We can’t believe that this is our last full day in India. We have seen so much, met some really inspirational people and had a most wonderful experience. Most of us know that this won’t be the last time that we will be in India although we are all hoping that Christine will feel able to organise another “ladies’ trip” in the future.

We started the day with a visit to the Delhi Baha’i Temple which is one of only seven such temples in the world. The building is truly iconic and has been constructed to resemble a lotus flower. The temple is surrounded by beautiful flower borders and glistening turquoise pools of water. Visitors are brought into the temple in small groups and allowed to spend time in prayer or reflection within the cool stone walls. All of the group were touched by the special atmosphere that permeated the building.

From there we travelled to a market (Sarojini Nagar) where we enjoy shopping in a real Indian bazaar. Following this came a surreal interlude of unbelievable opulence which, we hate to say, we thoroughly enjoyed at the Imperial Hotel. This grandeur was created for the visit of Edward VII and the in-house patisserie was a sight to behold. Afternoon tea in such surroundings led to a stimulating discussion on how we would come to terms with our relatively affluent lives at home in light of all we had seen. In other ways, we felt that the completion of a journey of such significance needed to be appropriately celebrated.

The final stop was the Cottage Emporium where we parted company with the remaining rupees before returning to the hotel for a final delicious meal. Christine happily headed off to the airport for her overnight flight to enjoy some peace and quiet for the first time in 3 weeks!

So, hard to believe this epic trip is drawing to a close. Happily none of our worst fears have been realised. India has been so much more than we could ever have imagined; having taken us from heights of wonder and unexpected joy, to depths of shock and sadness. But India has also stolen our hearts. We will never forget this country and its people. We have all been inspired and would love to return.

We had a “leisurely” start to the day, Christine let us lie in until 8.30! All packed up and rooms vacant and ready for another day in the beautiful Himalayas. We had one little surprise for Linda who had the unique opportunity of celebrating her birthday in Mussoorie. After a hearty rendition of “happy birthday” some of the group got ready to visit Woodstock school. A few of us had heard of this famous school before we came and the previous evening we had had the privilege of meeting and listening to Cathy Hoffman reflect on her impressions of India over the years she has taught at Woodstock, and of the ethos of the school. We were therefore delighted to take up her offer to come see around. She was particularly keen to impress on us the ongoing need for the school to find good staff and currently a drama teacher would be a huge help, so Julie felt under no pressure whatsoever!

The school is very impressive. It is a mixture of modern fir for purpose facilities within a beautiful environment spread over about 250 acres of land, and with many features relating back to the many years the school has been in existence. Cathy was very impressed with the old stone floor tiles in the library, while some of us noticed the ornate notice board in a corridor. donated by the class of ’47. The whole feel was of a comfortable relaxed atmosphere with students milling about as in any secondary school, but no uniforms. The array of sitars in one of the music rooms made a striking contrast to the drum kit being played with a heavy rock beat in another room and again a trumpet player “buzzing” prior to starting his practice.

After regrouping at the Hanifl centre, we took a whistle stop tour of the bazaar in Mussoorie. As you’d all expect, none of us struggled to spend money and I think it’s safe to say you can all look forward to some Indian goodies!

Our final destination before leaving Mussoorie was the MGVS office where we had been invited to lead the members in an informal devotional. We shared some reflections, some scripture, Maura gave an Irish blessing and we sang “amazing grace”. All this, at the top of theTehri hills, looking out on the Doon valley, it was truly amazing. Both Christine and Linda paid tribute to the work that we had witnessed and were delighted to give them a cheque. We were all overwhelmed by the warmth and hospitality of the staff there and we all left feeling very privileged to have spent time with them. They have such commitment and their vision is both empowering and sustainable.

Now on the train, reflecting on those beautiful mountains. What lucky girls we are! En route to Delhi, another interesting train ride, only 4 more hours to go.

Visit to Community Development projects in remote areas

We had another early start leaving Hanifl centre at 8.30am in 4 jeeps accompanied by MGVS staff through spectacular scenery past views of the snow-capped Himalayas and rhododendron bushes in full bloom towards amazing terraced fields with green wheat crops. We first visited Sutti, a school with 135 children which MGVS have provided with safe filtered drinking water, two toilets and first aid box administered by a local disabled lady.  We were able to share with them and distributed pencils, stickers and sweets to each child. It was good to learn that since the filtered water has been used the levels of diarrhoea and sickness are much lower.

Then it was down to the valley floor for delightful picnic with the Women’s Co-op. They showed us their organic farming projects and shared about their various food products such as smoked chicken, Japanese miso rice, ginger and lemon squashes, jam and pickles, and rice husk charcoal used as a fertilizer. This co-op has 26 members and has been able to send women for training in how to market their produce direct to suppliers in Delhi. It was great to watch Surender, Director of MGVS, interact with these ladies and it was obvious he had a great rapport with them.

Then we drove a short distance to another village accessed by a steep path where we were warmly welcomed by the Women’s Self Help group. This group was lively and keen to share their experiences with us. The women meet together each month and enjoy discussion and interaction with one another; previously they were isolated in their own homes. It was a humbling experience to hear of their work in petitioning local government for water and electricity and of setting up a credit and loan scheme to allow them to pay for farming supplies, wedding expenses etc. But best of all, we felt the joy of connecting with women through sharing, as Valerie tried valiantly to explain her role as pharmacist in Hindi to their blank expressions followed by uproarious laughter. An amazing day with a privileged insight into the lives of women so different yet so similar to our own.

Trip to MGVS and Kaplani High School

The day started with a fabulous walk up the hills to the MGVS office – perched high between the Himalayas and Shivaliks mountains. Nothing like a good dose of mountain air and a view of the snow capped peaks to get you ready for the day! Surender and his co-workers welcomed us into the warmth of their tiny dwelling and we sat round the wood burning stove and we had a short morning service in Hindi and English.

We set off in the jeeps (11 people in one of them – plus supplies for the school!) and after negotiating the rather frequent hair pin bends that are part and parcel of Himalayan living we arrived at the Kaplani High School.

The children, all of whom come from very poor families were mid-lesson, so we had a chance to observe them hard at work before they came out to sit with us. Highlights of the day included the children dancing and singing traditional village songs for us and Cathy reciprocating by performing an Irish jig as we all sang “Belle of Belfast City’! Another eye-opening, incredible and humbling day for all of us.

Our day at Shishya with Ken McRae

Today we traveled further into the Doon valley to visit Shisya, one of the many projects run by Ken and Frieda McRae. Ken picked us up in Dehra Dun and we arrived just in time for morning assembly at the Primary School where Julie and Claire (aka Molly and Minta) helped with their energetic and clever sketch on the weather. The school is built round an open meeting area which helped make it bright and the grounds around it had been carefully landscaped which all helped the atmosphere. Children from poor backgrounds go to the school and it is always over subscribed. The kids were engaged and joined in with enthusiasm.

The part of the work involved a boys’ home where the boys lived in separate units with house parents. They included boys who came from deprived backgrounds and others who were orphaned. Each day the boys had their own chores and also worked on the land growing vegetables, they had their own cows to milk and plenty of space round the units to play.

The medics among us had the opportunity to visit the local hospital and we split into groups to work with teaching materials and drama and a chance to meet and talk to the volunteers who work with the children. There was a sense of space after our visit to the slums the day before. In the distance were the foothills of the Himalayas where we were now heading.

We piled into 5 taxis for our trip up the mountains to Mussoorie - up zig-zag roads reminiscent of the Alps. After an hour and a half of hair pin bends and corners and also spectacular views of the valley below we arrived at the Hanifl Centre which was peaceful, clean and above all cool!

Dehradun

We visited SNEHA Centre today. This stands for the Society for Nurture, Education, Health and Advancement. Dr Reeta and Hari, her husband, showed us the wonderful work they do educating 900 children. All of the children are from the slum. Their parents contribute to the fee for their education and school uniform. This was a school holiday today yet 250 came in to greet us. There are 26 teachers in the school. The children have a varied education learning maths, science, Hindi and English. At midday, there is an educational program for the poorest of children from the slum. These are government sponsored children who enter a preparatory class and then move on to a class appropriate to their age and ability. Our memory of all the children is of smiling faces, excitement, and giggling just like all other children.

Attached to the school is a training centre for women where they learn dressmaking skills and arts and crafts which provides additional income for their family. There is also a health centre here for community health workers who both live and work in the slum. Our lasting memory of SNEHA is one of hope, joy and dignity. We wish to contribute to this school by building a toilet block to replace the 8 toilets which serve the 900 children.

In the afternoon, both Hari and Reeta took us on a walking tour of the slum which houses 10,000 people. It is hard to describe the living conditions of these families. There were open sewers, with pigs, goats and hens all sharing the same accommodation as the people. Families earned their living by recycling rubbish. The municipal workers earned their living by catching rats with their bare hands. The poorest of children could be seen in the filthy river scavenging through the rubbish for items of value.

We thank Reeta and Hari who choose a life of uncertainty to help raise the aspirations and health of this community.

Hope springs eternal!

After our busy day at the Taj Mahal, we decided we needed a more leisurely start today. An hour’s shopping allowed us to buy Indian clothes appropriate for our visits to women living in poor urban and rural situations. Aside from the pleasure of wearing colourful and comfortable clothes, we recognise the opportunity and value of showing respect for the culture of others in such a simple and yet tangible way.

A six-hour train journey to Dehradun began with much negotiation with porters over carrying our luggage. Then we could relax and chat building up relationships within the team that we knew would be vital in supporting us in the challenges ahead. As we discovered yesterday, travelling by train in India affords wonderful opportunities to observe life in all its variety. By 10pm we arrived at Dehradun, the ‘small’ city of one million people, capital of the hill state of Uttarakhand, ready for the next part of our Indian adventure.

Saturday - Very early start after all the noises of India through the night!

We nearly stretched Christine’s patience to the limit getting us all out to the station and onto the right train and carriages, but get there we did and the head count complete!

Delhi to Agra took about 3 hours and having been shocked by the plethora of fascinating and somewhat startling sights viewed from the train, (naked children playing in the dust, men squatting in full view of the railway line, and a variety of buildings from shacks created out of polythene and corrugated iron, to dilapidated old brick structures), we were then ushered into the contrasting grandeur and coolness of the trident Hotel on our arrival.

We felt it was important to sample all that Agra had to offer, so coffee on the terrace was a delightful and welcome break before we ran the gauntlet of hawkers and beggars who lined the road up to the Taj.

So what can we say – the Taj did not disappoint and was every bit as we imagined and more. The fine detail of the marble carvings and the mosaic insets in so many beautiful and varied designs and colours took our breath away. The Red Fort if anything was historically even more interesting, especially the stories of the Moghul Emperor with the three wives – one Hindu, one Muslim and one Christian from Portugal! Ecumenism was alive and well even back then. 

We survived the madly chaotic traffic with the hordes of motor bikes (some with kids and granny aboard) the three-wheeled autos bulging with passengers (were more like dodgems that real vehicles) the camels, monkeys, mangy dogs, rats, elephants and many cows and made it back to the hotel - pretty whacked but having thoroughly enjoyed an amazing day. Thanks Christine – your organisational skills and patience are amazing!

Indian adventure!

Last night, thirteen intrepid women set off to join Christine Burnett and Linda Thompson in Delhi. They arrived tired but full of anticipation just in time to join the Methody students for the final celebration of their school visit to Kalkaji Resource Centre. This was a special time particularly for Valerie Addy and Maureen Blake, who met up with daughters Katie and Joanna.

After watching the young people in their exuberant celebration they set off on a careering journey in an auto-rickshaw through the chaotic streets of Delhi. Shopping for Indian clothing then their first taste of Indian food brought the day to a welcome early close in order to snatch of few hours sleep before leaving for the Taj Mahal at 6am tomorrow.