Pictures: Goodbye India

Hello Dubai

Dubai after rain!

Watery sun

Looking through the letters we are bringing from Grail for children in Pencarnisiog school, we found one for Dave and thought you might like to read it - double click to enlarge.

HOME TIME
Having done all we set out to do, and not being able to visit the Delhi Brotherhood, we found ourselves with a bit of time to spare in Delhi. Sounds great, but Delhi is not a nice place and, to be honest, we are shattered, so we decided to bring our flights forward a few days. This whole trip has been a wonderful experience, but has certainly not been hassle free or relaxing! We have tried to keep the blog interestng and on the whole upbeat, but we have met so many people in so many places and tried to take in so much information that it will take some time to organise it all. We have learned so much - mostly what we set out to learn, but quite a bit else as well.
Coming home seemed to be the simple option. How wrong can you be? We phoned Emirates and arranged to change the flights. They had no through flights, so it meant a night in Dubai, so we asked them to book the stopover and transfers and gave them a card number. The guy said they closed at 6pm, being a public holiday, but at 5.40 the phone went dead. We were left wondering if our booking was made......
We went to the airport early, and after much discussion and waiting were told there was a booking. Relief! Hotel? Transfers? Nobody knew or cared! In the end we emailed the hotel, adding that they should check if Emirates had already booked. That meant a taxi from the airport too. No booking had been made, so at least we had a nice room even if it did cost a lot more than an Emirates deal. Have emailed them, but no response!
Extra surprise - Dubai is wet, very! They have had floods and the subways have been accessed by entrepreneurs with a supermarket trolley wheeling people through! Still warm, late 20's C, but very wet. We have carted lightweight waterproofs all round India, complaining that we needn't have bothered, but today they came in handy! A watery sun came out later, but not the usual. Feel sorry for anyone here for a beach holiday!
The Kindness of Strangers....
Tennessee Williams' phrase has often come to mind, and we certainly appreciate why Kate Adie used it to title her autobiography. Lasting memories will certainly include many kindnesses, ranging from Christy and Johnson at Grail, the young seminarian in Cochin and the Buddhists from Bury St. Edmunds, the bookshop owner and the young man from Thomas Cook in Calicut, the people at the temple in Mangalore, the guy on the night train who reorganised the sleeping arrangements, the aging bikers from Lancashire (long grey locks and bandanas) in Mysore, the staff of the little hotel in Goa, Mrs Dekeling in Darjeeling, and several clergy and church people everywhere we've been, particularly the two Deans.
We have seen lots of wonderful work and projects and have a much better understanding of the massive needs and unlikely solutions to so many desperate situations, and have realised what a wonderful thing it is to bring hope and self-respect to people at the bottom of the heap.
As we remember and reflect I think we will go on learning for a very long time!
　
　
　
　

Delhi Brotherhood

DELHI BROTHERHOOD
We were very disappointed not to be able to visit the Brotherhood, due to bad timing really, it being a holiday time and Fr. Weatherall being in hospital. However, we did get lots of information and were amazed at the scope of their work.
They began when a group of priests from Cambridge (the Cambridge Brotherhood), under the inspiration of Bishop Westcott, went out to India to start a higher education programme in1887. What started as a small endeavour has grown into a large social organsation. All the Brothers take a vow to remain single and to devote their whole lives to serving the poor and needy. The part that we have contact with in Llanfaelog is the Street and Working Children Project. Ian, a pilot in our congregation, asked if we could find a contact to which he could take children's clothes etc when he flies to India, and could be sure they would actually go to children and not onto the black market. The Delhi diocese supplied details of the Brotherhood, and Ian has visited them regularly for a few years now. I have been in email contact, and was really looking forward to visiting! Ah well! Anyway, we now know a lot more about them and their work, which is tremendous and have obtained pictures.
As well as the street children project run by Brother Daniel Monodeep, the Brotherhood runs a Day Centre for the elderly, a Boys' Home, a Nght Shelter, an HIV/AIDS centre, an old people's home and a Womens' Empowerment Programme - and I don't think even that is a comprehensive list!
The Brotherhood campaigns actively for the end of child labour, and for the integration of street and working children into normal society, so that they can eventually support themselves by qualifications or a trade. This is pretty much the ethos of the Grail Trust in the south where we began our journey. and of the Delhi Cathedral project to support children of leprosy stricken families. When a young person is enabled to support themselves, then whole famlies can be transformed. Seeing the size of India and the vast numbers of people makes you realise just how big the problems are and what a huge task the government has to try to raise standards. We heard on the news that more people in India own mobile phones than have assess to a proper toilet! That gives some perspective!
We and Ian hope that, with the support of Bishop and Diocese, Virgin Airlines might take up the children's project as one of their official charities. Hopefully the other contacts we have made on our journey can be used in similar ways. Even though we can't solve all of India's social problems, at least we can help to improve a few lives!