The day started at 5am which was challenging for most of us. The children were woken by the house staff banging loudly, and the place quickly came to life with the sound of mosques in the distance announcing morning prayer. The children prayed before doing their chores which included sweeping the floor and picking up leaves (patta). Jason and Fin got involved in the kitchen, peeling garlic and breaking chillis. This was followed by an early morning snack of peanut butter sandwiches. The children then had an hour and a half of studying to do BEFORE SCHOOL, meanwhile we enjoyed spending time outside as dawn broke over West Bengal.

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 […]

We had an early start today for a 6am Mass at The Mother House with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. It was a very calm and peaceful experience that emphasized the impact Mother Teresa has even today. That was followed by a visit to Mother’s tomb, her room and an exhibition of her life. rnrnrnrnrnDespite […]

Today we met Brother Gaston which was a brilliant experience. He was a very inspirational man with many stories to tell. His interfaith ideology defines his way of life, which he shares with the many members of ICOD community. The women who live in the community with Gaston had all undergone traumatic experiences. The centre provided a safe haven for them, where they receive care 4 hours a day. After visiting some of the residents we walked over to the House of Prayer, where Gaston went on to tell us how he came to be in India. We were amazed to hear that he lived by choice in the slums, and was in fact the inspiration behind Dominique Lapierre’s ‘City Of Joy’. What was most incredible was his commitment to his mission; when he first arrived in India he spoke none of the native languages, and survived by relying mostly on the goodwill of the slum dwellers. It truly was a memorable visit.rnWe look forward to the ‘tour of all tours’ tomorrow led by Mrs Weldon around Kolkata. Hopefully you will hear from us tomorrow evening!

We woke up early to the numerous sounds of Udayan. The day began with breakfast and playing with the children.rnrn rnrnrnrn rnrnAfter a short while spent chatting and joining in with games, we got on a mini bus to begin the march for the “Leprosy Awareness Programme”. The entire school took part, along with staff, […]