Sunday 24 February 2013

We woke up to a niiiiice 26 degree Friday. We had a bit of worship and a word from Amanda. Meanwhile Steve headed off to a meeting with RBS, to talk about them supporting and working with Asha (which went very well!). The rest of us went to the Asha headquarters, spoke with Vanola and relayed back to her each of our personal highlights. Some of these included seeing the boys playing cricket together, the girls group giving back to their community and the inspirational people we've all met. From there we drove on to visit a different slum, Mayapuri. Initially, it appeared a much more industrial area, full of scrap metal and old cars. I think most of us found the contrast between Mayapuri and our beloved Seelampur quite substantial. There were fewer smiley children wanting to shake our hands and more men covered in oil watching us. There was constant noise from drills and clanging metal. We were welcomed in to the Asha centre by Trehsi and other volunteers. Sadly, there had been a car accident in the slum that morning, killing two people, so it was a very sad day for the community. It also meant that some of the Asha volunteers were away dealing with that. But we still got an introduction from each of the children and songs and dances were shared (what cuties). A young guy that had grown up through the Asha group came and told us what a difference Asha's support has made to his life and that he is now studying at university. Later we were taken through the slum and invited in to the home of a woman who lived by the railway line. She had lost her legs after being hit by a train as a child, she now has a husband and four children. The tracks were no more than a meter from the homes and the children were playing on them in between trains coming (on the half hour). I think the danger of that struck quite a few of us. We were welcomed in to another woman's home. She was very welcoming, offering us tea. Unlike Seelampur, the buildings were low rise and made mostly out of tarpaulin and wood, so felt very close to the ground and cosy. We went back to the centre, prayed for Trehsi and got ready to leave. On the surface, the majority of us felt more uneasy in Mayapuri, but maybe we would have felt more at home if we had stayed there longer. We definitely came away appreciative of Seelampur's community spirit. For lunch we went to McDonalds, which gave some of our tummies a rest from 24/7 curry. Then we went to the Emporium, with floor after floor of beautiful Indian craft. We ended the day on a meal from our trusty YWCA canteen. Holaaaaa, Amelia xxxx (classic Steve)

3 comments:

  1. WELCOME HOME EVERYONE!! Hope you have had a good flight and that the extreme differences between London and Delhi don't overwhelm you too much!!
    Looking forward to hearing all about your experiences and seeing your photos.
    I have loved reading the bloggs (and will miss them. Thank you for taking the time to write to all of us.
    Have a good nights sleep!
    love, Heather x

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