It's been a lot of fun watching the kids over the course of the week we've been in India. It's hard to believe we are half way through our trip already. I am so impressed with how much joie de vivre the kids have approached everything. In Delhi it was shopping. In Agra it was shopping. And all points in between it was shopping, they even shopped from the bus!
They have brought that same joie de vivre to the school. From the moment we arrived they have jumped right in. Friday was our first full day. We've all been divided into two groups, six people per group. Our group's first assignment was medical. We went to the largest colony in the area, we served 40 patients by the end of our visit. Each of us was assigned a task: blood pressure, sugars, removing bandages, washing feet, or assisting in debridement and applying new bandages. I was so impressed with the tenderness and compassion the kids showed when tending to the patients, it was truly moving and inspiring. All the people we worked with were elderly. We set up "shop", so to speak, in the front of the village's nursing home. When we were finished with visited with a few who were so grateful to have us there.
Today was our second full day. Our group was divided again, into two groups. One group was assigned construction, the other education. The group I was in helped to build a latrine. Actually, village construction workers built the latrine, we dug the holes. It was back breaking work - a western-style shovel and wheel barrow really would have sped up the process - but we left with a great sense of accomplishment. It was very satisfying to have started out with a piece of ground and ended up with a brick foundation (and a 3.5 foot hole, not complete). All the people we worked with were very helpful and kind. They went to great lengths to make sure we stayed hydrated - I don't think I'll be able to drink orange Fanta for a while. :)
PB
They have brought that same joie de vivre to the school. From the moment we arrived they have jumped right in. Friday was our first full day. We've all been divided into two groups, six people per group. Our group's first assignment was medical. We went to the largest colony in the area, we served 40 patients by the end of our visit. Each of us was assigned a task: blood pressure, sugars, removing bandages, washing feet, or assisting in debridement and applying new bandages. I was so impressed with the tenderness and compassion the kids showed when tending to the patients, it was truly moving and inspiring. All the people we worked with were elderly. We set up "shop", so to speak, in the front of the village's nursing home. When we were finished with visited with a few who were so grateful to have us there.
Today was our second full day. Our group was divided again, into two groups. One group was assigned construction, the other education. The group I was in helped to build a latrine. Actually, village construction workers built the latrine, we dug the holes. It was back breaking work - a western-style shovel and wheel barrow really would have sped up the process - but we left with a great sense of accomplishment. It was very satisfying to have started out with a piece of ground and ended up with a brick foundation (and a 3.5 foot hole, not complete). All the people we worked with were very helpful and kind. They went to great lengths to make sure we stayed hydrated - I don't think I'll be able to drink orange Fanta for a while. :)
PB
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