UNDITHER
Jyoti Gupta
UNDITHER Jyoti Gupta
Preface ‘Undither!’ is a collection of quotes from conversations with children about children who have poor access to one or more basic necessities of life. Such as parental care, nutrition, housing, health, education or security. The objective of this book is to enter the mind of youngsters between the ages of 12-16 years to ascertain their thoughts and to harness ideas which could potentially bring about social evolution. The narrative is based on five independent interactions with a socio-economic mix of children based in Delhi, India.
Preface ‘Undither!’ is a collection of quotes from conversations with children about children who have poor access to one or more basic necessities of life. Such as parental care, nutrition, housing, health, education or security. The objective of this book is to enter the mind of youngsters between the ages of 12-16 years to ascertain their thoughts and to harness ideas which could potentially bring about social evolution. The narrative is based on five independent interactions with a socio-economic mix of children based in Delhi, India.
Introduction I grew up in Delhi, India, seeing children on the street, in shops, at schools, working in households, watching films in cinema halls, lurking outside cigarette shops, working near garbage heaps, getting hit by policemen on account of theft, begging on traffic lights with their parents and so on. Their reality always eluded me and my questions remained unanswered as a child. In the recent years I have interacted with young adults from various not-for-profit organizations and private schools. I have seen them talk about incompetence, corruption, poor education, confused parental care and upbringing. Adults sometimes consider them to be childish, immature and lacking in worldly wisdom. Clearly, the only thing they lack is the complacence that we have learnt to endure. I have seen NGOs gun for sustainable development and fund programs that work. However, on a closer look I have begun to wonder if they have any idea of what their
'intervention' results in after they have withdrawn from the cause or the grant is over or the child has crossed the age-limit the NGO confines itself to. What right do I have as a privileged person to force my "goodness" on a person I think is unhappy? How happy are we with our well-paying jobs and more than comfortable homes. Who decides how much is much? Can an organization alone change the system or should the media catalyze a new social thought process? Isn't that what people are meant to do? What's the next step? Where do we go from here? While all these questions remained unanswered in my mind, I started this book to catalogue some of my experiences. Though there has been extensive research on topics I am discussing in this journal but I am going to curtail it to the reactions of what the children said, and what I felt at the time.
Introduction I grew up in Delhi, India, seeing children on the street, in shops, at schools, working in households, watching films in cinema halls, lurking outside cigarette shops, working near garbage heaps, getting hit by policemen on account of theft, begging on traffic lights with their parents and so on. Their reality always eluded me and my questions remained unanswered as a child. In the recent years I have interacted with young adults from various not-for-profit organizations and private schools. I have seen them talk about incompetence, corruption, poor education, confused parental care and upbringing. Adults sometimes consider them to be childish, immature and lacking in worldly wisdom. Clearly, the only thing they lack is the complacence that we have learnt to endure. I have seen NGOs gun for sustainable development and fund programs that work. However, on a closer look I have begun to wonder if they have any idea of what their
'intervention' results in after they have withdrawn from the cause or the grant is over or the child has crossed the age-limit the NGO confines itself to. What right do I have as a privileged person to force my "goodness" on a person I think is unhappy? How happy are we with our well-paying jobs and more than comfortable homes. Who decides how much is much? Can an organization alone change the system or should the media catalyze a new social thought process? Isn't that what people are meant to do? What's the next step? Where do we go from here? While all these questions remained unanswered in my mind, I started this book to catalogue some of my experiences. Though there has been extensive research on topics I am discussing in this journal but I am going to curtail it to the reactions of what the children said, and what I felt at the time.
It’s been a long drive to the outskirts of Delhi and I’ve received a hearty welcome from the children at the crèche. The crèche is a temporary arrangement at a construction site and provides day-care to the children of migrant laborers. (Migrant laborers have left
KIDSPEAK > I work here in the city. My elder brother lives in the village and attends school there. > I like working for Madam. I spend lots of time with her children… playing with them… taking care of them… watching tv.. > I live with my father who works at the site. I do all the housework after school. > If we are upset, we cry. Once we’re okay we move on to the next day.
the village for work and both men and women find easy employment in construction.) We start talking about ourselves and our conversation goes places as children from over six Northern states of the country share their experiences..
IS THIS REALLY WHERE THEY BELONG?
> I work at the peer ki mazhar on thursdays where my duty is to serve water to people. I make anything between Rs.50/- to 60/weekly. I save my money and my father buys me shoes and colorful clothes with it. > You’re an educated person. You can become a teacher if you want, but I can’t do that.
With torn window screening blowing across his face, Francisco, 3, left, and Eduardo, 2, Guadalupe sit outside their home in a migrant camp outside Plainview, Texas, Sept. 19, 1997. The stucco buildings, without heat or air conditioning and very little furniture, are free to the migrant farm workers and their families.
(AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
IʼM HERE
It’s been a long drive to the outskirts of Delhi and I’ve received a hearty welcome from the children at the crèche. The crèche is a temporary arrangement at a construction site and provides day-care to the children of migrant laborers. (Migrant laborers have left
KIDSPEAK > I work here in the city. My elder brother lives in the village and attends school there. > I like working for Madam. I spend lots of time with her children… playing with them… taking care of them… watching tv.. > I live with my father who works at the site. I do all the housework after school. > If we are upset, we cry. Once we’re okay we move on to the next day.
the village for work and both men and women find easy employment in construction.) We start talking about ourselves and our conversation goes places as children from over six Northern states of the country share their experiences..
IS THIS REALLY WHERE THEY BELONG?
> I work at the peer ki mazhar on thursdays where my duty is to serve water to people. I make anything between Rs.50/- to 60/weekly. I save my money and my father buys me shoes and colorful clothes with it. > You’re an educated person. You can become a teacher if you want, but I can’t do that.
With torn window screening blowing across his face, Francisco, 3, left, and Eduardo, 2, Guadalupe sit outside their home in a migrant camp outside Plainview, Texas, Sept. 19, 1997. The stucco buildings, without heat or air conditioning and very little furniture, are free to the migrant farm workers and their families.
(AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
IʼM HERE
JOSPEAK
Laydee Velasquez, 3, is happy with the coloring book and crayons given to her by Andrea Hutchinson, second from left, and co-worker Maria Mendoza at a migrant camp in Hammonton, N.J. Thursday evening, July 14, 2005. Hutchinson, who was raised in a migrant-worker family in California, is chief recruiter for the program in which about 200 children of migrant workers, most working in the seasonal blueberry industry, attend summer classes at an elementary schoo in Sicklerville, N.J..
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)
Some children like living in the city and don’t regret moving out of the village. Others give picturesque descriptions of the village - eating fresh fruit from trees and playing in the green fields. In sharp contrast is the urban landscape - life at a construction site, another site‌ another building. Some work to contribute to the family income. The boys work as dhaba-boys, domestic help, car mechanics, and the like. Girls do household work, cook, clean and take care of their siblings. The foot soldiers, shall we say! From owning nearly everything there was to own in the village they find themselves in the city where they have very little, moreso when compared to the rich and the richer. They toil alone, adapt to their surroundings and have nothing but their actions to speak for them, making them the indisputable karma-yogis.
JOSPEAK
Laydee Velasquez, 3, is happy with the coloring book and crayons given to her by Andrea Hutchinson, second from left, and co-worker Maria Mendoza at a migrant camp in Hammonton, N.J. Thursday evening, July 14, 2005. Hutchinson, who was raised in a migrant-worker family in California, is chief recruiter for the program in which about 200 children of migrant workers, most working in the seasonal blueberry industry, attend summer classes at an elementary schoo in Sicklerville, N.J..
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)
Some children like living in the city and don’t regret moving out of the village. Others give picturesque descriptions of the village - eating fresh fruit from trees and playing in the green fields. In sharp contrast is the urban landscape - life at a construction site, another site‌ another building. Some work to contribute to the family income. The boys work as dhaba-boys, domestic help, car mechanics, and the like. Girls do household work, cook, clean and take care of their siblings. The foot soldiers, shall we say! From owning nearly everything there was to own in the village they find themselves in the city where they have very little, moreso when compared to the rich and the richer. They toil alone, adapt to their surroundings and have nothing but their actions to speak for them, making them the indisputable karma-yogis.
IʼM HERE
DOES SOMETHING BAD HAVE TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT?
I am at a privately owned school that typically attracts students from the upper-middle and upper socio-economic strata in urban Delhi. Adolescents are speaking about problems faced by children who have poor access to nutrition, housing, education and health. The air is filled with their views on addiction..
> Signs outside pan shops announce that sale of tobacco to the under 18 population is illegal. We, too, should be vigilant and stop people from breaking the rule. > Making laws isn’t good enough. Law enforcement is equally important. > No one understands ‘Cigarette smoking is injurious to health’. Particularly scary pictures of addiction and death should be put on cigarette packets. > How can parents tell their kids not to smoke and drink when they do it in front of them?
> Low self-esteem stemming from failure makes children want to grab attention in every way they can. > Addicted children should come out and ask for help openly. Their circumstances are to blame, not them. > I was addicted to smoking but when I joined this NGO I made new friends. Now I feel I will lose them if I go back to my old habits.
Lars Peterson, 16, of Lawrence Township, N.J., smokes a cigarette as he answers a question about a new drug study in Princeton, N.J. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2000. Peterson agreed with the conclusion of a new study which shows middle school children in New Jersey are more likely to avoid drug use if they talk to their parents about anything.
(AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer)
KIDSPEAK
IʼM HERE
DOES SOMETHING BAD HAVE TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT?
I am at a privately owned school that typically attracts students from the upper-middle and upper socio-economic strata in urban Delhi. Adolescents are speaking about problems faced by children who have poor access to nutrition, housing, education and health. The air is filled with their views on addiction..
> Signs outside pan shops announce that sale of tobacco to the under 18 population is illegal. We, too, should be vigilant and stop people from breaking the rule. > Making laws isn’t good enough. Law enforcement is equally important. > No one understands ‘Cigarette smoking is injurious to health’. Particularly scary pictures of addiction and death should be put on cigarette packets. > How can parents tell their kids not to smoke and drink when they do it in front of them?
> Low self-esteem stemming from failure makes children want to grab attention in every way they can. > Addicted children should come out and ask for help openly. Their circumstances are to blame, not them. > I was addicted to smoking but when I joined this NGO I made new friends. Now I feel I will lose them if I go back to my old habits.
Lars Peterson, 16, of Lawrence Township, N.J., smokes a cigarette as he answers a question about a new drug study in Princeton, N.J. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2000. Peterson agreed with the conclusion of a new study which shows middle school children in New Jersey are more likely to avoid drug use if they talk to their parents about anything.
(AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer)
KIDSPEAK
JOSPEAK
Vice President Al Gore gestures toward Jessica Goh of Jacksonville, Fla. during a news conference in the Old Executive Office Building in Washington Friday, Feb. 27, 1998 where he announced the federal government ad campaign aimed at cutting underage smoking. The campaign will target retailers that sell tobacco and will warn those retailers that selling tobacco to underage teens is now a federal crime.
(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Substance abuse is more prevalent among males due to notions of masculinity perpetrated by the media. Though it is common across socio-economic strata in the age group, working children seem to be triply hit in terms of numbers, intensity and duration of addiction. Many are thrown into it for the thrill, some of who get addicted for at least a few years, if not for life. These children are beaten, cheated and sometimes abused. A lesser-known fact is that these substances make them numb to hunger, pain, cold, disillusionment, disgrace, and bereavement. Use of these substances numbs thoughts of dread, sensation of pain and fear of punishment. This leads to aggression and pushes them to a life of crime. They lie, beg, gamble, steal, fight..
JOSPEAK
Vice President Al Gore gestures toward Jessica Goh of Jacksonville, Fla. during a news conference in the Old Executive Office Building in Washington Friday, Feb. 27, 1998 where he announced the federal government ad campaign aimed at cutting underage smoking. The campaign will target retailers that sell tobacco and will warn those retailers that selling tobacco to underage teens is now a federal crime.
(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Substance abuse is more prevalent among males due to notions of masculinity perpetrated by the media. Though it is common across socio-economic strata in the age group, working children seem to be triply hit in terms of numbers, intensity and duration of addiction. Many are thrown into it for the thrill, some of who get addicted for at least a few years, if not for life. These children are beaten, cheated and sometimes abused. A lesser-known fact is that these substances make them numb to hunger, pain, cold, disillusionment, disgrace, and bereavement. Use of these substances numbs thoughts of dread, sensation of pain and fear of punishment. This leads to aggression and pushes them to a life of crime. They lie, beg, gamble, steal, fight..
IʼM HERE
EVER WONDERED WHAT SHEʼS THINKING WHEN SHEʼS NOT TALKIING?
Today I am meeting children from NGOs that work with street children. We ask them the same question: “What are some of the problems faced by children?” We speak about several issues but problems faced by working children seem to work their way up to the top.
> We have to sleep at the station, in parks… on the roadside. We are beaten up by policemen and told to go away. > We are abused and exploited. But we have to tolerate them to earn a living. > They (working children) don’t ever get the opportunity to study. > Sometimes our master accuses us of stealing and uses it as an excuse to not pay up. > My mother and I clean, wash clothes in
other houses. I want to study and show everyone that I am a capable and talented person. > I can’t trust anyone. Not even my brother. I’ve seen enough life to know that much. > There should be special banks for under-eighteen working children to encourage them to save. > There should be vocational training schools so that we can learn how to do office work.
With the hallway finally quiet as bedtime approaches, Angelina Torres, 6, plays with an electronic dog at the Cornerstone Community Outreach's Sylvia Center homeless shelter on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005 in Chicago. Angelina has spent half her life living with her family in various shelters around Chicago.
(AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
KIDSPEAK
IʼM HERE
EVER WONDERED WHAT SHEʼS THINKING WHEN SHEʼS NOT TALKIING?
Today I am meeting children from NGOs that work with street children. We ask them the same question: “What are some of the problems faced by children?” We speak about several issues but problems faced by working children seem to work their way up to the top.
> We have to sleep at the station, in parks… on the roadside. We are beaten up by policemen and told to go away. > We are abused and exploited. But we have to tolerate them to earn a living. > They (working children) don’t ever get the opportunity to study. > Sometimes our master accuses us of stealing and uses it as an excuse to not pay up. > My mother and I clean, wash clothes in
other houses. I want to study and show everyone that I am a capable and talented person. > I can’t trust anyone. Not even my brother. I’ve seen enough life to know that much. > There should be special banks for under-eighteen working children to encourage them to save. > There should be vocational training schools so that we can learn how to do office work.
With the hallway finally quiet as bedtime approaches, Angelina Torres, 6, plays with an electronic dog at the Cornerstone Community Outreach's Sylvia Center homeless shelter on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005 in Chicago. Angelina has spent half her life living with her family in various shelters around Chicago.
(AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
KIDSPEAK
JOSPEAK
Nicole Hudson, who is homeless, smiles as she talks about her future goals during an interview Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005, at the Covenant House in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. The Covenant House California reaches out to thousands of homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth offering hope and opportunities to change their lives.
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Full of energy and exuberance, they speak nonchalantly about their daily life and experiences. Their ability to cope with their surroundings reflects a maturity that is hard to miss. Extraordinary, street smart, happy and self relaint – they have learnt life’s lessons by the age of 8-9 or better still, even before that. Since they have been abandoned or have lost their parents, their ‘ independent’ life poses challenges that seem insurmountable for a person of average strength. And yet, not a day passes when the children don’t plot and plan for a triumphant retreat to an ordinary life.
JOSPEAK
Nicole Hudson, who is homeless, smiles as she talks about her future goals during an interview Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005, at the Covenant House in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. The Covenant House California reaches out to thousands of homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth offering hope and opportunities to change their lives.
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Full of energy and exuberance, they speak nonchalantly about their daily life and experiences. Their ability to cope with their surroundings reflects a maturity that is hard to miss. Extraordinary, street smart, happy and self relaint – they have learnt life’s lessons by the age of 8-9 or better still, even before that. Since they have been abandoned or have lost their parents, their ‘ independent’ life poses challenges that seem insurmountable for a person of average strength. And yet, not a day passes when the children don’t plot and plan for a triumphant retreat to an ordinary life.
UNDITHER
Jyoti Gupta
UNDITHER Jyoti Gupta