13. mit Sri

Whats your Name?

Sritharan or Sri

How old are you?

26

Where do you come from?

From Sri Lanka, now staying in Erode. Lastly I worked in Vembar.

What is your family like?

My family have 4 members. My junger brother, me and my parents. 2 others are married and life in Chennai. We migrated 6 years ago from Sri Lanka, because the Tamilien struggle with the Sri Lankan government. (More information)

So now we life in a Sri Lankan refuges camp in Tamil Nadu.

What is your profession?:

I successfully did my Master of Social Work in Madurai. For the last year I had worked in PAD. I was working for Kids in the surrounding of Vembar.

Now I search for a development-orientated Job in Chennai.

Why you want to do development work?

India is a developing country, thus it has big need of development activities and education for the poor. Not everybody is reached by our development yet.

I like the appreciation you get by working directly with people. Only in the social jobs you have it, as otherwise you work for salary. For you. I like the personal touch with people. They get happy, I am happy.

The date I decided to study social work was: 21^st May 2006 in Sri Lanka.

That day government forces broke an no fire agreement of 2002 with LTTE (Liberation for Tiger of Tamil Eelam). My village got totally bombed by flights and rockets. 600 people died in our area. 3 days we only searched for safety places. We moved 78 kilometers running from safe to safe place. I lost relatives and many friends, one died in front of me. Finally we went to Maanar and went by illegal boat (arround 1400€ for 11 people) to Tamil Nadu.

Why the social work? I don´t like the bloody war. Everybody is affected by body and mind. But Everybody is equal. I want to talk to people. Why we fight for land? I want a legal struggle. See what I can do in the I high position in field work and one day in the UN.

Where did Lukas meet Sri?

Sri has been my college. He just left PAD in the beginning of April. He has been very supportive and we became friends.

12. mit einem "government officer"

Whats your Name?

Mr. Imperumal

How old are you?

48 years

Where do you come from?

I come from Covilpatti, Tutticorin District, Tamil Nadu

What is your family like?

I have a wife and 2 daughters.

What is your profession?:

I had been a teacher. Now I am a government official. I supervise the scheme ” survashiksha abian”- this means education for all.

I am monitoring the quality of teaching in government supported primary school. Do kids get enough food? How are the facilities? Is the money used properly? I also do accounts.

What challenge exists in Indian education sector?

...Very difficult question. Ask something concretely.

What should be done for all primary schools?

Yes... (He stops nervously) What?

All schoolboy should have a Uniform.

And we have to many boards. Matriculation board, district board, state board. Less bureaucracy?

Less what? … (He is absolutely nervous)...

Do you think, there should be any change in the style of teaching?

...

No beating?

Please Sir, I have to go.

Where did Lukas meet Mr. Imperumal?

I met him in the mess of PAD. He and our Project Administration chief were eating together. He should control the quality of the teaching the teachers and I are doing in PAD boarding school. At the end he left towards another school. He did not visit our school and so he can´t get an impression of the quality of teaching in PAD-school...

11. mit Gisa

Whats your Name?

My name is Gisa Möllering

How old are you?

I am 20 years old.

Where do you come from?

I was born and raise up near Hildesheim. Since last summer I study in Göttingen.

What is your family like?

I have a mother, a father and an elder brother.

What is your profession?:

Well, I study forest economy, so I should be learning … but eh... life is busy.

Now you have spend 3 weeks in India traveling around. What was:

The most exiting for you?

To drive Rikscha in Bangalore on the first day.

The most romantic for you?

Sunrise in Hampi, surrounded by beautiful nature, Temples and spiritual songs.

And when you welcomed me on Bangalore Airport.

The most astonishing for you?

The food is amazing tasty. I liked everything. And no car hit me, the traffic is crazy!

The most nerving for you?

Walking on the streets people starred at me so much. I did not like at all.

Would you like to come back?

Maybe for some places, especially Hampi. And for Chai (indian tea) and the incredible cultural diversity, which is visible in day to day life.

What is your favorite indian tree?

Ficus religiosa (better known as Buddhas tree).

Where did Lukas meet Gisa?

I met her in Bangalore to travel to Mysore, Bylakuppe, Hampi, Pune, Shirde, Nasik, Bombay and Goa. We had three weeks full of India, full of relaxation, full of love.

II- Incredible India – IT- Incredible Time

10. mit Rampelsingh

Whats your Name?

Rampelsingh Siduhan

How old are you?

57

Where do you come from?

Karnal in Hariyana

What is your family like?

I have 2 sons and 2 daughters, all are married.

What is your profession?:

My last occupation was business and agriculture. Now I am totally centered to Dhamma. I voluntarily teach Vipassana-Meditation.

My children finance me to do so. 

What has been the benefit for you to practice Vipassana?

I can´t really explain.

When I first go in Dhamma I felt unfortuned to meet it sooo late.

You are so fortunate,

You are so fortunate,

You are so fortunate.

I met it beeing 45. It helps in all stages of live. I attented all kinds of courses (10/20/30/45-Days). My family also meditates, we are a Dhamma-family.

It gives so much benefits if you go the path of Dhamma, if you practice Vipassana!

Where did Lukas meet Rampelsingh Siduhan?

Gawan and I did a Vippassana 10 Days course in Hariyana in January 2012. He has been our teacher. For more details go to http://dhamma.org/

9. mit Julia

Whats your Name?

Julia Paetz

How old are you?

20

Where do you come from?

Bremen

What is your family like?

Ich habe Vater und Mutter, die noch zusammen leben und einen kleinen Bruder und eine Katze.

What is your profession?:

Im Moment leiste ich einen Freiwilligendienst, um mit ganz neuen Erfahrungen und Erkenntnissen in mein Studium zu gehen ( Geo und Englsich auf Lehramt).

Es macht mir Spaß, weil ich mit vielen jungen Leuten arbeite und ihnen Englisch beibringe. Gleichzeitig lebe ich bei einer indischen Familie und lerne das Alltagsleben kennen.

Was hast du in deiner Zeit in Indien schon gelernt?

Puh, Viel! Z.B, Fingern zu essen. Ich hab gelernt mit niedrigeren hygienischen Standards zu leben als in Deutschland: Auf den Toiletten gibt es kein Klopapier, nur fließend Wasser und die Dusche ist immer kalt. Auch übers Unterrichten habe ich sehr viel gelernt.

Indien ist halt ganz anders als Deutschland – Die Kultur im Umgang miteinander ist anders. Mal wieder habe ich eine Lektion darin bekommen mich anzupassen.

Die Menschen mit denen Du zusammen bist, sind das wichtigste. Die machen fast alles aus. Gleichzeitig ist Zuhause, wo deine Familie ist, wo Menschen sind die Du liebst und die dich lieben.

Hier muss man offen sein und die Inder akzeptieren, wie sie sind, sich drauf einlassen und dann eine gute Zeit haben.

Where did Lukas meet Julia?

Julia und ich haben 8 Jahre zusammen am ÖG die Schulbank gedrückt.

Wie es der Zufall so wollte, hat sie ihr 2 Monate dauernder Freiwilligen nach Puddokotai, Tamil Nadu, 100km von meinem Zuhause weg. Ich hatte sie am 20. und 21. August bei ihrer neuen Familie besucht. Zusammen besuchten wir einen Jaintempel., wo dies Bild entstand. Ich poste den Beitrag jetzt erst, weil ich die Aufzeichnungen zwischendurch verschlampt hatte.

Übrigens studiert Julia jetzt fröhlich und schickt mir bei Zeiten Berichte vom Studentenleben.

8. mit Ajith Kumar

Whats your Name?

Ajith Kumar

How old are you?

14

Where do you come from?

Bangalore

What is your family like?

I live with my father and mother and one jounger and one elder sister..

What is your profession?:

I attend Ajit-medium-school 8^th Standard. My school´s Name is St. Marry´s Higher Secondary School-Bangalore.

Why did you help me and where you have that historical knowledge from?

Well, I have been here several times, my mother used to tell me stories about this place. I saw you entering, so I followed you. Because I thought you may need help and I wanted to improve my English.

Where did Lukas meet Ajith Kumar?

I was totally misplaced in Bangalore, when I asked anybody for the way.

After explanation and the obligatory “thank you!” I went my way until I crushed into this huge gate, you can see in the background. It is a ancient gate of Bangalore and at the same time the beginning of a secret entrance to a tunnel-system connecting Bangalore with Mysore. Cause the door was simply left open and his dark atmosphere, due to bad maintenance, attracted me, I went inside. All I saw was incomprehensible to me.

While asking my self what was that, a voice inside my back rose and began to tell me the marvelous story of Mysore Kings digging a secret support-system for Bangalore. Furiously I turned around and there stood the same I had asked for the bus. A little school boy, looking intimidated but with a glance of interest in his eyes at men – Ajith Kumar. His brave and polite way how to achieve his goal – to speak English- has remained as a example for me.

By the way, from an other resource I verified the story of Bangalore tunnel-system.

7. mit Mr. Thambi

 

Whats your Name?

Premananb Thambi

How old are you?

59

Where do you come from?

I come from Kanyakumari. I live in Bangarapet, Karnataka.

What is your family like?

My father and mother got 7 children. My father had served in the army, worked for health and spiritual ministy. And finally became homeopathic doctor who did evangelist activities.

I am the third son of my parents. In 1980 I married for love a lady from Kerala. We arranged it our self. We have three maternal children, one boy and two girls.

My boy works in Delhi for “international animal welfare association”. He has a son. First daughter is also married, has a baby and works for “world vision india”, as a finance officer. Second one works as nurse in hospital. She is married but has no children yet.

Beside that we adopted 5 children in the 1990s. We took them, because they were orphans. We help them in there lives, provided food, education and all that. First girl is married, second girl finished studies in bible collage. Third girl was taken away on own interest by an uncle, after highschool. The fourth and fith study in 10^th supported by PAD in other place.

In the year of 2008 we have taken more children to our home. With the help of local church 24 children live in our home. Most children come from different places around Bangarapet, they are the category of orphans or semi orphans. (Er sagte tasächlich Kategorie)

What is your profession?:

Firstly I am fully involved in this childrens service. I was a teacher, but resigned to give children more input.

In Vembar I mostly facilitate in the financial system and teach life-skill- programs. ( Softskill trainings, die PAD ständig seinen Mitarbeitern gibt.)

Apart I work in food security program with local farmers: I arrange a platform for them. Sometimes I organ people who want to help and teach farmers, e.g. about organic farming. (providing facilties, organization, contact, etc)

(Unerwähnterweise hat er auch noch 2hektar Land die er mit Spenden in eine Modellfarm versucht zu verwandeln)

So what you do everyday with the children?

I do not do anything systematically, because I am not 100% with the children. That is why I would like to hire one or two children who will be fully with the children. And also I want children to do things by them self.

Where did Lukas meet Mr. Thambi?

Mr. Thambi is a college of mine. 3 to 4 times a month he stays at our office for two days. He is the brother of the head of organization and invited me to his own project thins a long time. So after I saw it I decided to make this interview. On the one hand his commitment and on the other the diversity of his work surprised me.