ChembakolliChembakolliA Village in IndiaA Village in India

ChembakolliChembakolliChembakolli is a Chembakolli is a village in India. village in India.

India is quite a large India is quite a large country on the other country on the other side of the world.side of the world.

A lot more people A lot more people live in India than in live in India than in the UK.the UK.

ChembakolliChembakolliIn Britain there are In Britain there are 59 million people59 million peopleIn India there are In India there are 929 million 929 million people!people!

In Britain, 11% of the population lives in the countryside.In Britain, 11% of the population lives in the countryside.

In India, 73% of the population lives in the countryside.In India, 73% of the population lives in the countryside.

ChembakolliChembakolliChembakolli is a small village in the south of the country.

It is situated close to the Nilgri Hills area of the country.

ChembakolliChembakolliThe village is about 30km by dirt road to the nearest small town - Gudalur, and 200km from the nearest city – Mysore.

The Nilgri Hills are in between The Nilgri Hills are in between Chembakolli and GudalurChembakolli and Gudalur

ChembakolliChembakolliThe land around the The land around the village is mainly village is mainly forest. forest.

This is not the best This is not the best land for farming, land for farming, even when they clear even when they clear some trees so that some trees so that they can grow crops.they can grow crops.

ChembakolliChembakolliThe people there do The people there do grow a lot of things, grow a lot of things, however. They however. They mostly grow things mostly grow things such as such as rice, onions, rice, onions, tomatoes, peppers tomatoes, peppers and orangesand oranges. These . These are mainly used for are mainly used for feeding themselves, feeding themselves, rather than selling rather than selling them.them.

ChembakolliChembakolliOne thing that is One thing that is grown and sold, grown and sold, however, is tea. however, is tea. Companies such as Companies such as “Clipper Tea” have “Clipper Tea” have set up trading with set up trading with the villagers. the villagers. Here, some women Here, some women work picking tea work picking tea leaves so that they leaves so that they can earn extra can earn extra money.money.

ChembakolliChembakolliLife is different in Life is different in Chembakolli. They do Chembakolli. They do not have the “luxuries” not have the “luxuries” that we have in this that we have in this country. country. For example, if you want For example, if you want a drink of water, you a drink of water, you turn on the tap. In turn on the tap. In Chembakolli, you would Chembakolli, you would need to walk a long way need to walk a long way AND THEN carry it AND THEN carry it back home.back home.

Normally, the women carry 10 to 15 litres of water on their heads!Normally, the women carry 10 to 15 litres of water on their heads!

ChembakolliChembakolli As well as carrying As well as carrying

water, the women water, the women also have to gather also have to gather wood for fires so that wood for fires so that they can cook. they can cook.

Normally, the women carry up to 20kg of wood!Normally, the women carry up to 20kg of wood!

ChembakolliChembakolli AND THEN the food AND THEN the food

needs preparing!needs preparing!

This woman is This woman is beating rice so that it beating rice so that it can be eaten by her can be eaten by her family. family.

This can take up to 3 hours a week to do!This can take up to 3 hours a week to do!

ChembakolliChembakolli

All these things All these things YOU can do in YOU can do in seconds in your seconds in your house!house!

ChembakolliChembakolli

Here is a artist’s picture of Chembakolli – look at it carefully…Here is a artist’s picture of Chembakolli – look at it carefully…

ChembakolliChembakolli Here’s some

questions

What was this building?

Where is the

school?

School

Where would you go to sell extra food?

MarketTemple

• So there are actually some So there are actually some SIMILARITIESSIMILARITIES between where you live and Chembakolli.between where you live and Chembakolli.

• But there are also plenty of But there are also plenty of DIFFERENCESDIFFERENCES as well.as well.

ChembakolliChembakolli

Some of the pictures Some of the pictures you have seen were you have seen were of a lady named of a lady named CHANDACHANDA. She lives . She lives in Chembakolli. She in Chembakolli. She works very hard.works very hard.

The following is a list The following is a list of things she does in of things she does in a typical day…a typical day…

ChembakolliChembakolli

Chanda’s dayChanda’s dayChanda wakes up at dawn, Chanda wakes up at dawn, lights the cooking fire, lights the cooking fire, washes and prepares washes and prepares breakfast - a porridge breakfast - a porridge made from yesterday's left made from yesterday's left over rice.over rice. Chanda's husband leaves Chanda's husband leaves for the tea fields. Chanda for the tea fields. Chanda eatseats her breakfast. She her breakfast. She then takes all the dirty pots then takes all the dirty pots to the well to wash. She to the well to wash. She also collects enough water also collects enough water for the day.for the day.

Chanda’s dayChanda’s dayChanda carries the 10 Chanda carries the 10 litres of water back litres of water back home. It takes about home. It takes about 30 minutes to walk 30 minutes to walk from the well to her from the well to her home.home.

She tidies up the She tidies up the house and sweeps the house and sweeps the floor.floor.

Lunch is prepared - Lunch is prepared - rice and vegetablesrice and vegetables

Chanda’s dayChanda’s dayChanda takes her 2 sons to the Chanda takes her 2 sons to the visiting Doctor so that they can visiting Doctor so that they can be vaccinated against whooping be vaccinated against whooping cough and measles.cough and measles.

She leaves her sons with her She leaves her sons with her older daughter, who is 10, while older daughter, who is 10, while she goes to work in the tea she goes to work in the tea fields. This means that her fields. This means that her daughter cannot go to school.daughter cannot go to school.

Chanda arrives at the tea fields. Chanda arrives at the tea fields. she picks the ripe tea leaves and she picks the ripe tea leaves and plants new seedlings. She does plants new seedlings. She does this work for about 4 and a half this work for about 4 and a half hours.hours.

Chanda’s dayChanda’s dayShe returns home She returns home to feed the family. to feed the family. When they have all When they have all eaten she goes to eaten she goes to the forest to collect the forest to collect wood for wood for the the cooking fire.cooking fire.

Chanda attends a Chanda attends a village meetingvillage meeting

Chanda’s dayChanda’s dayShe returns home and begins to She returns home and begins to prepare and cook the family prepare and cook the family evening meal. When her evening meal. When her husband returns from the field husband returns from the field where he has worked all day, where he has worked all day, Chanda will feed him, and then Chanda will feed him, and then eat herself. Sometimes there is eat herself. Sometimes there is only a very little food left for only a very little food left for her. her. Finally, Chanda sets up the Finally, Chanda sets up the family bed. It is one long family bed. It is one long mattress which is stored during mattress which is stored during the day. It is brought out at night the day. It is brought out at night and covers most of the floor of and covers most of the floor of the house. Chanda and her the house. Chanda and her husband may sit up and talk for husband may sit up and talk for a while using a lantern for light. a while using a lantern for light. they then go to sleep.they then go to sleep.