This has been a rough few months as I try to focus on the program and hum a happy tune while making my way over the obstacles. Back in December someone said to me, "You are in conflict with your environment." These words were helpful. They put a name to my experience with words that could dance around or bounce around in my head. And since I am not likely to change and my environment is not likely to change, this is what it will always be, but hopefully with periods of respite.
The volunteers from Spain are group who come every August to Kolkata to volunteer at various places including Mother Teresa's many Homes. This year they asked to volunteer also at Shishur Sevay. Some wanted to scrape and paint walls; some offered to help computerize many of the functions here; and some said they would work on the educational programs for our four with disabilities. When they came back the next day they were stunned to see how wired we are.
I have a principle that keeps me going… that the work must go on, that Shishur Sevay must never get bogged down by the obstacles – parallel paths with the most important one being what we give to the children, and the most bothersome being what it takes to do that.
Shishur Sevay is and has been a "happening place" for a while now.
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The volunteers from Spain… They come every August to Kolkata to volunteer at various places including Mother Teresa's many Homes. This year they asked to volunteer also at Shishur Sevay. Some wanted to scrape and paint walls; some offered to help computerize many of the functions here; and some said they would work on the educational programs for our four with disabilities. When they came back the next day they were stunned to see how wired we are.
Anjali and I are meeting with the volunteers
Wire brushes even!!!!
Ben and Anjali — and one of the volunteers – we are all wired.
Unwired teaching about Spain. Javier addressed differences in social services and medical care, as well as talking and showing pictures (downloaded from the web and printed on our laser printer) of ordinary life in Spain.
O.K. now wired again!
The student interns from China stayed a week. The group had not been prepared well for another culture, and they were asked to leave the residence where they were staying. I think they went back to China. Below, they are helping make Rakhis. This is a custom in which decorated bracelets are put on the wrists of brothers (a loosely used term for this occasion by sisters. Here the big and small kids are making rakhis. This year the school added another interpretation to the ceremony. Rakhi was framed as an occasion in which the freedom fighters used it to say we are all one and so girls received rakhis at the school too.
Rakhis were saved for Ian Dada's visit.
Oops!, no one remembered to clean up!!!!
Moments of respite…You can see it was fun!
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