On Monday, we packed our bags and left the hustle and bustle of Kolkata for Udayan! After an hour on the coach we arrived. We were shown our rooms for the night and were given a quick tour of the new buildings which are fantastic. rnrnMid-morning, we went into classrooms and were given the opportunity to teach the children, but our teaching methods left a lot to be desired. We had enormous fun and even learnt a little bit of Bengali. The children are amazing and so welcoming. We want to take them all home!!! rnrnAfter a hearty lunch, we played cricket with the older boys, much to their amusement. It’s safe to say that we were played off the field, although Anna was the star of the team (scoring a 4 on her first hit!) and left the boys on our team red faced! Before dinner, Andrew and Stephen started a game of Sleeping Lions which was great fun to watch and take part in. rnrnThey took it very seriously, and we suspect some actually fell asleep! We taught them clapping games and got a lot of one on one time which was lovely. Before every meal time, the children sing the most beautiful prayers which fill the room with their joy. We were provided with dinner and then took to our beds!rnrnThis morning, the children were up at their usual time of 5am, however we were lucky in that we only had to be at breakfast at 7.30am. Some of the group went to help teach in a computer lesson, some of us watched the children learn yoga and the rest of us played cricket. Late morning, we went back into the classrooms, this time ready to hand out the books donated by St Anthony’s Primary School in Slough. rnrnThe children were so appreciative and after lunch we got a chance to go and read to them. rnrnThe joy on their faces was absolutely amazing. We are now preparing for the performance of a lifetime, which we’re sure will be an exciting finale to our time at Udayan. rnrnrnThis evening, we will be treated to a dinner on the rooftop, which we are really looking forward to!rn

Last night, as a treat we went to the Oberoi Hotel for a drink. It was really special and we had a really good night (even though we could only afford one drink). On the way back from the Hotel, we picked up our Salwars that we have had specially made for us to wear at Udayan. rnrnrnrn rnrnThis morning, we were picked up by a member of staff from the Asha Bhavan Centre – an institution dedicated to the rights of vulnerable children and women, particularly those who are physically and mentally challenged. It was inspired by Mr and Mrs Dominique Lapierre under guidance of Brother Gaston Dayanand. It was founded in 1999 and helps to rehabilitate the less able. We were greeted by all the staff and children with garlands and kisses. They provided us with snacks and tea as we met some of the workers. We were then shown a power point presentation about the organisation and all their initiatives, which was really enlightening. Afterwards, we went and saw all the children in their play rooms and rehabilitation rooms. rnrnrnrnrnrnIt was great to have a chance to play with the children; they were all so loving and really grateful that we were there. We were also shown where the prosthetic limbs were made and where the physiotherapy sessions took place. rnrnrnrnThe centre provided a fantastic lunch, including chicken, rice, prawns, vegetables, rice pudding and much more! Then, we went to the Centre’s shop where all the gifts were home-made by the children, they were absolutely fantastic! They were beautifully crafted and we could have bought the whole shop! They also made their own candles, which were very professional. rnrnrnrnAfterwards, they put on a show, consisting of traditional and modern dancing and singing from all the children! They even managed to get us up on the dance floor for a boogie! rnrnrnrnSadly, it was time to leave; we were sorry to go but were all uplifted by the incredible care the children receive. It’s a truly inspirational cause. rn

We have spent the last two days exploring the Sunderban Islands. We had a two and a half hour coach journey followed by a two and a half hour boat journey to our Tiger Camp. We all enjoyed the boat journey, especially as we had some time to sit in the sun and relax. It was also nice to see some of rural India and get out of the cities. When we arrived, we were provided with lunch, and then shown to our “tent”, which was actually a lot more modern than traditional camping; there was a toilet and lights. We spent the afternoon back on the boat, where we sailed to a Watch Tower on one of the Islands to keep a look out for tigers and other wildlife. We saw deer, wild boar and lots of interesting birds. Sadly, no tiger sightings, although there had been a sighting recently! In the evening, we were entertained by some traditional Indian dancers, which was definitely an experience. Afterwards, we headed back to the tents for a good night’s sleep. The next morning, we were up at 6am to get to the Watch Tower, in case there were some tigers taking a drink from the Watering Hole. Again, we were unlucky, and didn’t see any tigers, but it was still a really good and relaxing day. We then went back to camp and ate lunch and got back on the boat to return to our hotel in Kolkata. rnrnSorry for the lack of photos today, this is due to technical difficulties. We will try to solve the problem. rn

This morning, we first travelled to Titagarh, a hospital and rehabilitation centre for people suffering from or affected by leprosy. We met one of the Brothers of the Missionaries of Charity who took us on a tour through the wards and the medical units. We also walked through the workrooms where the cloth for the Sisters is spun. It was very impressive as this centre is the only place where the cloth is produced and all of it was handmade. We also found it really encouraging as the people who work there are recovering or have recovered from leprosy, giving them a hugely improved standard of living. We also were lucky enough to meet the parents of one of the girls at Udayan, which reminded us of the how vital Udayan is in changing the lives of so many families. rnrnrnrnAs we drove through the gates of Udayan, we were immediately greeted by the younger students who had gathered to say hello. James Stevens then showed us round the building and the grounds.rnrnrnrnWe saw the children in lessons reciting what they had learned which was really impressive. During our tour round the many buildings at Udayan, we were so thrilled to see how all of the money raised had benefited the children. The bunk beds in the boys’ dormitories in particular had the labels which showed the different tutor groups from St Joan’s who donated money a couple of years ago. It was fantastic to see how well provided for the children are, especially considering that without the help and support of Udayan, they would have nothing.rnrnrnrnAs we walked back round to the main building, we were formally greeted with garlands and petals, presented to us by the children. It put a massive smile on our face as we literally had to bend down to enable the children to put the garlands around our necks. Then we were invited to sit in the hall with the children as we all ate lunch. The staff provided us with a gourmet meal followed by lovely Darjeeling tea.rnrn rnrnIn the afternoon, we were entertained by some of the younger boys with a game of “kubodi”. It was extremely amusing to watch and they are very talented!! Then we presented the children with the teddy bears we had brought from England. James decided that this year the youngest children would receive them. They all filed out and sat in front of us in lines, extremely well behaved, and completely unaware of what was about to happen. As they walked up to us, they smiled with delight as they realised what was happening and took their teddies gladly. Each child sat down and played with their teddy immediately, cuddling them, showing how precious they would be to them.rnrnrnrnSadly, it was then time to make our way back to Kolkata. The children once again were assembled by the bus, to give us a lovely farewell. We are all now extremely excited to go back, having experienced their welcome and love for a day. We can’t express how special a place Udayan is – it truly is life-changing. rnrnrnrnrnrnrnWe apologise for the disruption to the website today (11/02/2009). This was due to heavy traffic due on the site. All has been resolved and the usual service resumed.