5. mit Nirmal

Whats your Name?

Nirmal Jayapaul

How old are you?

43

Where do you come from?

Born and brought up in Bangalore. I live in Kodaikanal. Till I am old I will be here. I travel, but this is my home now.

What is your family like?

2 sisters and a brother, each of them has one child. I don´t have children. I am single. I love my freedom. I have 2 dogs.

I am the jungest one. I always got the attention. I was like a toy for my siblings. My eldest sister always says “behave like the jungest one” - But I don´t. (laughing) I love my family, I do everything for my family.

What is your profession?

I´ve been very good in school, so I did a master in English. Than I worked as a English teacher in Japan.

But in a young age I retired.

Now I run a campsite. (A lodge in the mountains – in a sanctuary, where indian tourists come for hiking and enjoying a cold climate.)

And I am a farmer. (The area is big, so they agriculture fruits and vegetables).

Why you changed your life that entirely and how you feel with it?

First my mum became very sick. Than she did not want me to be alone abroad, but asked me to come back and take care of them. So I promised to be with them. I came back. I quit everything for my family.

After 20 days I lost my mother and after 1 ½ years I lost my dad too (tears in her eyes).

My mums dream was to have a campsite, to invite people to this place. Now I am still here to carry on her dream.

That was a hard decision, when you are single with all your freedom this was a big change. But I prayed a lot about the decision. Now I live a community live with other family members. We hold close together. I am happy.

Where did Lukas meet Nirmal?

I visited Nirmal in her Lodge near Kodaikanal, because my Organisation gave a workshop on Disaster Rescue Management there.

4. mit Aishish

Whats your Name?

Ashish Gosh

How old are you?

48

Where do you come from?

Kolkotta

What is your family like?

Wife, daughter, my mother, 2 older brothers

What is your profession?:

I am the national coordinator of Terres des Homes Suisses.

My qualification is a master in management. I am in charge for the indian head office in Kolkotta. I represent TdH in India and analyst policy.

My mayor task is the coordination between TdH and local NGOs. So I am in close contact to head office in Switzerland and visit, monitor and evaluate every project 2 or 3 times in a year.

How do you dot this job?

Management does not mean that you need to commerce.

A good Manager is a good achiever.

I also have a social backround – bachelor in history. Because history is also history where injustice come from.

After working 9 years in a company I was fed up with the profit sector. It is a rat trace. You always work for your advantage.

Here you don´t work only for your self. Your also work for others. This gives satisfaction which can not be given by money.

Where did Lukas meet Aishish?

He visited my Project in Rameswaram. We stayed for 2 days and had some program to get an impretion of what work was done in the last half year. He also gave new aims to the team and analised the level of project development.