Reflections from Kolkata

Rozzie and I have been in Kolkata 3 days now, and as there is a massive thunder and rainstorm going on outside it seems like a good time to jot down a few reflections on our experiences thus far.

The rain in itself was quite an event – the locals have been waiting for this rain for several weeks, and the temperature and humidity without it has been really uncomfortable. The highs have been averaging 39 – 41 celsius, and the humidity is really high – definitely not comfortable weather.

Several times we’ve heard of people being ill due to the weather, and it seems like the heat is proving to be a good excuse for not getting a lot of work done in the middle of the day. Certainly we’ve been very glad for the air conditioned room that we can return to, and I can’t remember the last time I sweated this much just walking at a gentle pace from one place to the other!

The warning to the rain coming was that at 4pm today it was bright daylight, and by 4.30pm it was so dark that cars were putting headlights on. Mini whirlwinds were coursing down the streets, whipping up any dust and sand and litter in their midst. Everyone was battening down the hatches – you could smell the impending rain. And then it came – torrential and sudden, with many rumbles of thunder. Brilliant to watch from inside the safety of a strongly built guesthouse, but I can’t help but think about those who live on the streets, or in the really flimsy structures that are so evident in this city of so many contrasts.

Kolkata as a city in some ways is much like many other cities in the developing world – although I guess many Indians would say that India isn’t a developing country and therefore shouldn’t be compared in that way. But it has the usual mix of people living on the streets alongside those in very poor cramped buildings alongside those in more spacious surroundings alongside those who live behind gated walls.

We’ve not been to the really opulent areas, but they aren’t far away, and occasionally on a taxi ride across town to one of the projects we are helping at, we do see some very tall walls, big gates, and stern looking guards providing evidence that there are significant amounts of money in those areas.

The backdrop to the city isn’t particular colourful – mostly browns and greys from the dirt and grime that is very evident. But the colour is still very much there in the clothes that the ladies wear – colourful saris, or salawar suits that hide the grim reality of life for so many of them. Even the lady who came to the Missionaries of Charity yesterday, with no money to buy food or medicine for her child; still she was wearing a lovely red top, with a scarf and trousers to match. Clothes that had clearly been worn time and time and time again, as she can’t afford to buy new, but it was a splash of colour in a tough life.

The traffic is the usual level of chaos that I’ve come to expect in so many cities, where the number of lanes of cars are dependent on the skill of the drivers in knowing the width of their vehicle to the nano-inch rather than the lines painted on the tarmac. Horns honking everywhere, nobody giving an inch, but unlike some cities, they do respect traffic lights and as a result you do seem to get from a to b eventually!

Amidst all of this however, everyone is very friendly. I feel totally safe here, and have no qualms about asking for directions, or worrying that I am being fleeced when paying for something. And although there are a lot of people living on the streets, the level of begging is very low, with none of the intimidating hassling that comes in some cities.

So that is a bit of an overview of this fascinating place. It’s the sort of place you need to be in for several weeks to really be able to get below the surface, but thankfully we’ve met some amazing people who have helped us get deeper somewhat faster than many tourists would do.

As in many cities, Kolkata has a massive amount of  non-profits; some founded by Indians, some founded out of country, some that are one-offs, some that are part of bigger organisations. And the number of issues that they deal with is similarly huge, human trafficking being just one of them.

Kolkata is a receiver and sender of trafficked girls and women – rural girls lured to the big lights and forced into prostitution or domestic servitude here in Kolkata, city girls trafficked off to other parts of India, or out of the country all together. Its an issue that makes my heart weep and we’ve been fortunate to be able to play a tiny tiny part in making a difference whilst we’ve been here.

I’ll write about New Light India separately – an organization that Rozzie came across before we left UK and who we are doing some volunteer work for. But I’ll end with a word about a coffee shop that we visited yesterday and who have a wonderful background story.

I promised the owners that I wouldn’t name the coffee shop for reasons that will become clear, but suffice to say it was an absolute haven yesterday to step into from the heat of the day. The air conditioning was working, they had the usual range of coffee drinks and an impressive array of teas. They knew how to do tea the ‘English’ way, and they were happy for Rozzie and I to sit and play scrabble for an hour or so whilst we cooled down.

But what was really impressive is the fact that they proactively partner with some organisations who rescue women from trafficking, and give these ladies training and employment in their bakery and kitchen producing the delicious cakes, cookies and sandwiches on offer.

The owners of the coffee shop could easily have chosen to take the standard route of employing people from catering college; but instead they have chosen to take this much riskier option, and employ ladies who have gone through all sorts of traumatic experiences, have no self-worth or self-belief, have no skills, and so need much more support at personal and professional levels.

And they’ve chosen the route because they can – and knowing that they can, to ignore that route was no longer an option. I’m not naming them, as some of their customers would turn away if they knew, and that could lead to the café going out of business. This café needs to survive, because of what it is doing behind the scenes. Even one life changed for the better is worth it, and this café is changing the lives of several.

For us as customers – well, the cookies and drinks were delicious anyway, but when you know the story behind the baking – it certainly makes them taste even sweeter still.

Here’s to Kolkata, and all who live and serve here – doing their bit in every way they can, to make it a better place for those who are poor or marginalized or trapped, that they also may have a better life.