Chaparda

A tribute to Sangeeta, our magical cook in Chaparda – by Marta Koszo, Chaparda volunteer 2020

My first encounter with vegetarian Indian cuisine was back in the ‘90s when as a teenager I came across some devotees of the Krishna Consciousness Movement. It was love at first sight. I was blown away by the richness of flavours, combinations of dishes, variety of spices, many of which I have never heard before. That love got even stronger when I travelled through India for a month back in 2007. Ever since, blending spices has been the essential part of my cooking. Even if the dish is not necessarily Indian, it would still have a hint of Indian flavours.

When I got selected to be a member of the 2020 team of acupuncturists to volunteer in Chaparda, I was over the moon! It really meant a lot to me to be able to help and provide care for people from disadvantageous communities. A small part of me was also super excited to go back to India and enjoy the flavours of my favourite cuisine. I’ve been told by some of the team members who have been there in previous years that the food prepared in the ashram is divine. I just couldn’t wait to taste it!

Gujarat is a dry state and predominantly vegetarian but there are also communities which incorporate non-vegetarian food in their platter. The ashram in Chaparda, the village where we stayed during our project, prepares strictly vegetarian food. The property spreads across a large estate with several facilities such as two guest house buildings, dormitories for college boys, elderly homes, a home for children with partial or total visual impairment a small temple etc. There is a large stable with cows producing enough milk for the entire ashram, acres of land where crops, fruit and vegetable are grown- all organic!

Our breakfast was seemingly simple but lush with fresh fruit from their farm such as papaya, bananas, guava, medlar, and freshly baked roltli (type of flatbread). We would also often get caramelized peanuts for dessert or sweet balls made of dates which we would wrap up and take with us to the hospital to enjoy during our short tea breaks. Walking back from the hospital, either for lunch break or at the end of our working day, we would all wonder with excitement what Sangeeta had prepared for us. And we would be in for a treat every single time! Our lunch and supper were always cooked and comprised of rice, dal, fresh home made yogurt from the cows farmed on the estate, 3-4 different vegetable dishes (shaak or curry), a fresh salad, papadoms and rotli and ladu-sweets. The dishes would be served in a buffet style and we would carefully put two-three spoonful of each so as to be able to try them all. The abundance of taste and the mixture of spices would just explode in our mouth making every mouthful such a joy! Even if some of the dishes were spicy, we always had the homemade yogurt to extinguish the hotness of spices.

During our first week in Chaparda on one of our lunch breaks, a cook came out of the kitchen and started serving something orangey that looked like a pumpkin potage from a distance. Then someone said “Oh, it’s mango purée, it’s delicious!” Well, I never heard of mango purée before but having tasted all the food so far, I knew it had to be nothing but delicious and I was so right! This delight in a bowl is one of the best things I have ever tasted and it has made it to the top of list of my favourites! Made out of their organic mangoes, so sweet, creamy and cooling, I was in culinary heaven. Gujaratis eat it with a bit of powdered ginger sprinkled over it and it gives the purée a little kick in taste and helps to digest it. Sadly, we couldn’t have it as a regular dish but on those few occasions we did, it was everyone’s highlight of the day, food wise.

The second most memorable meal treat was a special dinner when Sangeeta and her little army of cooks made a South-Indian pancake- dosa feast for us. That experience was literally out of this world! Served fresh and hot off the pan, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, filled with a vegetable mix and couple of cool chutneys on the side, she took us all again on a heavenly culinary journey. That was one of those moments that made you think “why do we have a limited stomach capacity” because we just simply couldn’t get enough of them!

Sangeeta is a wonderful woman who would always greeted us with a smile, always positive and always very determined to fill us up with food! A few minutes after we would help our selves from the buffet, she would waltz out of the kitchen in her beautiful sari and take the big dishes from the buffet and start making rounds from one table to the other and try to sneak in on our plates another spoonful of curry, salad, a piece of rotli or some sweets. As you can imagine, I was among those who usually couldn’t say no to her cheeky smile and swift hands. Often she would just slide a piece or a spoon of something without us noticing it at all.

I wholeheartedly appreciate her cookery skills because she would make at least one new dish for us every day. Her creativity in combining ingredients in not just one delicious dish but 6-7 different ones every day twice a day is worth every admiration and respect and I’m sure our whole team would agree Sangeeta is a 5 star cook! She definitely made our stay in Chaparda even more memorable!

Blog Post by Catherine Watkins, Chaparda 2020 Volunteer

I have travelled to India a few times before my time with World Medicine in Chaparda and thought I remembered it well, however when we left the airport at sunrise I realised I had completely forgotten about the bombardment of sights and sounds on your senses!! India is like no other, an organised chaos seemingly disorganised to the newcomer!  Bet as you let go of where you have just come from and ride with it, the charm of India takes you under her wing and guides you along…with many laughs along the way.

This was my first time volunteering with World Medicine; we were based in an ashram in Chaparda, a small village a million worlds away from the noise of the cities from where we had just come.  Here, you are immersed with sounds of the birds, insects, children playing, and women in the ashram clapping and singing.  It is so peaceful.  The grounds are full of organic fruit and veg and a family of dogs roam happily free with a stunning sunrise and sunset.

I recall thinking how modern the hospital was that we were to be working from, after a day setting up the clinic, selecting our own treatment area within the multi-bed set up, we were ready for clinic to begin.

We quickly form a daily routine, with early breakfast, morning clinic, delicious lunch, afternoon clinic, delicious evening meal, chatter and rest.

It was refreshing after the cold winter and busy festive period to be in such beautiful, peaceful surroundings practicing acupuncture 5 days per week with such a high turn over of patients and a great team.  We could gauge how busy our day ahead might be by firstly the number of shoes lined up at the hospital entrance and secondly the number of people sat on the mats awaiting our arrival up on the first floor of the building.  I must admit I succumbed to the wearing of socks and flip flips…those mornings could get so cold!

I was based in the women’s clinic; the majority of the women we saw worked hard in the farms and sought help for various musculo-skeletal problems associated with that type of work (predominantly back, knees, shoulder injuries).  There were also many women with varying degrees of numb extremities, pins and needles and digestive complaints such as indigestion and constipation.  I was surprised at how many of the patients were yang deficient (aka very cold!) but I soon realised that they walked around in cold wet socks all day, heat lamps and moxa were loved by these women.

Each patient was given access to 6 free treatments and it was fantastic over those sessions to witness the cumulative effect of the acupuncture treatment.  With the help of our fabulous translators, many of the women used percentages to express how much better they felt, however the most encouraging information was when we would discuss what they could do now compared with what they couldn’t do previously.

I would hear such encouraging accounts from them….

“I can now sit and eat on the floor with my family, rather than on a chair on the outside”

 “I can sleep on the mattress on the floor…I used to have to sleep upright on the chair”

 “I went for a walk yesterday so I could tell you how much it hurt, but it didn’t hurt at all!! I don’t remember when I was last able to walk pain free for 2km”  I recall this lady holding my hands tightly as she started to cry with appreciation.

“My hot flushes have completely gone!”

 “I have had a headache constantly for 2 years, no tests could diagnose why and no medication could help, my head has been pain free for 5 days, I can sleep again”  Over the 6 treatments this young woman greatly improved and gradually the number of pain free days increased.   When the pain returned it was at such a low level that no longer affected her quality of life, her face looked much more relaxed and she smiled again.  I would have loved to have been able to treat her for longer to see what further improvements could be achieved.  I sincerely hope they are able return again on the next visit for further treatment.

As I’m sure you can imagine, this experience was truly humbling and to have the opportunity to be immersed in nothing but Chinese Medicine during our time in Chaparda really highlighted how powerful the practice of acupuncture can be.  The three weeks we were there went so quickly and as well as feeling humbled, it was a whole heap of fun too.

Blog Post by Sally Connelly, Chaparda 2020 Volunteer

At beginning of 2020 I was fortunate enough to embark on my second trip with World Medicine, to Chaparda in Gujurat, India. This year, fully versed in what to expect in terms of accommodation, food and clinic life I was far less trepidatious and was able to enjoy the excitement. I also knew to pack a 12 cup cafetiere and copious packets of coffee. Oh, and lots of chocolate.

The adventure began immediately on arrival at Ahmedabad airport, with a mad dash to catch our train to Rajkot. Those who have travelled by rail in India know it isn’t for the faint hearted, the crowds, the chaos, the sights, sounds and smells were all overwhelming. Coupled with 2 suitcases a piece and a hefty does of jetleg we stood out a mile. After waking the entire carriage on our sleeper train we finally managed to find somewhere to sit and were on our way once more.

The peace and tranquillity of the Ashram awaited with open arms, and arriving there felt just as welcoming as the first time I stayed. There is something really special about this place, the people, their hospitality, the food! The view from my room is now a screen saver on my phone, drinking my morning coffee everyday with my fellow acupuncturists with the sun peaking over the horizon is something I will never forget. After a days rest we were ready to open our clinic up to help the local population with a wide variety of ailments. Let the hard work commence!

The challenges faced by the patients we were helping were very different to those of the people we work with at home, the access to healthcare, the physical work expectations and poverty all contribute in ways we don’t experience in the west. As an acupuncturist it’s a such a great opportunity to witness just how much the medicine that we practice can achieve, with one patient that we treated particularly highlighting this.  A gentleman in his early 50’s attended the clinic, his chief complaint being severe dizziness on lying down, so severely that he was unable to sleep at night. He had been blind for around 15 years after an unsuccessful cataract operation. He returned to the clinic after his first treatment to report that his dizziness had gone, he was understandably ecstatic as it had impacted his quality of life so much. Galvanised by the success of his first experience of acupuncture, he asked the translator if we could help to bring his eyesight back. A heartbreaking request. We explained that this was highly unlikely, but that we would continue to treat him with the focus being on eye health. We administered points Bl 1, St1, GB1, GB37 & Liv3 to treat the eyes, and He7 and yintang to calm the mind. He was instructed to return the day after next.

Return he did, and with much excited chatter the translator finally reported (having checked 4 times to be sure he could believe what he was hearing) that the patient had experienced some improvement in his sight and was now able to make out his hand in front of his face (lots of visual demonstrations and hand waving at this point!). After 6 sessions he was able to differentiate light from dark and see blurred shapes moving towards him. This enabled him to grow in confidence and gain a small amount of independence, his spirit was well and truly lifted too. We were moved to tears at this point and it was a true reminder of how incredible acupuncture is. This is just one of the remarkable changes we were able to facilitate in Chaparda for the people who live and work there and each and every patient was a privilege to help.

My second year working with World Medicine was just as humbling, inspiring and life changing as the first, a reminder of how lucky I am to do what I do, and how important it is to put energy into helping others. Thank you World Medicine for having me along, and thank you to my fellow travellers, acupuncturists and translators.

3 for 2!  The 2020 trip to Chaparda, Gujarat,  13^th January to 31^st January, and onwards ……

Blog Post by Barbara Robinson

Our hosts in Chaparda have always encouraged the WM team to go more frequently, double up the camps, treat more people. To have a longer camp of 3 weeks was the logical step to find out a) if we could manage the demand, b) if we could form a team happy to leave UK for 3 weeks and c) if team members were able to work at the Chaparda pace without burnout, illness or getting on each other’s nerves!

The enthusiasm and energy of everyone working as a cohesive team, right from the off, was heart-warming.  Queues of patients waited for us when we arrived, and the first were through the clinic doors by 8.30am Monday 13^th Jan.  In the 3 weeks we were there, 6 practitioners delivered 1907 treatments to 573 patients – an amazing number, made possible by the help of our wonderful translators and local staff who, after training, also moxa’d, massaged and removed needles.

As previous years, we found that 80%+ of patients suffered from pain and musculo-skeletal conditions.  Most of our patients live in nearby villages and either have physical work on the land or labour-intensive jobs, so that is not so surprising, but we were struck this year by the number of patients presenting with pain after surgery.
The remaining 20% suffer with migraines, hypertension, diabetes, kidney stones, gynae problems, auto immune disorders, and various digestive problems.  It is a low risk area for malaria, but patients can present with sequelae of other mosquito borne viral diseases, such as chikungunya and dengue fever, and may be affected for many years.

The 2020 team
Back row: Sally, Zehra, Catherine. 
Front row: Kuman, Najma, Marta, Jude, Satish, Barbara, Batul, Sheela, Emma. 
(Not pictured: Pushpa)

This was my 6th Chaparda visit and previous camps had all been 2 week duration, but the 3 week trial was very much a success: we saw more patients pro-rata but with less stress and a sense that events and patient numbers could be anticipated and managed more easily knowing that we had the extra week.

The camps take place over three weeks starting on Monday morning week 1, and ending Friday afternoon week 3. Additionally, 2 days travelling each end need to be factored in.  The clinics are closed Saturday afternoon and all Sunday, and a further afternoon off is taken by each volunteer during the second week.  All acupuncturists have slightly different work rates, some patients may present with more challenging problems and those unused to multibed may take a little while to ‘get into the zone’! However, we find that a general work rate of 21 – 25 patients a day, per practitioner, can be achieved while still maintaining enthusiasm and energy.

New Graduates

Up to 2018, volunteers were required to have solid experience backing up their skills and training – however, for the 2019 trip the trustees decided to create an opportunity for newly qualified acupuncturists to join the team.  We felt that the core of ‘old hands’ could provide solid mentoring and support to new graduates with a view to widening their experience of volunteering and working in a multibed setting. Sally Connelly and Gary Carvil joining the team was such an outstanding success in 2019 that we continued the idea and Catherine Watkins and Marta Koszo joined the team for 2020.  Indeed, Catherine was so new she missed her graduation day – but we had an impromptu celebration anyway!

If you are an acupuncturist or Gujarati speaker reading this and considering volunteering, please do not be put off by the 3 weeks – it can be hard work, you will need to be resilient – and reflective at times – but it’s also good fun resulting in hundreds of appreciative patients, a feeling of satisfaction and enduring friendships.

While we remain committed to the Chaparda Camp project, the current virus pandemic has caused us to rethink the timing and logistics of the next camp.  There is much media talk of ‘second spikes’ and ‘winter spikes’ and World Medicine is mindful that there should be no increased risk either to our team or our hosts. Before any final decision is made the trustees have a number of considerations in light of this unpredictable virus, not least the ability of WM to form a team and travel, and the impact on our friends at Chaparda and their ability to receive us.

We will be delaying a decision until late summer; however, the most likely scenario will be to postpone the January 2021 trip until at least November 2021.  More of this over the next few months.

Barbara x

Trustee and TL 2020

It is not all work!  Travelling to next village for shopping expedition!

Sally Connelly; new graduate volunteer

When I initially applied to be considered to join World Medicine on their 2019 trip, I had not yet graduated, nor ever been to India, so both of these possibilities seemed somewhat abstract and very far off events! By the time I set off for Gujurat, I had been in my own practice for just 6 months and was treating an average of 10-15 patients each week, sometimes less, sometimes more.

World medicine occupied two wards within Jayambe Hospital in Chaparda, creating a men’s clinic and a women’s clinic. I was working within the women’s clinic. On my first day, as I turned the corner towards our allocated wards, I was greeted with a long queue of patients who were waiting for treatment with us. Some had been sleeping on the cold floor all night in order to be seen. Many had traveled from far off villages, setting off from home in the early hours.

I was eased in gently to the work and only expected to start treating when I felt ready, but I was really keen to get started and on my first day I treated 11 patients. There was a real sense of being new again, and I was taken back to my first day in student clinic when I suddenly felt like everything I ever thought I knew had abandoned me. Like a rabbit in the headlights, I felt as though I knew nothing.  But, and this is one of the many valuable lessons I learned during my time in Chaparda, I did! The knowledge was there, I just had to trust myself and dive in.

I kept my treatment plans simple and treated what I saw, I wasn’t too adventurous with my point choices to begin with.  With the help of the incredible translators I was able to establish their primary concern and take it from there. The primary issues people sought help for were very often musculoskeletal and each patient was asked to commit to at least 3 sessions.

By the end of the first week I was giving around 25 treatments a day, and had built a rapport with the returning patients. As a new practitioner it was really exciting and rewarding to see the improvements and changes in returning patients, and to witness how transformative intensive treatment can be. Many of the locals who sought treatment earned their livelihoods through physically demanding work, so enabling them to continue this with less pain and hindrance was a privilege. The days were long and tiring, but always ended with a delicious chai tea, incredible food and good humour.

My time volunteering with World Medicine so early on in my professional career has been an absolute gift. The intensity of work allowed me to cement my newly acquired abilities, to trust my instinct and to hone my diagnostic skills. I have made lifelong friends and mentors, whose depth of knowledge and experience has been shared with generosity and humility. I have seen first hand what an incredibly effective and adaptable form of medicine acupuncture can be, and have returned to my own practice with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose.