Home Safely

After the party I had around 2 weeks left in India. I spent the first week travelling up in Himachal Pradesh with Jeff and Gary and really enjoyed my time up there. The scenery was beautiful and it was just nice to get away from the noise, pollution and heat of Delhi. The plan was then to see Agra and do some work but I managed to get dengue fever, which meant I was in bed for the last 10 days of my trip. I am now home safe and well and so it is time to reflect on my time in India.

India is an amazing nation, but a nation with many issues and problems that really need to be resolved before it really develops like it has the potential to do so. The way the 'development' is progressing at present, really seems unsustainable and inequitable. The government really need to open their eyes and act quickly to reduce the extreme poverty and extent of inequality. The poor policies, education policies, development policy etc all need some serious rethinking and the most important issue must be the corruption. The changes that need to take place will not take place until the government is free from corruption. The government needs to listen to its people and tackle the problems that the nation faces - it will not be easy and there is lots to do but it needs to be done. It simply cannot go on as it is - there is enough money in India to feed everyone, to have health care for all and to provide universal education but none of these are being achieved. Change needs to happen.

As for my actual experience of working with the children, I have loved it. These children feel like my little brothers and sisters and it really was a pleasure to work with them and I feel privileged to have met them and been able to build relationships with them. When you think what these children have been through and the problems they face everyday it really is amazing that they have the spirit that they have - such happy, polite, friendly children and they are so keen to learn. I miss them already and I am looking forward to keeping in contact with them all using the webcam I bought them and through emails. I just wish they could go to the boarding school and receive the education that could really give them a chance of escaping poverty. So many of them are so bright and have such amazing potential and I am afraid most of them will not be able to fulfil their full potential. Just another of the injustices you see every day in India.

I also want to thank Anou, her family, and all the staff involved with Project Why. Everyone made me feel so welcome from the first day and I loved getting to know them all and working with them. This organisation is doing some amazing work and I am so grateful that I was given the chance to be involved with it. I will definitely keep in contact and come back as soon as possible to work with the organisation again. It was such a positive experience and I feel I have learnt a lot and made some great friends.

Thank you Project Why. Thank you Anouradha. India 2010 is over - cant wait until India 2011!