Front-11
The village authorities were furious, and so was the landholder.
The health team had taken what could be called political action. But the health
workers did not think of themselves as ‘political’. Nor did they consider themselves
capitalists, communists, or even socialists. (Such terms have little meaning for
them.) They simply thought of themselves as village health workers—but in
the larger sense. They saw the health, and indeed the life, of a helpless person
threatened by the unfairness of those in positions of power. And they had the
courage to speak out, to take action in his defense.
Through this and many similar experiences, the village health team has come
to realize that the health of the poor often depends on questions of social justice.
They have found that the changes that are most needed are not likely to come from
those who hold more than their share of land, wealth, or authority. Instead, they
will come through cooperative effort by those who earn their bread by the sweat of
their brows. From themselves!
More and more, the village team in Ajoya has looked for ways to get their fellow
villagers thinking and talking about their situation, and taking group action to deal
with some of the underlying causes of poor health.
Some of the methods they have developed and community actions they have led
are described in several parts of this book. For example, three of the village theater
skits described in Chapter 27 show ways in which the health team has helped the
poor look at their needs and organize to meet them.
These 3 skits are:
SMALL FARMERS JOIN TOGETHER TO OVERCOME EXPLOITATION
(page 27-27),
USELESS MEDICINES THAT SOMETIMES KILL (page 27-14), and
THE WOMEN JOIN TOGETHER TO OVERCOME DRUNKENNESS (page
27-19).
These popular theater skits had, and are still having, a marked social influence.
Villagers participate with new pride in the cooperative maize bank set up to
overcome high interest on loans. Women have organized to prevent the opening
of a public bar. And storekeepers no longer carry some of the expensive and
dangerous medicines that they sold before. In general, people seem more alert
about things they had simply accepted.
On the other hand, new difficulties have arisen. Some of the health workers
have been thrown out of their rented homes. Others have been arrested on false
charges. Threats have been made to close down the villager-run program.
But in spite of the obstacles, the health team and the people have stood their
ground. The village team knows the road ahead will not be easy. They also know
that they must be careful and alert. Yet they have chosen to stand by their people,
by the poor and the powerless.
They have had the courage to look the whole problem in the eye—and to look for
a whole answer.