Here in Purulia the number of coronavirus cases is still increasing, but the rate of increase has slowed. Concurrently the death rate has stayed low as compared to other districts. The rate here is close to zero.
The rice harvest is going well this year. We have had just the right amount of rain at the right times.
So, here in Purulia, relatively, we have not suffered greatly from the effects of coronavirus. However, local people have been suffering for other reasons. People are afraid to go to a hospital for examinations and treatment; and hospitals also give priority to pandemic cases. Most people who work away from home cannot travel so there is no way to earn money. And there is little work locally that they can take on.
Our team at PA Foundation is feeling the pressure too. The hostel boys are at home now, but we still pay just as much to help support their families. We pay the teachers' salaries and the students' grants even though the schools will not be opening at least until December. We also pay stipends every year in October to many families for Durga Puja, which is the biggest festival of the year all over India. Durga Puja celebrations will be limited. For example, only officials and artists may enter the pandals (temporary temples). See the photo below, the sign translates as “Keep out!” In addition, we helped a family in Gopalmor to build a proper toilet. We arranged a government grant to build a new, bigger home for an expanding family, with separate quarters for one of the sons and his new wife. We paid for adding another room where they will live. At this time of year, Chhau dancers and other dancers and musicians would normally be performing almost every day. They cannot travel now so this year we are offering their families financial support. We are glad to be able to help out, but we had to redirect money originally intended for developing our community centre.
We installed gas for cooking at Nabakusthasram. Now that we have paid for the installation, the Government will supply gas each month for free. Using gas is much healthier. It also saves on both time and money. We had been paying a man to gather enough firewood, and cooking with gas is also much quicker. So, we have offered extra work to the men and women already working there; they are helping to tend the large vegetable garden there.
We are also spending money on four big projects, which in the short term are creating some employment, and each of which should provide PA Foundation with income in the future.
We have upgraded the facilities at the school, and added to them, to cater to paying guests. We started inviting people that we know to come on short visits, and we have had several groups stay already. But, because of coronavirus, other people have had to cancel.
We are starting a large-scale vegetable growing business, erecting greenhouses in the field adjacent to the school. We will act as wholesalers. Some vegetables we will eat ourselves, some we'll cook for the hostel boys, and some we'll give away to needy people. But most of it we'll sell. Up to now, women in the area been travelling most nights by train to buy vegetables from wholesalers in nearby towns. The women return very early in the morning and sell the vegetables door to door. Now they can choose to buy from us instead. They will pay us less and will not have to make risky train journeys at night.
We are planting trees. The first batch is of 120 new saplings; most are mangoes but many others are of a local hardwood species. A few young guys in the village asked Tinku for work, more in hope than expectation I should imagine. They were delighted when he offered them the job of clearing and planting. We hope this will be a project that will continue in the long term.
For a long time we have been wanting to build a new level to the community hall. One of the main reasons is to accommodate more of the visitors who come to attend marriage and funeral ceremonies. But already the community centre has benefited our village in so many ways. Sometimes, it has served as a sanctuary sheltering a few from domestic violence, as a meeting place for the village, and as a forum for visits by the police and Government. More frequently it has provided accommodation for festivals, a venue for dance and music performances, and sometimes living quarters for the hostel boys. Adding the second story will mean we can accommodate many more visitors who have come for ceremonies or to perform. This is the most expensive of our current projects, and it looks like being postponed, but PAF in the future could earn regular income throughout the year.
Tinku and Robert
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