Cologne 2008.

Part of a ‘Auf Wiedersehen Cologne’ series. The first one in the series is here.

Cologne 2008.

Before leaving Cologne at the end of June 2008 I shot part of a roll while randomly wandering through some parts of the city. I finally got around to scanning that film today. I’ll post a few photos over the next few days that I like from that roll starting with this one.

November 2008, Kudichintalabayalu Village, Nallamalla Forest.

(To read this photo essay in sequence from the beginning please go here.) 

November 2008, Kudichintalabayalu Village, Nallamalla Forest.

(To read this photo essay in sequence from the beginning please go here.) 

November 2008, Kudichintalabayalu Village, Nallamalla Forest.

(To read this photo essay in sequence from the beginning please go here.) 

November 2008, Kudichintalabayalu Village, Nallamalla Forest.

Kodala Bayanna contracted polio as a child. Both his parents passed away a few years back and he now lives with his old grandmother. A couple of years back the government had given him a tricycle but that soon fell into repair and he does not have the money to get it repaired. Now the only way for him to move is by crawling and sliding.

(To read this photo essay in sequence from the beginning please go here.) 

November 2008, Kudichintalabayalu Village, Nallamalla Forest.

Ramulu lives alone. His wife left him taking their kids with her. He only replied in monosyllables and sat outside his house staring into infinity. The doctor with us speculated that Ramulu might be suffering from depression based upon his behavior and his wife might have left him because he might have contracted AIDS. Apparently, going to prostitutes is another vice that the Chenchus pick up upon exposure to civilization and not being aware of safe sex practices inevitably suffer the consequences of unsafe sex.

(To read this photo essay in sequence from the beginning please go here.)

November 2008, Sarlapalli Village, Nallamalla Forest.

Ever since the Chenchus have been forbidden to hunt animals in the forests they live in they have had to subsist on the wild roots, tubers and seeds (above photo) they gather in the forest as well as the occasional rice and pulses doled out by the government. This lack of access to a ready protein source is one of the causes for the greater incidence of skin and other malnutrition diseases among the tribals. 

(To read this photo essay in sequence from the beginning please go here.)

Novermber 2008, Sarlapalli Village, Nallamalla Forest.

Narayana, the man in the photo is 35 years old but looks 40. He has stayed back at home as he is sick. He feels too sick to go to the nearest government health center (which is two villages away, a considerable distance) and even if he goes there he knows he will not be treated well.

Many of the Chenchus we talked to complained that when they approached the government health center they were not treated well by the staff there. The doctors/staff there would not even touch them apparently! They would only ask what their problem was and upon the Chenchu describing his/her problem they would give them some common pills against fever etc. According to our doctor-producer most of the diseases that plague the Chenchus (like scabies, polio) are easily curable as treatments/medicines for them are widely available. If the government can improve the conditions at the health care center and make them more accessible for the tribals most of their health problems would be solved according to him.

(To read this photo essay in sequence from the beginning please go here.) 

November 2008, Sarlapalli Village, Nallamalla Forest.

Among one of the biggest problems faced by the Chenchus who are in constant contact with civilization is health related. The children (as can be seen from the pale, scabbed hands of the baby in the hammock) are commonly prone to various skin diseases. Many of them never live to see adulthood. And even those who live to be adults are frequently prone to diseases that have been eradicated from urban India. There are many reasons for this. One reason is they have no natural resistance to many of the diseases that are common in a civilized world as until recently they have lived in isolation for generations in forests. Second reason is inadequate health care provided by the government. A third reason is improper hygiene among the tribals when living in a civilized setting. Another important reason for their ill health, especially among their children, is food related which I’ll talk about in relation to a later photo.

(To read this photo essay in sequence from the beginning please go here.)