DAYS 9 and 10

DAY 9rnWe woke up early at Udayan, ate breakfast and then went to play with the children before their lessons started. The older girls in particular loved practicing their English with us, and asked us lots of questions.rnrnrnrnOnce lessons began, we taught Classes 1-4. We particularly focused on their numeracy, teaching counting in English and even practicing times tables with the older children. Sometimes the language barrier made it difficult, but the teachers were happy to translate. After a while, we understood how we could communicate best with them. It was a lot of fun for all of us.rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnLater in the afternoon we visited a hospital for leprosy sufferers run by Mother Teresa’s Brothers, the Missionaries of Charity, which was a short drive from Udayan. It was quite a shocking experience but one we will not forget. It became clear the horrible things the children at Udayan will have experienced before they joined the school.rnIn the evening, we took part in a show the children at Udayan put on for us. The children performed a traditional Indian dance, sang a song written by the children themselves, and played several instruments. We on the other hand…performed the Cha Cha Slide, sang Do Re Mi and Anna and Kirsten sang “Hallelujah”. We finished off with a short dance to a popular Indian song. Unfortunately, we couldn’t perform two more songs due to a technical hitch! rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnAfter the show, the staff at Udayan prepared a meal for us on the rooftop of one of the buildings. It was decorated beautifully and we were looked after really well. We were really sad to leave!rnrnrnrnrnrnDAY 10rnWe have spent our last full day packing and relaxing, as there was a General Strike across India. At lunchtime, we walked up to The Oberoi Hotel to have drinks. The hotel was incredible and we loved taking it all in. rnThis evening will we have a farewell meal and an early night, ready for a 5:30am start tomorrow morning to come home!rnWe are all excited to come home and see you all!rn