Crusader with magic heart
Whether it is working with the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, or providing vocational training to the local residents of the Republic of Chad, or helping the Sudanese refugees earn a living; India’s Devaki Erande shares her arduous yet satisfying vocati
The famous French 35hour working weeks, the lace-curtained bistros, and the music of the clinking Champagne glasses, romantic sunsets and idyllic landscapes—France is an unmitigated seduction. Who wouldn’t want the high life?
Meet Devaki Erande, the 31year old face of welcome change, who decided to bid the picture-perfect French life a warm goodbye. And after completing her post graduation studies in international affairs from theUniversity of Sciences Po in Paris, chose a rather untrodden space to work in--the upliftment of the marginalised and displaced communities, and the rehabilitation of refugees.
At present, Erande is in N'Djamena, the capital of Central Africa’s Republic of Chad, which is also one of the world’s poorest countries, and home to more than 3 lakh Sudanese refugees. She is working with Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), an international organisation that works globally for the emancipation of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons.
Erande’s journey from Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), where she completed her master’s degree in French translation, to the Chadian capital has not just been interesting, but also remarkably distinct. After completing her French studies from Pune, Erande went to the enchanting medieval city of Bourges in France for a year, to teach English to school-going children. “The year-long teaching stint was a great opportunity for me to reflect on what exactly I wanted to do later. I was sure I wanted to do something in the realm of social development; all I needed was a roadmap to get there. Also, I wanted to do something different; something that wasn’t the usual, run-ofthe-mill,” narrates the gregarious young lady. In the course of her stay in Bourges, she admits, her thoughts about studying international affairs in France, became increasingly clear. During the course of these studies in France, she interned with the non profit organisation ‘Doctors Without Borders’; the task was to study the effectiveness of ready-to-use food in treating malnutrition in The Republic of Niger. “Also, many of my classmates had already worked in the war-torn and sensitive belts of Syria, South America and India. Insights from them only fuelled my process of goal-setting, and by the end of the course, I had already landed myself an internship with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), in Lebanon,” reminisces Erande, in her free-wheeling style of speaking.
Rare’s the Way
In N’Djamena, Erande now works as the National Program Co-ordinator for the ‘Education Cannot Wait (ECW)’ initiative, which was launched by the United Nations at 2016’s World Humanitarian Summit. In essence, ECW is a global fund to ensure that no child misses out on education during emergencies and crises. Erande’s role requires her to primarily undertake administrative, organisational and managerial responsibilities. UNICEF is the administrator of the program, and the responsibilities
of the effective utilisation of welfare funds and the realisation of the initiative’s vision in Eastern Chad, rest with Erande.
There are twelve Sudanese refugee camps, very close to the Sudanese border, and far-flung from the Chadian city limits; inaccessible by regular transport and characterised by a strong infrastructural and cultural disconnect. “Once a month, I visit the camp sites. It is always good to reach out to people in person, and get an idea of what’s happening. Functional literacy, understanding the vocational inclinations of the camp inhabitants and building classrooms for them are three of the program’s biggest focuses for Chad,” marks Erande, adding how in one of her recent sample studies, she realised that most of the refugees were keen on taking up sales-related work. “They want to set up shops and run their small establishments. This would be a great way to facilitate commerce within their camps, if it works successfully. For now, we are trying to figure the best way to facilitate this vision, by hiring trainers to hone their skills. We would also prepare a business plan to put things in perspective,” she informs.
Being Anti-fragile
Disrupted phone connectivity, regular power cuts, torrid outdoors, poverty-stricken refugee camps and Chadian locals on their beam-ends— the challenges of the region are aplenty. “One of the greatest stumbling blocks is the language, since most of the refugees speak Arabic, and seldom understand English. So there’s always the necessity of a translator,” she rues.
For her, the campsites are not just survival battlefields; they’re her gardens of life lessons. Recently, she was at one of the sites, at a little stand-alone eatery that served traditional Sudanese fare. The place had been set up by one of the young Sudanese refugees. On speaking to him, Erande learnt that he’d been in the camp since the age of five. “He shared his story, said his father had started that little food outlet. He, in fact, was always fascinated with motor bikes and wanted to become a mechanic. But there he was— washing dishes and cooking meals. It just got me thinking about how we undervalue the magnificence of being able to make choices in life. It is a luxury that only a select few can lay claim to,” reflects Erande.
Nonetheless, in her most natural element, the woman is all about being sunny side up. No wonder she also runs a dedicated Facebook page titled ‘Humans of N’Djamena,’ where she shares some heart-warming daily life experiences and stories of the local Chadians. “There are always reasons to feel joyful, even in the most adverse conditions. All it takes is optimism,” she concludes, with a hearty smile. water as it reflects UV too. It is hence advisable to wear sunscreen even when it is not too sunny.
Sunburn cases can vary. Once the skin is burnt, it becomes important to move towards the healing process and soothing the pain. When a person realises that the he/she is suffering from sunburn, the person must immediately get out of the sun, better still, stay indoors. Once UV exposure is reduced, there are a lot of options available to treat sun burn.
For immediate relief, cooling the skin down can reduce the discomfort. Place damp towels on the skin or take a cool bath or shower and then apply a moisturizer, which can help trap the water in the skin, easing the dryness. Moisturizing after bathing is important as without it the skin can feel drier than before.
Apply cool (and not cold) milk with a clean cloth to the sunburned skin. Milk creates a protein film that will reduce the discomfort. You can also apply yogurt to the sunburned area. Vitamin E, which is known to be an antioxidant, can be used to ease inflammation that is caused by sunburn. You can apply it on the skin, or take a regular dose of Vitamin E supplement.
Boiled mashed potatoes are also an excellent way of treating sunburns. Apply the cold mashed potatoes as a dressing to the sunburned; starch in potatoes draws out heat. Another easy home remedy is mixing cornstarch in water to make a paste and then applying it on the inflamed skin.
Oatmeal is known for cooling down inflammation in the body and skin. Using blended dry oats on the skin directly can help get rid of sunburn and the pain that comes with it. Blended oatmeal can be combined with normal water to be applied on the skin, but mixing it with milk is advisable as as milk moisturizes the skin and can also be of great use if you are looking to reverse an unwanted tan.
Use your regular teabags instead of throwing them to treat sunburned eyelids and reduce inflammation. Soak teabags in cold water and put them on affected areas. Another natural antioxidant is cucumbers which also natural analgesic properties. Take chilled cucumbers, mash them in a blender and make a paste. Apply this paste to affected areas. This can also be used on the face. Cucumber also can be used on peeling skin following a sunburn.
Now there are plenty of home remedies that can be tried to soothe down the pain and the sunburn effects. However preventing is always a better option. Like wearing a hat, more covering shirts and sunscreen can surely avoid the complications that follow sunburn.