Celebration Saturday

Hi guys

Well that's us done here for this year. Chris and the boys all really enjoyed the shopping this morning. An exercise in speed shopping was just what they needed and the Emporium certainly obliged. Experts from John Lewis and Ikea will understand the well oiled system of purchase, payment and collection - if you're lucky!

Lunch comprised a battery of cheese and tomatoe toasties amd many plate of chips, which they do very well here. Thus well fortified we headed for the grande finale at Trilokpuri dressed in our recently purchased Indian finery, lads included. as expected the start was a little delayed - about 2 hours - but eventually Dr Kiran Martin did mange to struggle through the Delhi traffic to recah the slum. Once underway things certainly went with a swing. Bollywood writ large with colourful performances from the children of Trilokpuri followed by Maddy and Cricketing Chris who danced on his knees. Alex managed to avoid the intricacies of Bollywood performance by operating the video camera. The marigolds flew. Watch the screen at St Stephens on Sunday 14 March for the results!! 'Speeches' given with Amanda leading the thanks and Crricketing Chris and Maggie adding their own thoughts. Kiran did a great job conveying this in the Hindi language - or so we think anyway. Sweeta, our Asha host lady, acted as Master of Ceremonies with great aplomb and grace as she has done throughout our visit. Drinks and refreshments followed, enabling us to have really interesting and informative conversations with Kiran, before we bid an emotional farewell and headed back to the YWCA and cold showers yet again for some of us (Cricketing Chris won the lottery and had the benfit of the hot water today!).

Fairly exhausted by now Amanda, Sue and David had to turn around and head out for dinner and chat with Freddy and Kiran. Alex had a lucky escape and joined the younger set as we lived the luxury of drinks at the Imperial Hotel. We lost Jungle Chris a couple of times but eventually made it back to the YWCA amd persuaded the kitchen staff that we couldn't survive on toasted sandwiches and so they magically produced vegetable noodles and further plates of chips at 9.45. We're done in....................... and so to bed, to rise at 8am again for final breakfast and team meting then home.

Maggie, Margo (and Cricketing Chris when he could tear himself from the TV screen where Sri Lanka lost to Pakistan in a great match).
THE END

Last Working Day at Trilok Puri

Another 9am pick up at the YWCA by Vimal. Glorious sunshine above the smog and no sign of the promised rains. On arrival at the Centre we divided up to ensure we covered off the final tasks. A surprise request was the addition of a height chart which will be used to measure pregnant women's height - those below a certain height are considered to have additional health risks during their pregnancy so it is an important simple addition. Margo then decorated this with further colourful characters. The team added several extra paintings in the 'jungle' room and completed the downstairs room. The keenness to paint continued as each doorway in the centre was decorated with painted flowers. On stepping back we are all amazed at what we have achieved in each of the rooms.

Chris and Alex continued with the ever popular cricket with the boys before they went off to school. We then were taken through the health record keeping that is undertaken. The incredible detail would be an admired by any hospital, allowing ASHA and ourselves to understand what does and perhaps does not work. Number of births, inoculations, men, women, children and a variety of other data is compiled into a year end report. Each mother 'to be' receives a detailed record card, a copy of which is kept at the centre. Each child then receives a card to record their progress. This data is also recorded within a series of large books held at the centre. No use of computers is made until the data is recorded at the ASHA centre.

We were then offered another superb lunch by the ladies of the centre. Rice, dal and chapati were very welcome along with crisps and fruit, certainly more than enough to recharge us for the afternoon.

Next it was Henna time. Try and catch up with any of the team in the next week or so and you will see the variety of decorations, some more exotic than others. There may be some explaining to do. The girls are incredibly artistic and thoroughly enjoyed painting our hands and arms. We are told it will fade....
Friday afternoon is a regular prayer meeting for all who wish to join. We all sit cross legged on the floor thinking the room was full, but the women kept streaming in, until there was no space left on the floor. Led by a drummer, the women sang a number of lively worship songs, then turned to us to do the same. Our unaccompanied singing does not quite match to theirs, but it was good to worship with everyone there. The women encourage each other through their testimonies, which ranged from praying for lost motor cycle keys to praying for health and healing. Their joy at their answered prayers is always encouraging and we in turn shared a few testimonies with them. It was a good time which we closed by breaking into small groups and praying for individuals.
Dave and Sue

Day 4 - Visit to Seelampur Slum

Today we headed to Seelampur slum which is where last year's team had worked. On the way there we saw a trade unions rally, elephants on the motorway, and bicycles and rickshaws going the wrong way (or so it seemed). I also saw a monkey. All a photographic feast!

As we arrived at the Seelampur slum I quickly noticed that it was in a worse state than Trilok Puri where we've been all week. There was still a lot of filthy water about from flooding late last year and there was a lot more rubbish and debris scattered about. The greeting we got was far from subdued though - showered once again with petals and garlands of orange flowers placed around our necks by the children. They were clearly very excited to see us and provided yet another photographic feast - my lens was not wide angle enough to cope with the heaving throng of kids wanting their photo taken! I am struck by the amazing contrast between the squalor of the slum and the vibrant colours worn by the women, and the boys all in jeans and shirts - everyone looked well dressed and clean.

Asha works with 2,000 families in this slum of which 80% are Muslim. Their main focus was originally healthcare but there has been a recent shift towards education and enabling children to finish school and even get into college/university.

We sat and listened to updates from various groups: the Women's Association now has 200 members and has helped train women in various aspects of healthcare, including 32 "birth attendants" (midwives). This has helped many women not only help others through access to vaccinations such as tuberculosis, but also to learn to read and write as they keep health records.

Then we heard from the students. All of them are the first from their family to ever get into college. Asha has helped them prepare for exams, fill applications, buy books and even cover fees. They talk of how this has given them a real boost in confidence, a "change in personality". They are studying subjects such as political science and various languages. All of them seemed to have much more clue about what they would like to become than I did when I was 18! Many want to be teachers, government administrators, lawyers and even politicians. It really is an amazing feat for them to have got into college and onto a ladder that actually has a hope of being climbed, rather than being locked into a seemingly hopeless environment. I can see that education really is the key to longterm change.

We then heard from some of the younger pupils, all of whom now aspire to go to college. They were all so grateful for how Asha had helped and to us for supporting Asha, proudly showing us text books that they would not otherwise have been able to afford.

We were really impacted about how these kids want to help others: they will each a adopt a lane and visit people there to check whether they've accessed health services that Asha could provide (eg polio vaccines), they visit the elderly, and talk to parents whose kids are not in school - explaining the benefits! They clearly value their education so much and any new opportunity they are given - opportunities that I know I have taken for granted. These kids, as young as 11, even speak to government officials and go on protests with placards to facilitate change.

This was all a lot to take in, and only by lunchtime! Someone commented that not a day goes by when they don't remember last year's team - our visits obviously have a much greater impact than we can grasp. Everyone seems very thankful.

After lunch we went on a slum walk to visit various families and pray in their homes. The homes are generally tiny and overcrowded and it was hard to believe that some of the smiley students and kids actually live in such hovels.

From the slum we headed to Old Delhi to wander around the market and past the Red Fort and a large mosque. We got into rickshaws which proved to be an adrenaline rush as at one point we we heading into oncoming traffic... but standard procedure here... no worries...

Lots more to say but I'm knackered and need sleep!

Jeremy and team

Going well...

Day two and three...
The jungle...
The jungle has grown well and several monkeys, a parrot, couple of toucans, lions, a big yellow spotted snake and a rather large tiger have now taken up residence in the Asha clinic. The other room simply teems with aquatic creatures of all sorts, some familiar to me (Chris Gavin or... Tiger Chris as I am now known - guess what I painted!) from last year including a couple of rather brilliant sharks... we're probably close to finishing the last two out of three rooms now.
Prayer walking...
We have all been on prayer walks now and have been very impressed with the people who are living here as well as the hugely significant changes. We are made to feel very welcome in each home we visit and offered cold drinks, sometimes chai and once even our dinner! We have definitely seen how much Asha can help.

I think we all felt that we were being shown the best homes to show what a difference Asha makes. Last night one prayer point I requested was that we might meet some people in need and that I would hear God more clearly when praying. We were walking through one of the tiny streets when a woman called us to enter her house. She told us of financial problems and repeated health problems in her family. She also said that there was no unity amongst the family and as with most of the visits we were asked to pray. This time I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me with simple scriptures and as we prayed I felt God was going to significantly change this womans life. Our host Surita then encouraged this woman to come along to the prayer meeting on Friday and said she would give her a New Testament.
Opposition...
At our final visit of the morning we were in a room with several women including a fully veiled bride and a tiny baby... A woman arrived who identified herself as a Christian and authenticated this by saying she was married to a man named Samuel. She then told the person who lived there not to allow us to pray. Sweeta, our host, said this woman did not even live in the slum and felt there was an evil spirit involved. Sadly the woman who lived there decided to listen and so we didn't pray openly as we respected her wishes. Returning to the clinic we stopped in a lane which Surita said experiences much trouble with a person who comes and shouts... there is also opposition to Asha's work there. We stopped and asked God to deal with this situation and to make a change.
I am glad we are moving in places in need of change thank God :)

There is loads more: Sue Dave, Jeremy and Margo gave some motivational and interview technique talks to the students today, we had a joint prayer meeting with testimonies and a shared lunch in the clinic, a huge pot of flavoured rice and greens with our usual bananas and coke... As a bit of a teaser, yesterday we inspected a toilet block... ask the team when we get back! The children are brilliant and we always have the opportunity to ask for God's blessing on them... The politness and willingness of the boys to greet us is great and surprisingly this carries through the range of ages from young to old.
We are all (very) thankful for good health and for your prayers at home... Be very assured, God is answering :)
Amanda is leading us really well, but a good night's sleep would do her the world of good.
God bless you all with love from
Delhi Team 2011
Psalm 16:11

Monday-first day in Trilokpuri

OK guys. Not sure how many are catching up on our activities in Delhi but we started in earnest today with a 6.45 call to be ready for the off from the Blue Triangle at 9 and our first day in Trilokpuri. The day was fine with clear skies and sunshine, the thunder and rain of yesterday evening long gone. Bimal was waitig for us in the minibus to drive across the River Yumana to our initial meeting with the Asha team at Trilokpuri and a look at the task we have taken on. We had a fantastic welcome - I've never been given a garland or had rose petals thrown over me before! The slum itself is one of the better ones as it has been established so long with Asha having worked there for 20 years. Some of the staff have been there almost as long and the community is well developed, the women confident and able to manage their lives and bring improvements to the community overall. They have a well organised health network with the 'lane volunteers' each with their medical box which they were very proud to show us. The two women's organsiations have also become well established ands run their own affairs with very well written accounts!

We met children from a range of ages. Some are in the last stage of school and working for their final exams with hopes of going on to college. Asha staff help them with their applications and also in their studies. It was amazing to see the writing and the maths that some were doing - they were keen to show us their books and how neat their work was. Chris Grady managed to involve a number in an impromtu gane of mini indoor cricket, much to the boys delight. The posters we made were a big hit and we were able to spend a few minutes on each explaining the piece of London we had brought to show them. They have a computer room where the posters will be displayed. We saw the boys in the morning as the girls go to school then ( I wonder why??) and the boys go in the afternoon. We found, after the understandable initial uncertainty, they were very willing to talk and quite a number spoke a reasonable level of English so we were able to communciate fairly well.

After lunch we got on with the painting. The basic background work had been done so we were able to start straight away on murals - jungle scene in the larger room and undersea in another. Work progressed pretty well, interrupted by groups of girls popping in and an impromtu display of dancing and singing - by them i should add. The girls were full of life and chatter. Some of our team went out for a while to visit people in the slum whilst others ploughed on with the painting. More tomorrow and another room to paint - amazing how the project changes so rapidly and we have to amend the plans! We packed up shortly after 5 and headed back to the YWCA for a welcome shower and then out for a meal in Connaught Place. A great curry. Came back in tuck tucks after some hard bargaining to get a reasonable price. The place was still heaving and such a mix of indian and western it is a lot to take in. We continue all well and look forward to tomorrow's challenges - cricket outdoors and craft (thanks Debs - the snakes will be great) as well as more painting and visiting so there's plenty to keep us occupied.

Bedtime now here so good nght and God bless.

Maggie and the team

Sunday In Delhi

Officially our day off... well we haven't done anything to deserve a day off yet, however, we took advantage to see some of the sights of Delhi. The plan was to start at India Gate, but the Delhi Marathon put paid to that and so we headed for Lodi Gardens. What a tranquil spot. Lovely sunshine with couples and families enjoying the day out. I'm not sure I've seen quite so many stray dogs about - here too there were plenty lazing in the glorious sun. It's spring here, with marigolds, sweetpeas and many other bright colourful flowers already in full bloom. After a wander around the various 600+ year old tombs, we made our way to the American Diner for lunch. I know, we should be more adventurous, but we opted for a safe lunch.
After lunch we headed for Humayun's Tomb, where the crowds were certainly growing and the clouds were gathering. We spent an hour or so there and made it back to our vehicle before the thunder and lightning and the heavens opened.
Our driver, Bimal, then negotiated the traffic back to India Gate, where we dashed from the car to the gate in the pouring rain. Still it had to be done and the gate is impressive.
Back to the YWCA, for tea and dry off before some of the party headed out again to see the Gudwara next door.
We are all well and looking forward to starting the real trip in the morning.
Sue and Dave.

First Day in Delhi!

After a good nights sleep the team left the Blue Triangle and were taken to the Asha Clinic where we had our induction. We were warmly welcomed by the team and Freddie Martin, who told us about their programmes and the work we would be doing over the course of the week. We were able to learn about the amazing backgrounds of the people within the Asha team, who are all hugely modist but have a collection of PHD's, MBA's and the like. We were then driven to a local market, where we were able to bargain for our Indian clothes. Some got better deals than others!! Men and women shopped seperately - so you can guess who finished first! We returned to the Blue Triangle and had dinner, before turning. Love from all the team, Maddy and Margo xx

Hi there everyone! Just posting this to let you all know that we have arrived and are chilling out at the ywca after our long overnight flight which was very smooth and with very little turbulence. We were greeted at the airport by Bimal a smiling Asha driver who was holding a large sign reading AMANDA ASHA - a very nice welcome! The weather here is lovely - it feels like a nice summers day - a pleasant change from back home! We have all checked into our rooms which are on the opposite side of the building to the Gurdwara, which will hopefully mean we all get good nights sleep, and are all on the 3rd floor. It's 6 o'clock here, and we will go out and get some early food before catching a good nights sleep in preparation for our induction at the Asha HQ tomorrow morning. Love from us all, thank you for your prayers, keep them up! Alex and Amanda xx

2011 Team preparations

Well there are now only 3 days to go until the 10 of us are due to meet at T3 at Heathrow to check into our flight to Delhi. It is exciting and a little daunting. I at least know mostly what to expect, although as we are going to a different slum, the building we will be working in and Asha staff we will be working with will be different. For the rest of the team, with the exception of Chris Gavin who came with me last year, it will a completely new adventure.
Tonight we are being prayed for in church at the 6pm service which will be great.
Please do hold us in your prayers...for good sleep (dispite jet lag and the loudspeakers from the Gurdwara next door), good health, energy and safety doing our practical tasks and travelling on Delhi's chaotic roads. Please pray that we are able to be a real blessing to the Asha staff and the slum dwellers whom we go to serve. May we be bearers of hope in a dark place! Amanda xx

London Sightseeing Tour

We had a great day on 16th January going round London visiting 10 places we thought the slum dwellers might like to know about. Each team member had chosen a place and when we got there, we took photos and gathered information that we could use to make a poster of the location. The places we visited in the day- all masterfully coordinated by Chris Grady- were the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Westmister Abbey, the National Gallery, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge ,the City, the Globe Theatre, Lords Cricket Ground, and Harrods.

It was a fun day where we got to know each other better, enjoyed the sights London has to offer and were very grateful for a beautiful day. We have now made some wonderfully colourful and informative posters that we will take out and use to decorate the computer room in the slum.