Run for India 2009

Last week was a busy one, and the weekend was even more packed with activity. So I haven't been checking the blogs I usually read, or been able to compose new posts ... will hopefully catch up on that soon.

Sunday, Feb 15th was the day of the Austin Marathon & Half Marathon. Our team from the Association for India's Development (AID) runs this race every year as a fundraiser. This year, seventeen of us participated - eleven volunteers ran the half marathon, and six ran the full.



Over the past few months, Saturday mornings have been exactly the same: wake up at 6am, get to Lady Bird Lake (see my post about the lake) by 7:00 or 7:30am, and run the prescribed distance for the week. Some days were beautiful, and running was a pleasure. Other days were cold, windy and miserable, and running was really painful. But it all paid off on Sunday, coz all of us had a good run.

R and I ran the half this year, since we had lots of injuries after running the full marathon last year. It was a perfect day on Sunday, partly cloudy and cool. The 13.1 miles seemed pretty easy after having done the 26.2 miles last year on Austin's hilly course.



Our bright yellow team t-shirts stand out in the crowd (I designed these last year).



This run is the biggest fundraiser for our volunteer group each year, and the training program is called Run for India. Runners raise money through their run, for supporting projects in rural India that are sustainable and holistic in their approach:

"AID is a volunteer movement committed to promoting sustainable, equitable and just development. In solidarity with non-violent people's struggles, AID supports grassroots organizations in India and initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as education, livelihoods, natural resources, health, women's empowerment and social justice."

The idea is to learn from our project partners on the ground, and have study groups where we try and understand the issues behind the realities that exist on the ground. As a result, we learn a tremendous amount from our NGO partners in India.

I coordinate two projects (with NGOs Kalpavriksh in Delhi, and Exnora Green Cross in Vellore), both of them related to environmental issues, since that is what interests me. I serve as the link between these two NGO partners and our group so that we can learn as much as possible about the issues - social, political and scientific, that relate to the projects that we support.

It is work that has taught me so much more than I have been able to contribute. Our group of runners are all volunteers - students as well as professionals. The energy and excitement in this group is awesome, and now that we have raised some money, it is time to invest it in some deserving projects on the ground in India!



Hope your week is going well.

Austin Wildlife Rescue

We have been volunteering the past couple of weekends with the Austin Wildlife Rescue, for a couple of hours every Sunday.

When hurricane Ike hit Houston, several squirrels drowned and many more were left half dead on the streets and lawns. These were rounded up and many were sent to Austin and other cities nearby to be nursed back to health.


Several of them had already returned to Houston when we went there last weekend, but we got to feed the dozen or so that were still there. They were squirming, hungry little babies - impatient and demanding! Even after we got the milk syringe into their mouths, they wouldn't stop squirming - so in all that hurry, I could only get these partially-in-focus photographs!



Little vibrating squirrel feet, as they suck on the milk syringe on the other end!


When we went in today, all the Houston squirrels had left. I wish now, that we had gone over there earlier. But there are lots of other little creatures in need of help, so it was still very exciting.

This tiny little duck was jumpy and lonely, and after he was done wandering around, he went back into his enclosure where he cuddled up with a teddy bear!


There were a bunch of baby raccoons as well, curious little things with the softest little paws.


This little skunk was blind and deaf - he stayed in an outdoor enclosure during the day and went home with one of the girls at night. He had rough, but very beautiful hair, and was happy to be picked up and held.


When we went in today, there were a few new additions - a baby chicken, which couldn't stand being alone! He would follow everyone around and stay very close to people. Can't imagine how factory farms have the heart to torture these adorable and friendly little things!

There were three tiny kittens today too - only a couple of weeks old. They had been left outside the rescue center in a box - no mom in sight. They were so tiny! They chewed on my hand incessantly, but barely had teeth so it just tickled. We fed them milk through miniature bottles. I forgot my camera today, so didn't get any pictures of these, or the injured hawk and pigeon that also arrived.

This is so much fun. Now I look forward to Sundays for a whole new reason!

The Sun, Moon and Stars

Exactly two years ago, we were introduced to Inti Wara Yassi (translated the Sun, Stars and Moon, respectively). This small animal refuge in Bolivia is located in Villa Tunari, a little town in the Chapare region, along the Cochabamba - Santa Cruz highway.


The 36-hectare refuge was founded by Juan Carlos, who is a role model in conservation to many underprivileged children in Bolivia. Juan Carlos was recently named as one of The Planet’s Heroes by Jane Goodall for his work with animals, the environment and children.

IWY rescues birds, monkeys, wild cats, and other small animals from markets, circuses, private homes, and other abusive situations and brings them to the refuge for rehabilitation and possible release back into the wild.

The refuge is run by Tania Baltazar, several permanent Bolivian volunteers, and with the help of other volunteers who are there for 2 weeks to several months at a time. There is a vet’s office on site, with a veterinarian and a couple of interns as well. The cafe (below) serves food just for the volunteers, and they serve only vegetarian food! :)

I spent two weeks volunteering there exactly two years ago, and my mind has been wandering back there very often this week. I spent that time entirely in the monkey quarantine, which had 40 monkeys at the time - capuchins, and a few spider monkeys and squirrel monkeys as well.

It was my first time doing something like this, and was very educational and interesting. So I thought a post about them would be the best way to celebrate this anniversary!



Capuchin monkeys were the most numerous in the quarantine area, and they each had their own individual personality. I could tell them apart within a couple of days!

Cola was the sweetest one - pretty and happy, she loved people. Would smile wide and ask to be picked up as soon as anyone came near. Very hard to resist that!




Miel was the most intelligent one. She could untie ropes and shoelaces, wash clothes and learn all kinds of things really quickly.


Cici was the baby - her mother had died and since volunteers typically stayed 2 weeks, she had to keep readjusting to a new "mother" every two weeks. Poor little thing. I heard that a baby had died in the quarantine area after I left, and I try not to think about it because that could be Cici.



Aley was the mother-figure to several younger monkeys, but a mother who would steal everyone else's food!


Claudio came down to the rain forest from cold cold La Paz, and slept a lot at the beginning.


Bimba was new too, and a little apprehensive. Licking calmed him down!


Aturo was very inquisitive and loved to run away and be found - it was a game!


Baska was a silly girl - she fell in love with one of the male volunteers and got really jealous and coquettish! It was hilarious. Here she is, smiling at him and flirting.


The quarantine had three spider monkeys, and Patricio here was the most needy one. He had diarrhea the whole time and was really smelly, but loved to cuddle, so it was a tough one!



The little squirrel monkeys were so cute! They liked to nibble grass, and all you had to do was pluck some out and hand it to them and they would stay occupied for a while.



I miss these little ones quite a bit, and wonder often about what's happened to them since I left. Since very little news can be obtained, it makes it harder ... but the experience was definitely one to cherish!

While I was there, I saw truckloads of felled trees going out of the rain forest. Habitat for these precious monkeys is disappearing rapidly. Even small, under-funded refuges like this one are crammed with rescued monkeys, pumas, jaguars, exotic birds and more. Unless deforestation is stopped, there will soon be nowhere to release them after rehabilitation.

Points to ponder

It's been an interesting week. One of the best things about being with an organization like AID (Association for India's Development) is that we get several speakers every year who share their experiences of working at the grassroots level in India, or being the voice for those who need it the most. This week we had the opportunity to listen to and interact with three speakers.

P. Sainath is a journalist, photographer, and the ONLY full-time appointed Rural Editor in the country. Some years ago, he wrote a series of essays for the Times of India on poverty and rural issues. These essays were compiled into his book Everybody Loves a Good Drought, which won him the Magsaysay award. The stories are deceptively simple and humorous, but leave you with a clear picture about the reality of every day life for the majority of Indians who don't see the benefits from rapid and reckless globalization.


Also, his series of photographs titled Visible Work, Invisible Women - about the reality of life for women in rural India was used as the theme for the AID Calendar in 2003, and his pictures traveled through North America in an exhibition. (This year's theme for the calendar is food, and they should be available shortly).

I have this collection of photographs in the calendar - the pictures are powerful and moving. But can't find them anywhere online. Here's one that I found.


So though I knew about P.Sainath, and had read his book, it was a different and interesting experience to hear him speak. He is a very intelligent, forceful speaker. He has lived in villages for several years, with the people about whom he writes, and knows them and their lives intimately. More recently, he has been the voice of farmers all over India who have been committing suicide due to the effects of the global, monopolized agricultural practices that are sweeping across the world.

I wish I could start all over again and take courses in journalism and history from him, and do something substantial with my life. He is very inspiring, and if you haven't already, you should check out Everybody Loves a Good Drought or his other essays.

Ravi and Aravinda were the other speakers, the founders of AID, who returned in India 10 years ago after graduate school here, to work full-time at the grassroots level, living in rural India and working to find sustainable, intelligent and environmentally friendly solutions to problems faced by the majority of Indians who are being left behind in this scramble for "development".


They showed us their latest invention - a bamboo hot pack lined with hay and jute, which cooks rice and keeps it warm for up to 8 hours, with 60% less fuel use and time commitment! This amazing invention is fully biodegradable, local and efficient!

BTW, the movie Swades was partially inspired by Ravi's path in life - check out this wiki entry and you will see! We have met and listened to them several times, and as always, their talk was full of information that left us pondering, and re-evaluating our lives.

So it's been a very interesting week so far! Interactions like these reinforce our conviction to live as lightly as possible on the planet, to always be aware of the ecological consequences of our actions, and to take a stand against issues that are close to our hearts and be vocal about them.