Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats a la SWOT

Below: SPYM Truck Driver/CSW Center, Delhi

Below: HIV Rapid Testing

Below and Below: Pizza Hut

For those who asked...the title answers your question :) We learned it in my fave man Dr. Calderon's class. Wow so two days since the last blog eh? What if I were to say I cannot even remember what we did about 30 minutes back. Yesterday---we visited the truck drivers center run by SPYM where they provide education...rapid-testing...as well as condoms, etc to truck drivers, CSW's (commercial sex-workers) and others in the area. It was very interesting to interact w/the social-workers as well as the guy who conducts the rapid-testing (takes abt 25 minutes to come up w/the results). The situation is very grave particularly among the MSM (males who have sex w/males) and CSW's. Some of the times business is conducted for financial reasons...actually in all fairness almost all of the times services are provided for money. These CSW's serve around 8-10 clients in the day time (charge each client around $5-$10) and then hook up w/one big-buyer for the night time who pays them around a $100 and provides the booze...meat...whatever else the CSW may want to the spend the night. The situation for truck-drivers seems to have improved as now many have not only heard of the word HIV-AIDS but tend to know a little abt it...as opposed to sometime back where around 90% had only heard of the word but knew nothing more. These services have also worked to break the misconception that the disease is spread ONLY via sexual-relations. We also had time to interact w/the peer counsellor...an older amma (mother like figure from the community but who is not a CSW) who works w/the women and educates/provides condoms/etc directly at the addas (e.g. where the women conduct business). If we hadn't been so exhausted from the heat we could've probably asked even more questions but all in all it was a great experience. Also-because of the heat we were unable to go out in the field and interact directly w/the clients (e.g. truck-drivers).

Today was a lighter day and we left later. We visited a detox center again run by SPYM (don't ask what it stands for because right now I cannot remember...maybe one of the other three remember). They work w/substance abusers to help them overcome the addiction. Though we didn't spend too much time there the few hours proved very valuable. Towards the end we played a bollywood trivia game w/them and they 'returned the favor' by also entertaining us (Farah had bought cookies-biscuits as rewards for answering questions right in the Bollywood trivia and it worked wonderfully). One of the truck drivers acted out a part of Ram-leela (the part where Rambhagwan breaks the bow) and he was FANTASTIC. I later found out from Farah he was a performer. Several others sang songs or recited shayaris (poetry) and one of the young social worker guys (or was he a student) sang 'Hothon Se Choo Lo Tum' w/all his heart put into it :):):) Another one of the guys working there told a story abt a rickshaw driver-police man and interwined the old song 'Awaz Na Do' into the story...it was creative. The men at this center are provided w/the sessions throughout the day that are not only fun but also are helping w/their detox. When we first walked in one lady was playing a game w/cards to teach them the alphabet and at the same time asking them to identify words from each letter of the alphabet that correlate to their problem...e.g. if the letter being taught was 'ga' then maybe some guy might say 'ghum' (sadness) as a word started w/'ga'.

After that we left for lunch which was none other then Pizza Hut...of course it happened in a totally different context...not at Noida...we went w/Sudarshanji to another one but definitely enjoyed it. Thereafter he dropped us off at Ansal Plaza...a sorta upscale plaza w/everything from Lacoste to Levi's to Gap to what not. But NO Baristas or Coffee Day :(:(:( Lol ok that sounds spoiled I know...but we did find Dots Ice Cream which was good but not nearly enough...35 Rs. for a small cup...it took us a while to find a rickshaw but we lugged home eventually...our first time coming home w/no help and saving money w/out overpaying :):):)

Mewat did not happen today because of political tensions...very intense in the surrounding areas...and Jaipur may also not happen which may mean another week in Bapu Nature...fun-stuff eh??? I think I will be on this weekend as we've time now...