In 2004 I traveled to Arivand Eye Care in Madurai Tamil Nadu India to volunteer in their training center for three weeks. It was a transformative trip and the attached pictures capture my memories of the trip. There are 221 photos in this gallery.
Sugar cane press. Resident from Harvard who stayed with me at Harmony. This stand was right next to Harmony.
Boys from slums across the street from Harmony. I made the mistake of giving them a few rupees and it took days for them to back off me. I ended up giving them M&M's and they loved them.
Abandoned shipping docks where very, very poor slept on street. I walked through early one morning and created a stir.
When I took this picture, the lady jumped up, picked up her baby and ran over to me asked for rupees. I said no but she held out her baby and said food over and over again. I gave her 8 rupees, what I had in my pocket and left.
I captured this couple as they zipped by on their motorcycle. A very common sight.
Not quite the hay trucks we are used to with tightly packed bales of hay. However, this is how hay is transported in the region.
Flower decorations for local celebration.
Father and son stopped for me to take a picture. And we worry about car seats and seat belts. Quite a difference.
Lady with basket on head stopped for me to take a picture.
Bullock waiting to work. The beautiful painted horns are common.
Coconuts transported by person with cart.
Lady with a bundle on her head
Slides 74 through 150 are slides of my trip to a village for a field hospital. Each of 5 Aravind hospitals ventures to a village each day to screen and help villagers.
Frank, an MBA student from Spain, and I arranged to accompany a team of doctors and nurses on Saturday to an eye camp in Nainarkovil 2 1/2 hours south of Madurai, a village at which Aravind had never set up an eye camp before
Nursing team and doctors on van to eye camp
Picture of countryside from van
Roadside water station a common sight. Only water available to villagers
Overlooking region on drive.
Large town on way to eye camp. We stopped and ate here
View of main road through large town on way to eye camp
Restaurant where we stopped for breakfast. The doctors sitting with Frank were very protective of us.
Local man of interest in the city where we stopped.
Small street on way out of the town we stopped in.
Driving through dry lakebed. Water cart on left. Again, over 5 years of drought.
Temporary dwelling in dry lakebed.
School just got out and children coming home
School just got out and children coming home. Girls wear similar uniforms that differ in color to signify school. Girls have hair up in braids and tied up usually.
Lady carrying water jug from roadside water station. They trade out jugs when the go. Empty for full.
View from van close to village
