Always somebody worse off

Megan Aspinall, an AECOM engineer, volunteering for Pollinate Energy in the slums of Bangalore. PHOTO/KATE CROWLEY

Sometimes, when the reality of the past week-and-a-half's disturbing political revelations wear you down, it's important to stop and count your blessings.

I read an inspirational piece entitled "Give me gratitude or give me debt" on www.momastery.com. Author Glennon Doyle Melton was prompted to write about what mattered when she received suggestions of how she could update her kitchen after she posted a pic of herself in her kitchen online.

With those perceived criticisms in her ears, she thought maybe her kitchen was "shabby and lazy" and perhaps she should plan renovations, even borrowing more money to update her '80s decor. But she stopped herself from going down the never-satisfied path and said, "I don't need new things. I need new eyes with which to see the things I already have".

Then she explained what she saw when she looked around her imperfect kitchen - a fridge that "magically makes food cold"; inside the fridge, healthy food - none of her children, or mine, dying from malnutrition; a tap with clean water, day or night, even one outside - "we use clean drinking water to WASH OUR FEET". That's the thing we sometimes forget - how far we have come and how far some of our international neighbours have to go, let alone our Kiwi neighbours in poverty, in cold damp houses.

Through my job, I'm supporting an amazing social enterprise, Pollinate Energy. This India-based non-profit is creating jobs for local entrepreneurs in the urban slums of Bangalore in India.

The "Pollinators" are selling solar lights and clean-burning stoves, replacing the toxic kerosene lamps and burners.

Removing kerosene improves peoples' health straight away and reduces carbon emissions and environmental pollution.

The families buying these sustainable options also get to pay them off over six to eight weeks with each payment equivalent to their weekly kerosene bill - no financial disincentive to switch.

Some of my workmates have been volunteering in Bangalore with Pollinate and helped with its first impact assessment report. The top benefits from having light in the evenings shared by their slum-dwelling customers were better quality family time in the evening, supporting their kids' study and getting the household chores and cooking done.

As one of my colleagues said, more connects us than separates us.

My life as a mum is all about quality time with my kids, helping my boy with the still-novel experience of homework, and keeping up with the laundry and dishes - even with a washing machine and a dishwasher to help me out.

These mums and dads in the Bangalore slums care about the same things as me. Now they can do their most important tasks of connecting with their families under clean light, instead of suffocating fumes or darkness.

Another major moment of appreciation has come in our lovely Whanganui villa finally going unconditional - yes, we've nearly settled, after about a year on the tough local market.

I read the latest REINZ stats that show a drop in the median price here by $42,500 from a year ago - pretty significant, given the median for that month is only $147,500. I won't complain about our price. Instead, I am grateful it's on its way to being sold. I know other people waiting for years for their houses to find new owners. Our house has gone to a good home - it's nice to know it will be loved and cared for as much as we did.

To finish with a quote on gratitude from former US president Lyndon B Johnson: "If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it."

Nicola Young is a former Department of Conservation manager who now works for global consultancy AECOM. Educated at Wanganui Girls' College, she has a science degree and is the mother of two boys.