It was rural and semi-urban Tamil Nadu, and thankfully the roads were excellent. I rode along for miles, amidst wind and rain; singing to myself. There was no traffic, no smog. It was green for as far as my eyes could see, on either side of the well tarred roads. The clouds hovering over the hills were a treat to the eyes. In my quest for ‘community’ health, I reached far into the belly of the villages and the town.
The people were ever-welcoming; always offering ‘coffee/tea’ or something to eat. The community health workers or ‘health-aides’ were extremely resourceful and helped in my community-based thesis (a research project).
My thesis required me to make home visits of about 200 women who had elevated blood sugar levels during their pregnancy about 5-15 years ago, to check if they had now developed diabetes. Well, I’m done with my work and have submitted that 100 page document to the university. I haven’t revisited the memories of the whole overwhelming exercise for a while now. No wonder, I thought it to be a closed chapter. And yet today I felt like visiting those lovely ‘Kolam’(patterns with rice powder on the floor in front of homes) adorned roads that were manned with idols of different Gods from different religions, some even headless (that’s a story for another day).
It was an interesting and enlightening experience to peek into so many people’s lives. I had the addresses and not the phone numbers of these women and for each of them, the primary task was to trace the houses. The project carried me into diverse homes. Some humble, some grand; some in the narrow lanes of a crowded town locality; some in the middle of a huge field, and no habitation for miles around. A chance to sit with these women, exploring their dietary, and physical activity levels gave me insights into different lives; working women, those staying at home; their hopes, their fears, their priorities, their body image perceptions; all spilling out subtly. And such different settings these conversations occurred! Some on unmade mud floors, some on plush leather sofas, some in the courtyard under the trees, one in a brick kiln, some on traditional hand-loom floor mats, others on the ‘katta’(cemented platform) outside the house.. The list is long and endless!
When you have visited 200 odd homes of people you have never met before, trust me, it changes your perception of life, love and family; maybe not drastically, but in subtle ways (at least, that’s what I think happened to me!)
Talking about obesity, diabetes and their health problems; made me realize that women would rather not take time out to spend on their own health. With more people dying of heart attacks, diabetes, hypertension and obesity related issues; we need mass change in behaviors and priorities. And imagine what a mountainous task that would be!!!