Tackling rural poverty in India (From Keighley News)
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Tackling rural poverty in India
12:00pm Saturday 12th January 2013 in News By Keighley News reporter
Muminul Islam, far left, with fellow volunteers outside the house where he stayed in India
A Keighley man is back from a ten-week stay in India where he was part of an expedition to help tackle rural poverty.
Muminul Islam, 25, who is known as ‘Mully’, lived and worked in a farming community outside Mysore, and described the experience as “fantastic”.
He had previously been accepted as a volunteer for Raleigh International Citizen Service, and raised hundreds of pounds to fund his trip.
During his stay, he and the ten others in his team provided the local people with clean, environmentally-friendly sanitation, ran health camps, refurbished a school and set up self-help groups for men.
Mr Islam said: “We were exhausted when we got home each day. It wasn’t a holiday, it was ten weeks of intense work and making a real difference.
“I learned so many skills and I’m proud to have experienced living in real, rural India.
“Running the health camps was manic but rewarding – some of the people had never seen a doctor before. We were able to help so many people.
“It was incredibly hot, and now that I’m back I’m still adjusting to the UK climate!”
Mr Islam, who lives off Fell Lane, completed a masters degree in development studies at the University of Leeds. His ambition is to become a documentary maker.
