25th October 2007

Kalkaji - High Commissioners Residence

Having awoken to the second bedroom (palace) that we were allocated (soon to find out we were being evicted AGAIN), we staggered down to a nutritious breakfast of Kashmir Apples and Eggy Pancakes. Nerves permeated the atmosphere of the group, as we were going to visit Kalkaji today for the first time, having only driven passed it once before. It is the slum we will be working at for the next ten days. But we needn't have worried; Kalkaji was as wonderful as we'd heard. Some of us imagined that simply being there would lead us to despair, but the reality was the opposite. As soon as we had turned the corner within the slum, we had set foot into a haven, there seemed to be an endless stream of children, their smiles filled us with hope for what could be achieved. We had never felt so welcomed in our lives!

Our greeting was followed by an inspirational talk from all the workers amongst the slum community and they were amazing! Each of them was so empowered to help, from young to old; they were doing their part to maintain their community. Even a child from 7-14 was given a role to look after a street of around 25 houses! Their faces were so full of joy and happiness to see us; it was as if we were lost friends being reunited again.

The children themselves were also crazily welcoming, with demands of "One Photo!" being heard everywhere around us. As the initial excitement calmed we began to speak to individuals and get to know them, something that really humanized the slums they were living in. The entire team is agreed, visiting the Kalkaji Center was the most inspiring experience of our lives.

We left the Center and drove out into an evening that was filled with highs and lows. Some of the girls needed to get more material for their saris, so the team went to the Central Market. Although it was fascinating to see a genuine Indian marketplace, the beggars made us realize the poverty that exists and exemplified the work that ASHA has done- had it not been for ASHA, many of the smiling children we saw at Kalkaji could have been begging at that market.

Then came a huge contrast- the cool and collected British Commissioner's Residence. We appreciated the tranquility and constant barrage of cucumber sandwiches, as it gave us a peaceful time to consider what we had seen. The Commissioner's wife gave us some of the building's history and told us how many people lived and worked there, which left some of us wondering how many people would live on the same piece of land had it been a slum. Leaving the Commissioner's we felt well rested and driving through Delhi at night was reminiscent of when we first came.

The rest of our day was spent eating a delicious Chinese and ended with a team meeting where Hannah Crawford said something very true, "I didn't expect that we'd bond so strongly in a matter of days".

For all the parents reading this, we are having a GREAT time, and we thank you for the support you have provided for each and everyone of us. It has allowed us to have this awesome experience.

FACT: Thursday's full moon in Delhi was the brightest and largest NASA has recorded this year (source: Hindustan Times).

Han and Michael