Nonprofit offers vaccines to Gaddi villages in India

Avnish Katoch heard "The Gaddi People of Dharamshala" -- part one of a four-part trek series I filed for NPR Day to Day -- and wrote in to share word of a US non-profit he's involved with, "My Himachal." Avnish says they're a "non-political, non-religious organization made up of people of Himachal origin and friends of Himachal Pradesh worldwide." They recently offered an immunization project for a remote Gaddi village in Himachal Pradesh, not far from the ones I visited. Link to Times of India article, and here's more on the MyHimachal.us website. Snip:

There is a large mandir/temple named after their Devta: Manu, the First Man in Hindu mythology. The clouds are low and beautiful, constantly sprinkling us with fine mist. It is full, hectic morning with many children showing up with their parents or grandparents. We immunize approximately 70 children, continue our diet/nutrition survey of the children, and measure their weight & height. Vitamin A & Zn supplements are given. Vaccinations include: MMR, BCG (for tuberculosis), Hepatitis B. AIDS Awareness literature is handed out.

SAHARA’s Kala Jatha theater is very popular and the skits elicit a lot of laughter. Some of the older village men join in with dancing. At the end of the street theater, more music is performed. Villagers do the local Himachal Pradesh dance, called a Nati with members of out Health Mela team joining in to form a large circle dance. The mood is very joyous and festive and the dance seems very symbolic of our connection here, high in the mountains.

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