The Seed (2017)

 When Ashraya Became Home

Some intentions don't arrive with a plan. They arrive as a feeling — quiet at first, easy to set aside. For me, 2017 was the year that feeling took root.

That was the year Appa and Amma moved from Dosti to Ashraya. From an independent home they had built their life around, to a community setting — a different rhythm, different neighbours, a different kind of daily life. It took some adjustment, not just for them but for all of us. The Ashraya family didn't come pre-fitted into our world; they had to become part of it, and we had to become part of theirs. Slowly, they did. That extended family is now simply family.

And with that came something else — the address of celebrations shifted. Appa's 80th birthday. An anniversary. Family get-togethers. The place for all of it was now Ashraya. A specific, named place where they were, where we gathered, where the texture of family life was now rooted.

Before Ashraya, "being close to my parents" was an idea spread across many spaces and memories. After Ashraya, it had an address.

I don't think I said it out loud then — not clearly, not as a plan. But somewhere in watching them settle in, in learning to belong to Ashraya the way they were learning to belong to it, I started asking myself a question I couldn't quite shake: what would it look like to actually be close at hand to my makers? Not just visiting. Not just calling. Present. Available. Close enough to matter on an ordinary Tuesday, not just at a milestone.

That question has followed me for eight years now. It has survived a pandemic, a profound loss, two near-misses with internship plans, and the quiet accumulation of life's reasons to defer. But it started here — in 2017, when Appa and Amma made Ashraya their home, and something in me decided I wanted to find my way back.

Appa’s pillars are no more

 

Both of them would be 83 years old this year. They were Appa's (my Dad's) closest support system that worried for his well-being and he knew that.

My Mom(Amma) would chide Appa all the time, even for the littlest things, like his forgetfulness. When she wasn't chiding him, or he wasn't responding, it felt like a gloomy day at our home. I think Appa believed Amma was doing it for his good, and he'd always follow her advice though sometimes begrudgingly. An unexpected delay from his outing would have her concerned and on the phone.

My Appa's younger brother, "MSP" as Appa referred to him in 3rd person, or Purushottama in first-person, was Appa's life-breath. In his weakest moments Purushottama always on Appa's lips, first thing waking up.  When Purushottama hurt, Appa was in pain, and he'd not sit around. He’d strive to do something about it, finding solutions that Purushottama would follow. Since April 2022, Appa's been on a mission to find a way to help MSP recover from his illness. He found a new purpose when Purushottama moved close to him in Nerul.

Between Amma’s care, concern for Purushottama, our Appa has had a purpose; especially these last year. In their passing this purpose has been taken away, it’s a void. All of them taught me a lot. I have 2 jousting emotions - on the one hand sad on Appa's new loneliness; and the other side of me is waiting for new lessons from Appa. Lifelong Appa's found ways through a variety of issues; this is not limited to my adult life with him - others include Chittappa, Amma, my Paati (Grandmother) have recounted various situations that Appa's navigated the family to safety. Appa, counting on your positivity and the village around us to get through this phase.

Karam Yokathon - Jan 2023

Karam Yokathon, January 29, 2023

Trip Report

I recently had the pleasure of attending the 7th annual Karam Yokathon, a long-distance race held in the small village of Kodaganallur, Tamil Nadu, India. The race is organized by the YOKE Society, a non-profit organization that works to promote education, employment, and health in rural India.

The founders of YOKE, Chitra and Vasudevan , are an inspiring couple. Chitra is a force of nature, with an infectious energy and an unrelenting enthusiasm for her work. Vasudevan is the yin to her yang, calm and collected, with a keen eye for detail. Together, they are a powerful team, and their passion for their work is evident in everything they do.

The YOKE Society is made up of a group of dedicated and talented young people from Kodaganallur and the surrounding villages. They are passionate about their community and eager to make a difference. The race is a key event for the YOKE Society, and it provides a much-needed boost to the local economy.

The Karam Yokathon is a special race. There are no fees to run in the races. Each participant gets a prized shirt with a message, and a finisher's medal. There are a total of 80 prize categories that the participants are vying for. This makes the race accessible to people of all economic backgrounds, and it encourages people to come out and participate.

The race is held on a scenic route through the countryside. The scenery is beautiful, and the weather is usually perfect. The race is a great way to experience the local culture and to see some of the beautiful countryside of Tamil Nadu.

I highly recommend the Karam Yokathon to anyone looking for a unique and challenging running experience. The race is well-organized, the people are friendly, and the scenery is beautiful. It is a great way to support a worthy cause and to experience the local culture.

Key Points

• The founders of YOKE, Chitra and Vasudevan Vasudevan, are an inspiring couple.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• The YOKE Society is made up of a group of dedicated and talented young people from Kodaganallur and the surrounding villages.

• The Karam Yokathon is a special race with no fees to run, and prizes are awarded to all participants, regardless of their finishing time.

• The race is held on a scenic route through the countryside.

• I highly recommend the Karam Yokathon to anyone looking for a unique and challenging running experience.

• This trip was made possible for me by my dear friend, Coach Ranga, Andal Akka and my dear Appa who chaperoned me here. I experienced the personification of the expression, it takes a village.

  
  
  Indians for Collective Action (ICA) has funded the school grounds that was the staging area.

• I got to run with my friend Bhargav after a long time - met with the celebrity couple of led by Srividya Badri.

I am grateful to everyone who made this trip possible, and I hope to return to Kodaganallur soon.

Chitra and Vasu embody Vasudaiva Kutambakam - fortunate to have had a chance to meet them. “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” is a Sanskrit phrase from ancient Indian scriptures that means the whole world is one (my) family.

100 Oxygen Concentrators - shipped out to rural Maharashtra

 As of June 30,2021 - the latest batch of 100 OCs were delivered to

1. Sindhudurg District Hospital-20
2. Govt dental college and hospital, Mumbai-6
3. Solapur district hospital-74 (break-up as follows)
1. PHC Yashwant Nagar -2
2. PHC Pillav- 2
3. PHC Velapur - 2
4. RH Malshiras- 4
5. RH Natepute- 4
6. SDH Akluj- 6
7. CS Solapur - 54

After the timely action and delivery of the oxygen nationwide, the focus has to shift to help with other essential supplies. The next …

31 millions vaccines delivery (25Million 1-dose, +6MM 2-doses administered) across 3012 vaccination sites. It’s a good first line of defense against the virus, and arresting poor outcomes.

This impact is from outreach to 479 villages in 36 districts and 13 cities, 2906 urban low-income societies.

Detailed reports: t.ly/Jcpg

Oxygen for India - amazing speed of mobilization

Ramanan's work from CDDEP is the first ray of hope i saw as i learned of the desperate gasps for breath from the motherland. This was late April and things looked grim. Today reading the story of their journey where they lit the passage to life for so many continues to be the flashing message,

Together we can get through this.

 

Not to leave with the rose-tinted glasses, at t the same time there are struggles to track a shipment of OC sitting in a dock at Mumbai customs for 10+days.

O2 Bank

 Hats off to Rajiv at Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust for executing on the vision - Oxygen for the masses. Creative solutions that are inclusive re-invigorate hope. Thank you, RNCT for this pioneering work.

Logistics and supply chain - bottlenecks to help India in this hour

There is a tightening of the available supply of relief supplies needed and the challenges of getting them to those in need, this update from #MahaPECOnet partner Ratna Nidhi is one of the several bright lights that makes me hopeful.