At Mir Para, I felt as if I'd not been away. The new house was still being built, though the main room had been completed, and the tent dismantled. I had brought gifts for everyone. Lucina's younger sister Lilufar had asked me the previous visit if I had any coins? I had not, but the question lingered in my mind, and some instinct told me it was more than a casual question.
She was especially delighted when I brought her a set of British coins. She confessed that she loved to go to Kolkata Museum and stare at the ancient coins there for hours at a time.
I had seen Lilufar - or "Choto" as she is known, infrequently on my previous visit. She always seemed to be working. This time, I established that she was working in a tiny privately owned local school. She would begin teaching at 6.00 am. Then she would come home, help her mom with the household chores, and do tuition of neighbors' children long into the evening. She was evidently worn out by this exhausting routine, constantly tired. Her wage for this labor? Rupees 600 per month. That's less than $10. I'm happy to say that I've since gotten her out of that job, and have sent her funds to go on an 18 month computer course and an EFL course.
One of my first chores was to revisit Tuku and discuss her unfinished house. Her daughter is growing and there is urgent need to ease the pressure as the extended family grows. So we decided that the best course of action would be to get one room fully ready, which meant laying down a concrete floor, plastering the walls, fixing doors, windows and electricals, and the toilet. Hopefully she and her husband and daughter will be in by Christmas.
Lucina was facing a big problem with delayed payment of her grant. She was out of funds and would not get paid until October. This threatened her capacity to complete the PhD, as well as someone very close to her. So in addition to paying for the rent and furnishing her apartment, I'm covering her living expenses until October, as well as her friend's.
But if you, dear reader, imagine I am telling you this to impress you with some false generosity, I assure you the reverse is true. Nothing in my life is more meaningful - not even the arts and health agency I've been building in the UK for the past 20 years.