Dinesh In The UNDP: Nilgiris

A precariously perched house in a landslide prone area

On August 11, 2010, Dinesh travelled to the Nilgiris in Tamilnadu to kickstart the UNDP awareness campaign about disaster-preparedness in the local schools there. The Nilgiris district is prone to deadly landslides in several areas that can cause a great deal of death and destruction. He spoke to about 300 students at the St.Joseph's Secondary School and did a PowerPoint Presentation on the role of children in disaster management. The school trains selected students to be members of the Rescue Cadet Corps, and they are taught to assist the Rescue Task Force professionals in the event of a disaster. What a great place then to kickstart the campaign!

Dinesh also gave a PowerPoint presentation to the local government officials on ways to handle the disabled in a disaster. The officials took the kid seriously enough to ask him questions on the subject. Dinesh spoke of his learning experience in the UNDP about disaster management, and took notes of all the recommendations made by the officials to include in his final report to the Commissioner of Revenue Administration (CRA), the top Civil Service official of the Government of Tamilnadu. He was interviewed by the local TV media channels as well, and handled the entire experience with confidence and aplomb. Posted below are a few shots from his trip to the Nilgiris.

Beautiful Nilgiris that has deadly landslides

The mountain city of Coonoor

A roadside shot in Coonoor


The stadium/gymnasium of St. Joseph's Secondary School

St. Joseph's School

With Mr. Franklin, Project Support Officer, and Mr. Prabhu, Project Officer of the UNDP

The UNDP Campaign Banner

A section of the 300 students gathered to listen to Dinesh

Greeted by Mr. Lakshmanan, District Education Officer

Having a conversation with the DEO

The DEO and the Project Officer listening to Dinesh

Another section of the audience (Grades 9 and 11)

Dinesh giving his presentation about how children can make a difference

Talking about Disaster Plans

Listing out emergency supplies

Talking about the importance of staying informed

Reiterating his message

With Vignesh, a student volunteer in the Rescue Task Force

Asking the students a few questions on disaster-preparedness

Thanking the audience

St. Joseph's School Grounds

Relaxing in the Visitors' Lounge

Outside the entrance to the school

UNDP Campaign Banner

Interaction with the government officials

An official asking Dinesh a question

Responding to the questions by the officials

Fielding questions from around the room

Making a point to the officials rapt in attention

Giving his PowerPoint presentation on ways to handle the disabled in disasters

At his confident best

Comfortable body language as he makes a point

Typing in the recommendations to include in his final report

Posing with the organizers

Outside the Revenue Divisional Office

Fielding questions from the local TV media (Dad's favorite shot!)

Answering a reporter's question

Taking a roadside break on the mountains


Boulders placed to stem the flow of mud in a landslide

Prone areas

Walls built to prevent the mud and rocks from sliding on to the roads


Thanking Mr. Franklin, Project Support Officer of the UNDP

Dinesh seems to have had such a wonderful experience participating in the disaster-preparedness campaign of the UNDP. What a unique opportunity for a 14-year old to raise awareness among children his age! I am sure the kid has grown in confidence and learned a great deal from all the valuable experiences he's had this past month. As his day of departure draws near, the husband and I are ecstatic that he's done us proud and we're very eager to have him back home safe and sound!

Dinesh In The UNDP: Nagapattinam

On August 3rd and 4th, 2010, Dinesh travelled in and around the tsunami-ravaged areas of coastal Nagapattinam. He had a lengthy discussion with Mr. Muniyanathan, IAS, District Collector of Nagapattinam, on the preparedness measures being taken in the district to face future disasters, and the rehabilitation efforts taken to mitigate the post-tsunami suffering of the fishermen. He also surveyed the disaster prone areas with the UN workers, learned of the relief and recovery efforts being undertaken, interacted with school children about their disaster preparedness, and had personal meetings with the local fishermen's families to learn of the relief they had received. He also visited local NGOs to learn of their relief and recovery work in the area. Finally, based on all his discussions with government officials and personal interactions with the fisher folk, he has written a detailed report to be submitted to the Commissioner of Revenue Administration (CRA), the top official of the Indian Administrative Services in the state of Tamilnadu, India.

Discussing with the Collector and taking copious notes

Q & A session with the Collector
The Collector patiently answering Dinesh's questions

Interacting with school children with the help of a translator


The school children who told Dinesh about their disaster preparedness

With his mentor and Mr. Krishnakumar, Director of AVVAI, a local NGO


The UN team describing the extent of the tsunami

The government strengthening the dikes and shoreline

The newly-built bridge, the old one having been decimated by the tsunami


Mr. Krishnakumar explaining the human tragedy and devastation caused by the tsunami

In front of a partially standing structure on the shore

Tsunami-ravaged areas

A badly hit coastal village

A rebuilt fishing colony

Meeting a fisherman at his home

Thanking the fisherman for his kindness

Meeting a family that lost the fisherman father

The boy had to stop his education in order to find work to support the family
Outside the fishing colony, pondering over the human tragedy brought on by the tsunami



Indeed, an experience of a lifetime for Dinesh! From a privileged life in one of the best countries in the world, he has now been to a place where he has seen the life-altering aftermath of a disaster, and the human faces connected to the tragedy, sorrow and suffering writ large everywhere in the community. From being a narcissistic, self-absorbed teenager in a materialistic society with the attendant iPod, Blackberry, laptop, game consoles, etc., he has now seen the suffering of children his age who have been forced to give up their education and seek a job in order to support their families. He has witnessed firsthand the tears of a mother who lost her fisherman husband to the tsunami, now buys fish from the other fishermen and walks all day on the city streets to sell the fish in the basket carried on her head. Her plaintive cry in answer to how prepared she is for another disaster: " Let not God be so cruel as to bring on another tsunami. I have already lost my entire livelihood to one, and if another one strikes, I will hold my children by the hands and walk directly into the ocean!" And this with torrents of tears coursing down her cheeks! Dinesh had tears clouding his eyes as well, and as he made a valiant effort not to let them fall, the woman pleaded,"Master, please do something for us. Help my children get an education. That's all I ask!"

God, why are there disasters on the planet? Why is there so much of suffering in the world? Like Keats, my heart aches and a drowsy numbness pains my sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk ...