Biren Nayak
Biren works for ActionAid in Balangir district, Orissa, India.
He is a Programme Officer and works in villages like Khalipathar. He works with the villagers to find ways of making sure everyone has enough to eat all year round.
The best part of Biren's job is working with communities and taking risks. He believes that young people in rich and poor countries need to talk to each other, become friends and work together to change things.
Biren loves Oriya classical music, and his favourite food is rice, dal, green vegetables and ice-cream!
Questions and Answers (February 10, 2004)
Q: Have you ever seen a wolf?
A: Yes, in the villages where we are working
Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: I spend time with my family and in reading books
Q: Where do you go on your holidays?
A: I visit my old parents and kith and kins (friends and family)
Q: Where do the children go to the toilet?
A: The children in our villages usually go to the fields
Q: What's the weather like in January?
A: January is the beginning of spring and has pleasant weather
Q: How often do you go to the villages?
A: Almost once in every week
Q: What is it like to live in Balangir?
A: Living in Balangir means "learning simplicity from the villagers"
Q: What's happened in the news this week in Balangir?
A: After the harvest, people have some time to address their issues. Like the
people in the village Guduvella blocked a road in protest. They wanted a
bridge over the river that disconnects them for around four months in every
year from main communications.
Q: Do you think life is difficult for the children in Khalipathar village?
A: Yes. It is difficult for the children because many of them have been
departed from their migrated parents and those who accompany with their
parents, lose their friends and relatives in the village.
Q: Is there anything we can do to help?
A: Yes, opening your mind to learn about life in different parts of the world -
to see what we all have in common and how our lives are different.
Q: Is there anything we can do besides raising money?
A: There are so many things you can do to change the world we live in. See the
'Take action' part of this website for many ideas.
Email your MP. Enough fine words! - Fund the fight against AIDS:
visit http://www.actionaid.org/ourpriorities/hiv/ta.shtml
