2 Days till Christmas!

They were all sat outside the main building illuminated only by a few Christmas stars, their faces shining with happiness as they saw some visitors, it was a long way from the main road and overlooked by some local mountains. This leprousy centre cares for 40 families affected by the disease here and they have been provided houses by the government but now receive little help…only 1,000 rupees a month which is around £13. It is a good set up though as the families are able to look after their family member affected by this illness. Over half of the people were Christians and we talked about the meaning of Christmas and sang a few songs beneath a tin roof and illuminated coloured stars. We asked if there was anything they needed and they asked if it was okay if we bought them some food toward their Christmas meal which we did along with soap and oil.

It is now drawing near to Christmas and there has been much excitement in the orphanage as a kind sponsor bought clothes and presents for all the children. We have also attended a few functions, one was at a five star hotel in Coimbatore, the children took it in turns to dance, sing and be entertained by the hotel and we treated to a luxurious meal of chicken biryiani and ice-cream. Tomorrow all the children have leave and we are hiring a bus to take them all out to a famous place in the city for a nice meal, this is to be followed to a trip the park or swimming pool, yet to be decided. It will be a typically Indian last minute decision!

The children’s faces were in great fear as the stairs moved towards the sky in the shopping Centre, they had never seen moving stairs and it was one great leap for an Indian child to board this magic staircase. We had to give some of the 7 orphans we took on this trip a friendly nudge onto the escalator, it took a little while before they realized that the steps appeared too as they walked into the steps to start with by the fifth floor they were pros! It was very funny to witness their first escalator experience! KFC was the next stop and lastly dodgems which proved hilarious so with shining faces they returned sleepy and satisfied. We also went to bed happy after a successful mini trip with 7 of the orphans.

Day in the life of an orphan

Everyday between 5.30 and 6am everyone is woken up, either of their own accord or by an elder boy. Following the awakening is morning prayer which is done a little away from the orphanage under the tree on the road. There is a short bible reading by one of the older children, next is some study time in the main hall where the boys all sleep. Before breakfast all the jobs need to be completed. This includes sweeping, washing the dishes, and washing the floors, then a quick body wash and all clean and dressed for a nice breakfast. A speedy cleaning of the plate follows and they get ready for school. The youngest children have to walk across a main road and then across the main railway line and after 30mins they arrive at school. They sing the national anthem and a prayer before they commence school. Once they return from school they wash, change, play, study and then at 7.30 is a prayer meeting or reading followed by a meal, powercut, then more studying and finally at around 10pm sleep. Some of the older orphans however persist with studying until the early hours of the morning; such is the life of an Indian orphan. For most education is their only ticket to a new life.

A trip to the zoo

The bus speeds along the dust road towards the orphanage building leaving a dust cloud behind it. All the children with beaming faces run to get the best seat next to the diver which ends up not just being one seat but 5 seats as they squish into the front. This was a small trip we organized for 30 of the smaller children many of the older children have exams at this time of year so on the 15th we took them to the local zoo, gardens and park. Ice cream was also a highlight of the day, but for one boy who ate his ice cream and then went round on the roundabout so fast that his stomach must have been still rotating when the ice cream reappeared over the fence!

We also had a day trip to the most southern point of India this past week we took the eldest orphan with us who is 19, he had never seen the sea before so it was amazing to see him experience his first sight of the ocean. Where we were in Kanyakamuri the Indian Ocean, Arabic Ocean and Bay of Bengal all meet so it’s not a bad spot to see your first bit of sea! We then went to take a ferry ride to some historic temple…it’s always a bit disconcerting when you board a ferry and have to wear your life jacket ‘just in case’!

Work on the orphanage is progressing well the beams now connecting the pillars are now built and the store building is completed. Each pillar is now being added to with more metal. Most of the expenses are being supported by generous people from the West. Some of the materials has also been kindly sponsored by local companies who wish to help with the construction.

As it is the lead up to Christmas if the children have any families then they are visiting them now. We met one child’s mother while she was working in a supermarket and we had to promise to bring her 2 daughters next time. We obtained permission and took her two daughters, when she saw us she left the checkout and bought enough biscuits to fill a whale for them to take back. She spent some time with them and as we left there were tear streaming down her face, this lady has to work 6 days a week from 9am to 9pm to live in a women hostel and cant support her children.

One recent event was some carol singers, they had contacted the orphanage to say that they would arrive at 10am to sing to the children, finally at 1am in the morning they arrive all the children forced themselves awake to get only a few carols and a prayer before they made an exit. I sometimes wonder how the children are so awake/can function as many of the older ones study until the early hours of the morning before getting up at 5 or 6am. 3 hours sleep per night seems to be the price you pay in India for a good education and an escape from poverty.

These photos were taken at a school we recently went to.

Coasting West – Kerala – INDIA

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We arrive at the station a few seconds after what must have been the only on time train that day had left. The next train was in 30mins this turned out to be an hour! It was packed with people … Continue reading

Ooty

Train to take us back to Ooty 

Ooty is a town right up in the mountains and is famous for it’s tea and also is known as ‘Second England’ because at night the temperature plummets and the air is the freshest we have breathed for weeks. We took one of the oldest orphans on this trip. He had the nickname of SMS and has an appearance of an intelligent terrorist. The plan was to catch the steam train at 8am in the morning to Ooty, however we had an untimely coffee break and discovered in the café that there was one at 7.10 and another at 8 we hurriedly drank the boiling tea and ran to the station asking for directions on the way. Our quick walk took us across the main road past fruit and vegetable stalls, though a small dark alley; there were around 4 shops here all selling flowers and the smell was overpowering, we broke through this deep scented aroma into a mini bus station. Here we asked some OAPs who were on a tea break where the station was. They must have twigged from our exhausted expressions that we needed to catch the train. They raised their head and in a Tamil tongue said ‘sorry lad you missed it, gone at 7’. We then proceeded to chase it by car to the next station, but again missed it.

We then, somewhat disheartened, drove up the death trap of a road to Ooty Hills, overtaking on blind corners, more hairpin bends that there was monkeys and often no crash barriers down the vertical cliff.

 Elephant food making

The first stop was to go for a proposed elephant ride which involved a drive though Ooty and around 50km journey down the other side of the mountain, this road was even worse. Single track, tighter corners, no crash barriers and distracting words of wisdom at each corner to help to look at the road one wisely said ‘Look at the road’ and another says ‘Buckle up before you buckle down’. We drove through 2 wildlife reserves and saw plenty of monkeys and a wild elephant. We then passed briefly into the next state before reaching our destination. “No elephant rides the man says , it’s not the season.” We could hardly believe our ears. We settled for the slight compensation of observing the elephants dinner being made which looked like they just recycle what come out of the elephant in 10KG balls.. I am sure this is an incorrect observation! We did manage to get a photo with a baby elephant and it’s mother; they seemed fine with us wandering up and patting their sandpaper skin.

The following day we found out that the train in the morning that we had missed had been hit by some falling rocks and several passengers were injured and one was in critical condition. When we travelled back down the mountain by train it was obvious to see how unsafe it could be with overhanging rock bridges that you look straight down at the forest below and wonder if there is anything holding you up. In the end we arrive safely back home.

SMS with his horse

A farmer near Ooty weeding in a carrot field.The train on the decent from Ooty towards Coimbatore, Nilgiri Mountain Railway

A short trip in an Indian car…

The dinner wash-up

An engineer who is helping with the construction winds down the window of his small orange car and the bristles of his moustache mimics a Mexican wave as he smiles (as all true Indians do). The three workmen in the back lean forward with their red Hindu forehead spots shining away. He says ‘Sam can you come with us we have some checking up to do on a few sites’. So we travelled along the road and as it always does it seems that you must be going along the motorway at 70mph but it is probably only 25mph, there are no speed limit signs and no markings on the speed bumps and many holes in the road. Sometimes it may be that someone has taken the drain cover off for a little bit of maintenance or as a souvenir and there is no warning; it’s just left as a speed trap or sleep trap.

We arrive close to our first destination which is a school. The sign points left down a narrow road which had a steep drop into the turn there was a bit of a bump! We move slowly forward and then a bit more forward then stop… no power… Odd…we try the reverse, again no power. As I look out the window I can see that the tyre seems to have decided that it is going to go askew horizontally. It seems to have also dented the car somewhat and it was detached from the wheel turning lever things. So the rest of the way was to be on foot. We waited here until a mechanic arrived.

Swathi – One of the youngest girls waits for her meal on the steps of the orphanage.

The rest of the time has been spent helping continue building the orphanage. I have been taught how to cement and lay bricks and making sure it’s not all wonky. Also learnt how to carry bricks and get a wee bit sun burnt. The mosquitos here are a murderous bunch; they just seem to never have enough blood to satisfy them. Sometimes outside you just look up and there are swarms of the buzzing, blood sucking creatures. Last night was a teaching night, we taught them a songs like heads, shoulders, knees and toes. We are currently trying to organize a few trips of a few of the children and then a trip for everyone to a waterfall and a zoo so hopefully this will all work out.

So with an Indian smile and a slowly growing moustache I must dash; serving dinner time.

Two children pose while walking to school in their small tribal village on a trip to Ooty.