, Mike applied to International Medical Relief, based in Colorado, to bring a team of US medical personnel to the school. Upon their return to the US, Mary and Mike learned that they had been the one out of 100 applications accepted.  For the next six months, Mary worked with IMR to plan the trip, and returned again last summer, with a team of 22 US medical professionals. During that time, the team saw over 2500 villagers in six days, in 110 degree heat and monsoon rains. 

Mary was able to shadow a pediatrician, who diagnosed a new case of polio in a little boy. The child’s father was heartbroken, as he explained that his son had received one vaccination against polio. What he did not know, as is the case for most villagers, is that his son needed four doses.  This was the third child Mary has met in the village with polio. During the clinic, many malnourished, dying babies were seen at the clinic, as well as so many medical issues we will never see in the US.  Due to the success of the trip, IMR will be returning to the school again in June, 2014.Volunteers are still needed for this trip.

When Mary returns to the school on March 27, she will be taking undies for all of the girls. Last June, she took 1000 bras, all donated by friends and strangers alike.  Due to living in dire poverty, girls do not have underwear. She will accompanying two doctors from Baltimore, who will be running clinics for the girls and their families.  She will also be working on a Child Sponsorship program.  Girls can be sponsored, through the school website, at education4change.org.  For $40/month sponsors provide 3 meals  a day, transportation, textbooks, 2 uniforms and shoes for their child. 

Mary’s new dream is to build a Medical Clinic for women and children of the village.  $35,000 must be raised before her new dream can become a reality.  Having made great strides since 2010, Mary is confident that the center will be built by 2015.  Financial donations to support the school are greatly needed.  To learn more about Pardada Pardadi, or to schedule a speaking engagement, call Mary Cairns at 610-444-2139.

Volunteer opportunities at Pardada Pardadi 

Annupshahr is located about 100 miles East of Delhi, in the State of Uttar Pradesh, and by car will take about 3 hours. PPES will arrange to pick you up at the Delhi airport and provide meals and lodging while in Delhi. After a day in Delhi, adjusting to the time change and sensory overload, transportation will be provided to Pardada Pardadi. Meals and lodging while at the school will be at the Guest house, or Sam Singh’s home. While in Annupshahr, you will spend time at the school, interacting with the students, teachers and administrators. We will visit villages, and the homes of our girls, so you can see what their lives are about.  Annupshahr is located on the Ganges River, a river with great significance to Hindus, so you won’t want to miss an evening boat ride on the Ganges. Also of interest will be our newly opened health center, production operations, community toilet complex, self-help groups and dairy best practices groups. The village of Annupshahr is also a must see, a short walk from the school, where shops and stalls sell everything you can imagine, and not imagine.   For those with a medical background, you will find work at our new health center very eye opening and rewarding. We will set up medical camps in nearby villages as well.   We are always looking for English speakers to sit in, participate in or teach our conversational English classes. Also if you have a particular teaching expertise, you can volunteer in any of our classes, K through 12. In the past, volunteers have built toilets, taught EMT classes, assisted with girl sponsor communications, collected survey data, helped with medical clinics, written procedure manuals, helped out with the library and introduced the students to classical music. The opportunities are endless and we encourage all visitors to participate, whether for an hour, a day, a week or longer. A volunteer manual will give you information on longer term projects. When your time at the school is over we will spend a day in Agra, the site of the Taj Mahal, one of the man-made wonders of the world. Our goal is to give you the opportunity to learn about and become a part of the PPES family.