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.
Same kids: Children during our walk. The girls were very shy. The boys more forward. They all warmed up soon. So sweet! I loved the kids.
A blacksmith. He was repairing the axel on a two-wheel cart. He was there all day working on the same axel. This technology is ancient. We could have stepped back hundreds of years in the past and felt right at home.
Another view of the blacksmith and his work
A quick shot of a little boy with quite an attitude. He was so cute.
Red peppers drying in the sun. Peppers are a staple in South India, and you will see them drying everywhere.
Two girls who were following us around the village. Very cute!
Another girl in the village who let me take her picture.
An example of beautiful artwork on buildings even in a remote village
Street market in village just before temple
We visited the village temple next. Shoes had to come off as they must in most temples. They were very proud of temple as it was built by a very important person at the turn of the century.
Roosters for auction. Temple is place for farmers market, commerce, community, and spirituality
Looking into main hall into Temple. A man in the temple who spoke some English offered to give us a tour. We believed he was deaf as he yelled the whole time. Very interesting.
Boy with rooster at temple
A small shrine in the temple. There are many to different deities within the shrine
Temple is drilling for water with a very old drill to try to bring water to this desperate village
Halls within the temple. Other temples have similar structures as these
Halls within the temple. Other temples have similar structures as these. Shrines on each side of this hall.
A rooster being auctioned at temple. We thought that because of our presence, the rooster went for two times the going rate.
School girl in village coming home from school
Three schoolgirls coming home from school
Nurse grinding lenses for glasses. They dispensed glasses on the spot for villages. Free to those who could not pay.
A wide view of the eye camp room
Two girls and a boy who asked me for my autograph. I gave each a postcard with my family information on the back and a picture of my family. Some M&M's as well. They loved it!
Eye camp being torn down by nurses.
A view of area on the way out
Palms in the area around eye camp
Bus and ladies with loads on head in town leaving our work at village
A picture of all of us on the way back to Aravind at a stop at lunch
Exhausting work leaves the team to sleep on the way back to Madurai
