Welcome to Delhi!

Delhi and Molar Bund

After a night of much needed sleep, we began our day with a passionate information presentation on India’s history and culture led by our trip facilitators, Tera and Anita. Following the presentation and lunch, we drove over to Molar Bund, a slum school in Delhi, where we toured and worked with the 12^th grade girls in setting up for the school wide carnival this Friday.

Our Global Ed. group is reading the novel Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo. The book notes how with increasing wealth, the Anawandi squatters’ sheet walls turn to brick ones, but, sadly, this transition rarely occurs. On our ride home from Molar Bund, I looked out the bus window to the curbside dwellings and noticed the crowded conditions. Some of the homes’ walls were sheets – others bricks. Seeing these homes brought Boo’s novel to life. At home, I could imagine the lack of privacy, the roaming livestock, and the stench caused by the lack of sanitation described in Boo's book. My imagination, however, could not fathom reality.

-Morgan McNair  

Photo Collages by Alison Cohen

Oneness

 

 

After our second breakfast in India, we started our day by piling into the bus and touring around New and Old Delhi. We visited many historic and religious sites, including the Jama Masjid mosque and the Baha’i temple. India, not being the only country to house a Baha’i temple, has one of the most fascinating ones. As the Lotus flower is an important symbol in many religions in India, the Indian Baha’i temple was built into the shape of the flower. In India, the outside of the Baha’i temple is pure white, while the inside, although simple, has beautiful tan and white patterns. While we walked around the information center with a volunteer from the temple, he informed us about the belief of oneness among different religions. As we sat inside the temple listening to prayers from different religions, I pondered this concept about oneness. Before we arrived in India, the nine girls on the trip were not all best friends, but as we started our Indian adventures, we have been able to discover oneness. Bonding through the heat of India, the difference of a new culture, and the struggles of Bollywood dancing, we have been able to find the oneness of friendship, similar to the concept of the oneness believed in the Baha’i temple.

 

Sarah Lasky

Modern School

Today we traveled between two vastly different worlds. We started our day by waking up at 5:45 in order to eat breakfast and travel to the Modern School. As we drove towards the Modern School, the scenery outside of the bus window changed right before our eyes. Tarps used as roofs for homes transformed into gated houses with beautiful balconies. Our jaws dropped as we walked into this school that felt out of place compared to the other parts of New Delhi we had seen the last two days. A welcoming party greeted us as well as a group of boys from Japan. While jasmine flowers were draped around our neck, and a symbolic candle was lit, we could not believe our eyes. We then walked into a theater and were in shock by how much what we were seeing reminded us of Holton. After watching an amazing assembly put on by 7th graders, we traveled upstairs where we began to bond with the Modern School students. Many of the students reminded us of ourselves, and none of us wanted to leave at the end of our visit. After exchanging names for Facebook, we boarded the bus and drove to Molarbund. It was breath-taking to witness the life in the slums after visiting the Modern School. While we prepared for the carnival we were setting up by sorting candy and toys into different groups based on what size prize they would be, we talked about how the Modern School students would never travel into the slums in order to do community service work. It was heart wrenching to watch the young girls at Molarbund play games that we set up for the carnival and lit up with joy when they won a small toy that normally would be a common household good in almost any of our or the Modern School students houses. Even though we wanted to stay and hang out with the Modern School students, I know we all felt good about the work we were doing at Molarbund. Even though the two schools were very different, we really enjoyed both of them and can’t wait to see what tomorrow at the Taj brings!
-Maggie Bosch

The Taj

After an early 4:15 AM wake up call, we boarded the train to Agra. In Agra, we had the privilege of seeing the magnificent Taj Mahal. To say that we were all awestruck at the beauty of the Taj Mahal was an understatement. All of the marble and stone work was so intricately done, and I was amazed how people built the Taj Mahal so long ago. We also visited many other places such as the Agra Fort. Our guide was able to give us insight into why each place was constructed, which I also found interesting. For example, the Taj Mahal was built as a memorial to the Mogul Emperor, Shah Jahan’s, wife. The Taj Mahal continues to symbolize the love they shared. It was interesting to see how each of the different places we visited memorialized the past. At the Taj Mahal and other tourist attractions in Agra, many beggars approached us. The look of desperation on the faces boys and girls from the ages of 5 to 60 was shocking and sad. I felt guilty when I would say no to “vendors” trying to sell me items for 100 Rupees (under $2), but at the same time, one of our facilitators, Tara, explained how much of the money given to beggars is actually given to a “mafia.” Although most of us did not purchase items from the beggars, we did contribute. On the early morning train, the hotel packed us a large breakfast that some of us did not eat, so we gave our leftover food to people outside of the train station. Our day was extremely busy and hard at some points, but it was an experience that none of us will ever forget.

Throughout our time in Delhi, we took three Bollywood dance classes. At first, Bollywood dancing seemed incredibly challenging and it seemed like some of us would never get it. Despite my lack of dancing ability and coordination, by the end, we were all able to dance all of the three dances that our instructor taught us. Our instructor, Sahej, was extremely personable and an amazing teacher. He contributed to making the dance classes something to look forward to, and we all had an amazing time. Although the classes were tiring (my back and my legs still hurt!), our group was able to bond over funny moments in Bollywood dance class. At the end of our last Bollywood dance class, we performed the three dances we learned to our trip coordinator, Anita, and Ms. Buko. Anita and Ms. Buko were so impressed by how quickly we picked up the Bollywood movements, and performing all of our new dance moves was a blast. I will never forget the experiences shared in Bollywood dance class, and for me at least, learning how to do Bollywood dances was one of the highlights of my trip. We all loved it so much that we are thinking about taking a Bollywood dance class back home! So far each day has been better than the next, and this trip has truly made me grateful for all I have. In addition, it has made me want to give back to less fortunate people to make a difference in the world.

 -Caroline Menkes

The Taj

After an early 4:15 AM wake up call, we boarded the train to Agra. In Agra, we had the privilege of seeing the magnificent Taj Mahal. To say that we were all awestruck at the beauty of the Taj Mahal was an understatement. All of the marble and stone work was so intricately done, and I was amazed how people built the Taj Mahal so long ago. We also visited many other places such as the Agra Fort. Our guide was able to give us insight into why each place was constructed, which I also found interesting. For example, the Taj Mahal was built as a memorial to the Mogul Emperor, Shah Jahan’s, wife. The Taj Mahal continues to symbolize the love they shared. It was interesting to see how each of the different places we visited memorialized the past. At the Taj Mahal and other tourist attractions in Agra, many beggars approached us. The look of desperation on the faces boys and girls from the ages of 5 to 60 was shocking and sad. I felt guilty when I would say no to “vendors” trying to sell me items for 100 Rupees (under $2), but at the same time, one of our facilitators, Tara, explained how much of the money given to beggars is actually given to a “mafia.” Although most of us did not purchase items from the beggars, we did contribute. On the early morning train, the hotel packed us a large breakfast that some of us did not eat, so we gave our leftover food to people outside of the train station. Our day was extremely busy and hard at some points, but it was an experience that none of us will ever forget.

Throughout our time in Delhi, we took three Bollywood dance classes. At first, Bollywood dancing seemed incredibly challenging and it seemed like some of us would never get it. Despite my lack of dancing ability and coordination, by the end, we were all able to dance all of the three dances that our instructor taught us. Our instructor, Sahej, was extremely personable and an amazing teacher. He contributed to making the dance classes something to look forward to, and we all had an amazing time. Although the classes were tiring (my back and my legs still hurt!), our group was able to bond over funny moments in Bollywood dance class. At the end of our last Bollywood dance class, we performed the three dances we learned to our trip coordinator, Anita, and Ms. Buko. Anita and Ms. Buko were so impressed by how quickly we picked up the Bollywood movements, and performing all of our new dance moves was a blast. I will never forget the experiences shared in Bollywood dance class, and for me at least, learning how to do Bollywood dances was one of the highlights of my trip. We all loved it so much that we are thinking about taking a Bollywood dance class back home! So far each day has been better than the next, and this trip has truly made me grateful for all I have. In addition, it has made me want to give back to less fortunate people to make a difference in the world.

 -Caroline Menkes

"My life is my message" -Mahatma Gandhi

Hi everyone!
It's Alison. We're having a spectacular time here in INDIA.

Today was a very fun day. Breakfast at the hotel consisted of puffed naan, chole, porridge, and tea. Then we headed off to meet an Indian textile and clothing designer. We all tried on saris. The designer talked about how her designs were a fusion of tradition and modernity (a main theme we are focusing on this trip!). Some call America the melting pot of cultures - India too is a melting pot. However, India is a melting pot of maintaining traditions and exploring new ideas, the lifestyles of the old blending with the new generation, and the struggle to maintain one's faith and culture while assimilating to the modern era.

After meeting with the designer we headed off to see the Mahatma Gandhi Museum, located at the site where he was shot and killed. One of the quotes from Gandhi that really resonated with me is "my life is my message." Similar to his "be the change you want to see in the world," Gandhi's quote inspires me to take charge of my own life to help people in need on a mass scale. We were amused and slightly embarrassed by the irony in the day - here we were appreciating Gandhi's message of simplicity and asceticism, yet we had our big shopping day today. On our way back to the hotel from the museum, our guide, Thomas, showed us pictures of his family. We love Thomas.

After lunch, we went shopping at an outdoor market. We tried our hand at bargaining, although Thomas was much better than all of us. Although bargaining was fun and expected by the vendors, I thought about how haggling for what might be a few cents to us could really make a huge difference for the people selling the items. 100 rupees may be 2 dollars to us, but it could buy a child a few more meals. At many of the stands, children sitting with their parents pressured us to buy another item. However, the pressure was nothing compared to the begging we experienced at the Taj yesterday. There, each one of us had multiple children following us, begging us to look at their face and buy the items they were selling.Tara told us that these children often be long to mafias where they may get to keep 1 rupee of the 10 they collect.

After the outdoor market, we had a long talk with Tara debriefing our past few days. We discussed poverty and the begging we experienced at the Taj. Everyone who visits India says the intense poverty situated next to all the wealth is unbelievable and overwhelming, but you really can't understand it until you're here. Going into the trip, Morgan and I knew the statistics about the huge income gap in India as we had done an APES and history project on it - 836 million people live below the poverty line whereas India has the fourth most amount of billionaires in the world totaling 55, 52 rupees approximately converts to one dollar, etc, etc. However, seeing the hundreds of people begging for a few cents at one of the most grandiose buildings in the world really made it come to life. We discussed how we wish we could support all of them, but the numbers just seem so overwhelming.

Finding a way to provide education to the masses and providing clean water will be what leads India to further development and brings solutions to these struggles. On the education front, I wonder which path in life would be best: directly educating the kids at Molar Bund, who wouldn't have a chance otherwise, or educating the girls at The Modern School, who could be the future leaders of the country and could bring change to many more people. That is not to say one is more important than the other - both are necessary for a thriving society. I believe that our generation has the potential to solve many of these problems and the Millennium Goals. Just one person can accomplish so much, and Holton provides us with the tools necessary to successfully contemplate viable solutions to many of these problems. The Modern School is also so similar to Holton that we could establish some type of collaboration while in school to make a big difference here. I just wish we were in India longer so we could make more of a direct difference while here. It may sound naive and idealistic to believe that we can completely eradicate poverty, hunger, or war, but, drawing inspiration from one of my favorite quotes, those who think they can change the world are the ones that do. The Holton Global Ed program is a wonderful introduction for Holton girls to find compassion for others in our globalized world and to remove ourselves from the DC bubble.

After our discussion with Tara, we went for our final session of Bollywood dancing with our choreographer and best friend, Sehaj. After dancing we had dinner and packed our bags. Tomorrow we head off to Amritsar!

- Alison
PS - He in Many other mysticalities Makes insightful sayings - said Your own understandings

The Wagah Border and The Golden Temple

After arriving in Amritsar yesterday, we learned about the shootings of Sikhs in Wisconsin. Later, we visited the Jallianwala Bagh public garden. In 1919, the British government ambushed this meeting ground and massacred nearly 2,000 Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims. It is shameful that after almost 100 years, we still have not learned acceptance. Every step we took at Jallianwala Bagh was another reminder of the tragic events in Wisconsin. Also, to think these tragedies happened to such an accepting religion is even worse. These crimes were against Sikhism, a religion that aims not only to tolerate all other religions but also to practice pluralism in addition to gender equality since its beginning days. I was reminded of the positive that can exist when we visited the Indian Pakistani border. India and Pakistan have had well-known tensions since the Partition. However, the thousands of people at the border to watch the changing of the guards were all about acceptance. Everyone craned his or her neck to get a glimpse of the Indian and Pakistani guards shaking hands and crossing flags. The Indian people welcomed us into their dancing circles, and they even let us run the Indian flag down to the Pakistani border and back. This morning, we visited the Golden Temple, the most holy site for the Sikhs. Once again I could feel the eyes on me, but this time I was not so ashamed to be there. I still feel awful about what happened in Wisconsin, though I’ve realized that I have a responsibility to put a stop to the hatred that could be born. By coming to the temple, I can show my respect for the religion and prove to those hurt by the ramifications of the shootings that we can live as one peacefully. Visiting the temple was an amazing experience, and the people showed nothing but kindness to us. My heart goes out to those hurt and affected by the shootings in Wisconsin.
- Alison

Paradoxes

Since we have arrived in India, we have continually discussed how it is a country of paradoxes. The past two days’ events definitely highlighted that theme. After arriving in Amritsar, we learned that six Sikhs in Milwaukee were killed by an unknown gunman. How ironic was it that the next day, as Americans, we were visiting the Golden Temple, a holy temple precious to Sikhs. After reflecting on the shooting and what it meant for us as Americans in India, the idea of both fear and courage came into my head. Some may think that the two words are eons apart- that to be fearful is to lack courage. But in my opinion, I believe the opposite is true. Fear is courage. To be courageous enough to take a bite of the street vendors corn even though you have a deathly fear of Delhi belly. But most importantly, to have the courage to understand and accept those that are different. Today, at the Golden Temple, a Sikh woman who only spoke Hindi approached me and pointed to my camera, which was hanging on a strap on my wrist. Although I could not fully understand her, I realized that she was telling me to hold it in my hand so that I would not lose it in the hustle and bustle of getting into the temple. Despite the killings of the previous day, this woman, a Sikh, still cared that I, an American, did not lose my camera. That’s courage- being kind and compassionate when it seems as if the whole world is against you. I mentioned earlier that the past two days were a paradox because despite the heaviness of the massacre, it was by far one of our most poignant days in India. We visited the Wagah Border where we witnessed the changing of the guard. We danced in the street with Indian women to the heavy beat of Jai Ho. We ran with the Indian flag flying high in the wind, its colors of saffron, white and green creating a beautiful image in the setting sun. Green for fertility, white for peace and saffron for courage. This is why we’re here. To learn as much as we can, to connect with as many people as possible, in order to bring our knowledge, our acceptance, and our understanding back to the United States. --Lexi Butler

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Judge's Court

We started our day with yoga on the balcony of Judge's Court. Morgan led us through a few poses, and I showed off my tree pose. After breakfast, the local historian (and our tour guide) led us on a two hour tour of Garli, a nearby heritage village over a century old. We visited several beautiful village homes and even received prashad (sweet offering) from a woman within a local Hindu temple dedicated to Hanuman. Our guide's pride in his village was both heartwarming and contagious. The other people we spoke with shared a similar love for their village. After lunch back at Judges Court, Thomas showed off his badminton skills. Only Morgan had a shot at keeping up because the rest of us could barely hit the birdie over the net! Then Thomas had a surprise for us; we got to milk cows - or at least try to...It's a lot harder than it looks. Later, we returned to the local village to practice our bargaining skills. Alison, Caroline, and I tasted the most delicious samosas. At dinner that night, we were treated to another surprise: bagpipers! This talent and the instruments has been passed down the generations by gurus since the British colonial time. During our down time today, we had story time to unwind. Ms. Buko and Ms. Archibald read us excerpts from The Life of Pi. The novel relates to the theme of religious pluralism that we've been discussing. Pi, the main character, delves even deeper into pluralism. After educating himself about his diverse religious surroundings while growing up in India, Pi falls in love with Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam; he begins practicing all three religions at once. The story continues but all in all, The Life of Pi reflects a vital lesson that we've learned in India; we've learned that with education and empathy, we can work towards resolving problems like poverty, religious intolerance, violence, among many others.

 -Rachel

Dharamsala

Greetings from Dharamsala! So, before I begin, on a scale of 1 to desperation, how badly do you all miss us? Cause we here in India have reached a consensus that we're never leaving. Sorry. It's not you, it's us. Anyways, on Thursday we arrived in Dharamsala. We are staying at the magnificent Norbulingka Institute. The institute was designed as a place to preserve Tibetan arts and culture, which is actively being destroyed within Tibetan walls. Let me give you a little back story... In the 1950's, Chinese military forces invaded Tibet in a violent and brutal invasion. Tibetan forces couldn't compete against the super-power that is China. Since the occupation, Tibet has ceased to exist as it once was. Now overrun by Chinese military forces, culture and tradition have been destroyed, and even His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been driven out. In fact, last year the Dalai Lama relinquished his role as political head of Tibet, but remains the spiritual head. The problem surrounding Tibetan occupation is that few nations want to get involved. Challenging China could end in disaster for any of China's allies. While our moral compasses tell us Tibetan people need our help, China plays a large role in the USA's present and future, and jeopardizing that relationship is a major risk. We have here a lose-lose situation. On the bright side, India has graciously opened its doors to refugees, and now Dharamsala has become somewhat of a mini-Lhasa. Inside Norbulingka, Tibetan arts and culture abounds. There is the most beautifully decorated Buddhist temple, where we had a meditation lesson. There are workshops devoted to preserving the arts. Over the past two days, we have tried our hand at Thangka drawing and wood-painting. Note I used the word 'tried'. There are also gift shops and restaurants for tourists like us, who come from all over to see the preserved traditions. Two of our favorite activities here so far have been our visit to the pre-school, and exploring Mcleod Ganj. On Friday morning, we visited the Norling Preschool. The school accepts children age 1 month to 6 years, and focuses on providing the children with an education, especially because their parents may not have had the same opportunity. Each smile we earned from a child was our own personal victory. How cherubic those children were... We also explored Mcleod Ganj. The town lies high up in the Himalayas, and houses the Dalai Lama's summer palace, and the temple he attends. To stand in a place where such a holy presence worships is a profound experience, especially with the picture-perfect view of the Himalayas in the backdrop. We followed up our temple visit with some shopping, and dinner at Mc'llo restaurant. To me, you can't fully understand a culture until you've experienced nightlife, and tonight, shopping and dining was just that. It was perfection! And we ate a ton of naan. I mean, does life get any better? Well, that was a mouthful. We miss you all!
-Lindsey
p.s. Hi Mom & Dad!

Cord

Hello all. It's Jazmyn here! 

 

      This morning we visited the village of Sidhbari, Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh to learn about the CORD organization. CORD's initial goal when it was founded in 1985 was to provide maternal and child healthcare. Today CORD's mission is "to facilitate integrated and sustainable development in Rural India through Self Empowering processes." CORD goes beyond just providing villagers with fleeting means. The organization empowers women through promoting unity among women within their communities while simultaneously encouraging a woman's independence. Together women advocate for their rights, and they form self-help groups in which they generate funds amongst themselves for the purpose of helping each other.    

 

     We started off our day at CORD by sitting in on a Hindu morning prayer service, and two of The Modern School girls that were with us participated in performing the rituals.  While at the CORD location, we toured the center and learned about the many programs the organization offers, which supports more than 550 villages. I will refrain from going into detail about the large variety of training opportunities that CORD offers, but I will name a few examples. We witnessed young ladies learning how to sew clothing, bags, etc., and in addition to receiving this free training, these seamstresses also have free access to CORD shops in which they can sell their goods. The CORD concept for these artisans is "earn while you learn." We also watched the process of transforming colorful threads into beautiful pieces of fabric using the hand loom. It is a very intricate and time consuming process indeed, and it requires quite a bit of patience! But CORD doesn't limit it's training to only women. Men can participate too. 

 

    I was fascinated by the beautiful artwork produced by the deaf men and women. They craftily produced pieces with a traditional Indian influence, and they sell their artwork in shops. CORD also provides onsite healthcare and physical therapy for the disabled and mentally challenged, and members of the organization are very proud of those disabled individuals who represented India in the Special Olympics for the mentally challenged. 

 

     After our tour we had a question and answer session with their Senior Program Manager, Dr. Didi. Our talk with Dr. Didi motivated me to ponder on the comparisons and contrasts between myself as an American individual and the native Indians. Although our lives, cultures, and beliefs differ, we are all still one people. We are united as human beings by not only our shared basic necessities in life such as food and shelter but also by the emotional aspects of life including those things which make us happy and not so happy. "In life, be happy." The former quote is the advice that Dr. Didi gave us in response to the question I asked during our Q&A session. After thanking her for her extensive and passionate support in the CORD organization, I asked her a question to the effect of: "We are the future leaders of our various nations. If you could give us one piece of advise, with respect to helping others, what advise would you give?" Dr. Didi reminded us that we cannot obtain happiness through obtaining material possessions. She also illustrated that feeling happy is a choice. She beseeched us to not accept the "rubbish" that people might throw at us in life in order to maintain a state of happiness. Joy will propel our ability to have a positive impact in the life of others. We will feel a personal reward for our genuine generosity. 

 

     Similarly, the previous day Jeremy Russell, the son of the founder of Norbulingka Institute, spoke to us on the idea of happiness and charity during his Introduction on Buddhism talk. The Buddhist philosophies that he presented compare with Dr. Didi's ideas because according to Buddhism, being nice or kind is not a favor. Rather we should be good for ourselves and in turn this will be good for society. 

 

    My iPod was on shuffle, and a song started playing that relates to and enhances the importance and relevance of world unity, an idea which the Global Education program promotes. Michael Jackson made popular a song called "We Are the World," and a variety of artists remixed the song in support of raising awareness and funds for victims of the earthquake in Haiti, in 2010. The chorus of the song is as follows: "We are the world. We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving. There's a choice we're making. We're saving our own lives. It's true we make a better day just you and me." Despite our differences, we have a duty as people to help those in need.

 

India is a religiously diverse nation, and in addition to the Buddhist philosophies of goodness mentioned above, many other religions practiced in India value kindness. In the Bible I have come across many scriptures pertaining to charity. The Word teaches in 1 Corinthians that with charity comes edification, and throughout the scriptures we learn that God has an even greater reward in store in heaven. Still, extreme poverty exists in this country. Therefore,  once we become aware of the issues that occur, we must take action in order to resolve those issues. 

 

     CORD is successfully addressing the needs of the people in Indian villages, and wishes to further expand their initiative. For more information about CORD Training Center, Sidhbari, please visit www.cord.org.in or email: cordsidhbari@gmail.com. 

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post with my thoughts! 

 

- Jazmyn M. 

 

 

 

 

 

Lessons in water

Twelve hours of travel time. First by bus/car and then by train. While most people slept on the train ride, I could not fall asleep, for my mind kept chugging. It started with a water bottle. All thirteen of us hopped on the first class car to head back to Delhi for our second to last night in India. I looked out my window as we raced through the countryside - the sun setting turned the sky into cotton candy, and the disappearing light shadowed the rich green trees. Though I sat there speeding through such beauty and tranquility, I could not help but notice we passed by countless slums and grass huts. Ten minutes into the ride, the train attendant handed each person in the car a bottle of water. I took the bottle, said "Thank you," and set the bottle aside. 

 

     Then came the thinking. This bottle is not just a bottle of water. To the poverty stricken, this bottle means money, a meal, sanitation, health, and even life. One man could sell this water bottle on the street to provide a meal for his family; a woman could use the water to bath her newborn child. In India, water, at times, means life or death. The percentage of people living in India without access to safe drinking water is astounding. Unclean water leads to sickness, disease, and sometimes death. 

 

     As I took a sip of the water, my stomach churned. We take these gems for granted. Think about the last time you drank from a water bottle. Did you finish all the water in the bottle? If not, what did you do with the water left over in the bottle? Did you pour it down the drain or save it for later? Reflect on how you used the water and if you truly cherished every drop. Many of us expect clean water, food, shelter, and education to be readily available to us, but we do not always think of the immense number of people living without these necessities. 

 

     The juxtaposition of sitting in the luxurious first class while passing such desolate poverty emphasizes the increasing income gap in India. As Dr. Meeta Keswani Mehra, an economics professor at Jawahar Lal Nehru Univerity, mentioned in our talk yesterday, the wide income gap between the rich and the poor exponentially grows every year. Twenty-seven percent of the population in India live below the poverty line. While twenty-seven percent may not seem like a lot, you must consider the size of India's population. With a population of 1.3 billion, 351 million live in extreme poverty, most of the time without access to the basic needs of life. All in all, the water bottle handed to me on the train reminded me to be mindful of how we use our daily lives materials, for those materials may mean the world to someone else. 

 

     During our talk with Tara, each person chose an aspect of India they would like to improve. Most of the changes mentioned issues concerning poverty. We continued to reflect on our time in India, our expectations before the trip, our findings, and overarching adjectives for the country. "Paradoxical." "Spiritual." "Passionate." "Breathtaking." One word cannot simply describe India. From henna to glass bangles to Bollywood movies to homemade traditional street food, our final day in India captured the country's vibrancy, energy, and culture. It pained everyone of us to leave Thomas and this new home behind, but as Thomas said, "I'll see you when you come back. You'll come back."

 

- Morgan McNair

Welcome Home India Group!

Welcome home India Group!  We are so glad to have you back.  Special thanks to your fearless leaders Elizabeth Buko and Ambria Archibald for making this journey an incredible one! Happy Birthday to Ms. Buko and congratulations on the longest birthday ever!  See you all soon!

Holton Homecoming Huddle