The Ganga

We arrive to Varanasi, one of the holiest and sacred cities in India. Varanasi's architecture is beautiful and every building along the Ganges river has its own unique touch to it. The city is along one side of the river only due to flooding that occurs during the monsoon season. Our everyday itinerary was packed with temples and amazing site seeing. I have never seen a city in India, up till now, with temples located in every corner, on every street, where ever you walk you are guaranteed to see a temple. When we went to these temples I noticed the reaction and rituals the Indians would do. In every temple it amazed me how much affection they had towards the God or deity that was under the temple. They would ring bells, throw money, and give gifts at the temples as part of their worship. It amazed me to see so much faith and it was so heart touching to see people having such a strong belief that when everything else failed their faith is what kept them motivated and allowed them to move forward.

Every evening there is a ritual along the Ganga the natives preform to say their goodbye to the sun. Every single night a HUGE crowd forms along the river as people sit on boats in the Ganga and watch this beautiful ritual. When we first arrived to the Ghat this ritual is performed we were bombarded with sellers. Most of them were little kids trying to sell anything from face stamps, postcards, to inflatable blow whistles that they would blow in your face to grab your attention. When we were on the boat a little boy named Khudar got on and used his charm to sell us his products. Little did we know he sure did charm us and got a few of our business. I looked at his postcards but did not see any that I liked but he was so cute that I wanted to give him money, so instead of buying a postcard I offered him some rupees. He caught me by surprised and said "Money no Ma'm just buy something, money no." Khudar was so determined to sell his products which made me realize how important this business is to this eleven or twelve year old boy. I thought to myself at 11 or 12 years old I was concerned about my Polly pocket dolls or whether or not I could stay past my bedtime to watch one more TV show. While I was concerned with silly unreasonable things, this boy was concerned about selling his products in order for his family to provide food on the table and live to see another day. Luckily we ran into Khudar another day and we had the honor to hang out with him all day. He sure did make that day very interesting and hilarious. I thank Khudar for opening up my eyes and making me realize how much I want to help out the kids in India to prosper in life so they would not be stuck being a seller or beggar for the rest of their lives. I wish him the best of luck and hope he grows to be an even more amazing, loving person than he already is.

Arriving to India

After a few complication we finally left Delhi's beautiful airport to the streets of India. I remember preparing myself to smell the worst when I walked out the doors because everyone who I talked to about India they always mentioned how horrible it smells. Now that I look back to that day I laugh because there really is no way to prepare yourself for the smell of India. I do not think you ever adapt to the smell, I think one just accepts the fact that that will be the smell you will be smelling everyday whether you like it or not, there's no way to escape it.

I could not stop looking out my window on the way to Hotel Relax and seeing all the people sleeping on the streets. I remember thinking to myself what did I get myself into and if I am prepared to go through with this adventure. We get to the hotel and first thing I notice is how incredibly hot it was in our room. I remember looking at my roommate Katie and just bursting out in laughter. Katie and I laughed a lot that night because it was better than crying. Thankfully I quickly drifted into sleep and rested up before our first full day in Delhi's 117 degree weather.

We wake up to cows mooing, cars honking, and people talking which I quickly adapted to since its quite the norm here in India. First step of the day was showering. Let me just say showering is a long process since you have to be extra careful to not splash any water in your mouth. Not only was the shower difficult imagine brushing your teeth. Lets just say I managed to get toothpaste on my towel every time and wasted a lot of bottles of water during this process. After the shower comes the sunscreen and bug spray. Two things that saved me from feeling sunburnt and uncomfortably itchy with bites. After this process everyday I was ready to roam the streets of India and embrace their culture all while avoiding stepping on poop or spit and avoid getting ran over by motorcycles, rickshaws, or cows.

Back to the Beginning

       Time seriously flew by and many moments we shared in India became a blur. Now that I have the opportunity to sit and absorb each experience I am able to find the value in each even the ones I was once to shallow to find depth in. I laugh at myself as I remember the very first night in India. We were riding through the neighborhood and we stopped. I remember thinking there was no way this was our stop. Of course it was. That night was hilarious because Zoe and I (who barely knew each other at the time) just stared at each in other awe and blind fear until we finally managed to fall asleep. We can laugh at ourselves now that we realized we were fine and were simply adjusting to this new way of life.

      We must have visited at least twenty temples all of them beautiful and special in their own right. However, the one that I am constantly thinking of is the Baha'i Lotus Temple. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing but it is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. The Lotus Temple, in my opinion, is a symbol of unity because they invite people of all religions to join together and worship there. I am now

grateful for places like this because too often we let our varying beliefs seperate us, since most religions are based upon love and service religion shouldn't create as much dissension as it does. The inside of the Baha'i temple was filled with people praying to whatever diety they believe in. I certainly can't speak for everyone else but I know I recieved the blessing I needed by being there. I opened my heart and my mind. I was able to forget that I was a Christian in a room with Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and others but instead I focused on the fact that we were all people with faith and there's hope in that alone.

Well our journey in India has come to an end. I think it's very ironic because up until Rishikesh and Mcleod GanjI think many people wanted to go back home as soon as possible. But now I feel like everyone's attitudes have changed, and everyone is finally starting to enjoy India a lot more. India takes a little getting used to, and 27 days is just to little time to spend in India. This county has so many great things to offer, and this trip has just shown us the tip of the iceberg. One thing I learned on this trip is to be very appreciative for the things I have and not to take things for granted. In America we have running water and safe drinkable water very out of our garden hoses, but here it's a different story. Food is also safe to eat anywhere you go in America but in India you must be careful about where you go out for food. Now of course for the local people everything is mostly safe cause their bodies have adjusted but it's still something to think about. I'm also very thankful that America gives every student the chance at an education because education is very important and that is something we are taught since age one. However many kids here don't realize what education can do for them and also don't have access to an education. It's the little things like this that most of us will never notice how nice it is to have until one day we are without them.

The Best Day Ever

It seems like Dr. Maher saved the best for last when he arranged this trip for us. This entire study abroad experience felt worth it after spending five days in McLeod Ganj and Dharamsala, where cooler temperatures reside. To enhance the already wonderful surroundings, our hotel provided us with an amazing view of the snowy Himalayan mountains. The great atmosphere there made it much easier to enjoy the entire day compared to hotter areas such as New Delhi or Varanasi.

Immediately after we settled into our hotel in McLeod Ganj, we set off on a late afternoon trek to what Dr. Maher referred to as a "wonderful place." It really was a wonderful place, as it was the residence of the Dalai Lama and its associated temple. Although we weren't able to enter the Dalai Lama's residence, it felt surreal to be standing less than a hundred feet away. What occurred the next morning still seems unbelievable to me... I actually got to see the Dalai Lama in person! Unfortunately I was unable to snap a picture of his Holiness as his car drove by us on the way to the airport, but I guess all that matters is that I saw him with my own eyes. Although the moment only lasted a few seconds, I felt a certain holy and spiritual energy in the air as he charismatically held up his hands to his audience as he passed by. I am eternally thankful to have had the once in a lifetime opportunity to see him.

As if that day wasn't already the best day ever, we proceeded to visit the Tong-Len hostel later that afternoon. This turned out to be one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever had. All of the children there smiled from cheek to cheek when we arrived. Listening to the stories of the children who gained the life-changing opportunity to receive an education and exit the slum life allowed me to realize the stark difference between poverty in America and poverty in India. Impoverished children in America attend school through compulsory education, by which they must attend school from age 5 until age 18. No such taxpayer funded system exists in India, which is why I have seen so many poor young children here begging on the streets. Most of the children at Tong-Len used to beg to help their families before being chosen by the grace of God to come to the hostel. Seeing these eternally happy children made me feel happy as well. I was delighted to meet all of them and truly hope that they make a powerful and positive impact on the world. They have already left a lasting impact in my mind with their influential stories. It would be a blessing to return to Tong-Len, a place that truly changed my perception of life, in the future.

"...And Everyone Should Try."

Think about poverty.

Picture a woman. She has no shoes and her clothes are torn and dirty. She carries a baby in her left arm. The baby wears no clothes. She extends her right arm out for passersby to give her spare rupees. She has no luck so she motions to her mouth and then to the baby's mouth to show the passersby she needs money to feed her baby. Further down the street two children, one boy and one girl maybe a year a part, are begging the same passersby for money. These children belong to the beggar woman. The woman has 9 children in total. No place to call home, except a makeshift shelter out in the slums of India - no running water, no electricity. Not even a blanket to wrap up in during the winter nights. The beggar woman was a child herself on the streets. Begging all her life. She never learned to read or write. She never learned a craft or way of living. When asked why she has so many children her tired eyes hold no hope as she replies simply that people give more money when there is a baby she needs to feed - no education and no critical thinking skills, mixed with the desperation poverty creates only allows this woman to think in the short term. Never mind she now has 9 mouths to feed next to her own. But the poverty is so much, all 9 mouths do not get bread each day. When she has baby 9, baby 8, who was being breastfed, stops getting milk. The baby stops eating. At 17 months the baby girl is shriveled up, back to her birth weight. She doesn't cry. She doesn't respond at all. In addition to her poor health, her mother sells her into a child marriage in exchange for a bottle of liquor - when she reaches puberty, if she survives, she's to be married to an adult man. The little girl does survive, but she doesn't have to live the life of a beggar on the streets, married as a child, having children of her own. This little girl is given a chance.

The founder of Tong-Len Hostel in Dharamsala had to pay the little girl's mother to bring her to the medical tent of the hostel to receive care, but the little girl was brought in every day and little by little life returned to the little 17 month old. Today the little girl, Sangita, is one of the beautiful faces of the children living at Tong-Len. Her small stature is the only clue to her undernourishment and neglect in her early months here on Earth. She's an animated five year old, with a smile that will melt your heart.

In fact, all the children at the Tong-Len Hostel will warm your heart and put a smile on your face. When we arrived on Sunday the children ran out of the dormitories to greet us. They all wanted to shake our hands and ask us what our names were. One of the first girls to greet me had her black hair in a low bun and wore light purple that looked beautiful next to her warm complexion.

"Hello, my name is Jutie. What is your name?"

"Judy?"

"No, Jutie. What is your name."

"My name is Kayla. It's nice to meet you." Jutie smiled at me, and I smiled back.

"How old are you?" She gave a quizzical look. Jutie didn't understand. "What is your age?"

"No more English." She didn't know much English, but it didn't matter. Jutie took my hand and led me around the hostel. She showed me the girls' dormitory, the boys' dormitory, the school room, the kitchen, the little kids' dormitory, and the playground. When we got to the playground she led me to the swing, still holding my hand.

"Sit. Ma'am sit." She gestured to the empty red swing. I sat and she pushed me in the swing. After a moment, I asked if she wanted me to push her in the swing. I stood up and motioned to the swing. Jutie sat and let me push her in the swing for just a moment. Then she took me back into the little kids' dormitory. There another girl took my empty hand. Jutie told me to go with her. This little girl had short black hair and wore a brightly colored outfit of green and pink. Her pants were too long and she would stop every so many steps to pull her pants up where they slid under her feet in her blue flip flops. She took me upstairs in the dormitory. While we were walking up the stairs I asked her what her name was.
"Likshma. What is your name?"
"My name is Kayla. It's nice to meet you, Likshma."
Just like Jutie, Likshma led me around holding my hand. When we got upstairs she showed me her cubbie space. She pulled up a chair so she could reach it and pulled out a small bag with "MiMi" on it. For a second, I thought it was candy. It wasn't candy, but a snack of dried, ready to eat noodles. Likshma opened the bag, took some pieces out and ate them. Then she held the bag open for me to have some. I took some and ate them with a smile. Likshma then took a little packet out, climbed down from the chair, moved the chair to its original position and took me downstairs again. Jutie was waiting where we parted. Likshma offered some of what was in her packet to Jutie, but she told her no. Likshma then grabbed my left hand and put powder in it - it was yellow and I could smell the spice. She then poured some into her own hand and poured it in her mouth, demonstrating how I should eat it. That was a lot harder to eat and maintain a smile, but not impossible as I couldn't help but smile while in the company of these children. Likshma was a dare devil - she would jump multiple steps and climb over hand rails - the adrenaline rush fueling her airy laugh.

We again went to the playground and I started taking pictures. Jutie loves taking pictures. I let her take some with my phone. She also took a picture of me and Likshma on the swing. After a few minutes Jutie discovered that the phone has a camera on both sides and decided she needed to take a selfie with me! Likshma kept wanting to hold my water bottle. After the selfie with Jutie, Likshma had run off. Minutes later she returned with a juice bottle filled with water - she wanted a water bottle so she could be like me with my water bottle!

While on the playground, kids kept calling out to get their picture taken.

"Ma'am, just one picture?!" After I would take one, they would repeat their little line and change poses. Then they all wanted to see. Their desire for attention shining out like a beacon in the middle of night, signaling us to them to create a sense of home with additional love where their parents are not present. Jutie pulled back when a crowd gathered - I don't think she likes too many people in one space. During the little stretch of wondeful chaos with the commotion of the children, Likshma decided to braid my hair. She gave up before she was done, so another girl, Shoba, took her place. Shoba wore green and gold. Her black hair was in a low ponytail and her dark eyes popped as they were lined with thin black make-up. While taking pictures of the kids and letting Likshma/Shoba braid my hair, I made another friend - Sangita. I didn't learn her story on how she was before or how she came to Tong-Len until much later. The kids had scratches and cuts and some even had infected piercings, but there is medical care at the hostel. There is food at the hostel. There is safety at the hostel. There is education at the hostel. There is hope at the hostel. These kids come from poverty most people in developing countries can't even fathom; the hostel is giving them the chance to break this vicious cycle of generational poverty. By educating children across the world, we can give them hope.

The last part of our visit was spent in the school room. I sat with Sangita to my left holding my hand, and with Shoba and Jutie to my right. Some of the children performed dances for us. They were wonderful! They were having so much fun! Then it was our turn to join in. Sangita and Likshma wanted me to dance with them, so I did. It reminded me of playing "Just Dance" with two of my favorite kids back home. :)

When it was time to leave, I walked over to Jutie to tell her bye.

"You go now?"

"Yes, we're leaving now, but we'll be back."

I was expecting to part ways then, but she gave me a hug and took my hand and led me out of the school room and down to the gate at the entrance. She gave me another hug. Then an older boy was saying all of the names of the visitors - she walked over for him to learn my name too. Jutie walked me all the way to the car. I didn't want to tell her bye, but I get to see her again before we leave McLeod Ganj to return to Delhi. I can't wait to see her again. I can't wait to see Jutie, Likshma, Sangita and all the other kids again! These children have my heart. I fell in love with them with that first visit. I want to stay in touch with these children when I get back home to North Carolina. I want to see them learn and grow and become the amazing adults amazing children can become. I believe in the work of Tong-Len and I believe in these children.

The following day, Monday, we went to a slum in Dharamsala, the slum the children at the Tong-Len Hostel are from. We walked down the rocky path, passing makeshift houses as we went. Tarps, pieces of cloth, even trash was used to create the walls of the homes there. Every step we took our feet crunched on small rocks, broken glass, and small pieces of any and all cans, bottles, shoes, and anything you can think of. Children gathered all around us wanting to shake our hands and tell us hello. Most of the children walk barefoot. Most have clothes, but many only where one item - if they have a shirt, they have no pants. If they have pants, they have no shirt. Those with and without full outfits have tears in their clothes and the stains and wear and tear reveal these are the only clothes they have. The slum does have access to water now, thanks to the efforts of Tong-Len. The children also have access to schooling, again thanks to Tong-Len. We first stopped at the little tin building where the four-years-old and younger children have school. The teacher was making playdough that each table could play with. The teacher explained that there are over 40 children in the slums. Some, very few, but some, of the kids go to government school. When they get out at three they go to the tent schools in the slum. The rest of the children, and the majority, stay at the slum for school. There they are safe. They aren't exposed to the dangers of begging on the streets with their parents. Next we walked to the school tent for the next age group of children. We watched the children work. The children were erasing their work after completing it so the next child could use the workbook. While I stood there in the heat on the rocky, trash-covered ground peering in the school tent I fell in love again. One little boy in plaid was tickled with me smiling and making faces at him. We even played peek-a-boo. His smile was so sweet, and he had a sparkle in his eyes that could light up a night sky. He was happy - untouched by his poverty, his spirit shown bright behind his eyes revealing that his heart was light, open and ready for the world. Almost two hours passed before I even knew it. I could stay with these kids for hours; a part of my heart wants to stay forever. These children need me, but I can't stay here -however, that doesn't mean I have to leave the children. I can be a voice for them and raise awareness for not only Tong-Len and these children but for the importance of education and how we can help children around the world break out of the vicious cycle of poverty. Some of the group members were talking and we want to have a school supplies drive for the children of the Tong-Len Hostel and the slum. Until our school supplies drive begins, I urge everyone to learn more about Tong-Len through their website and to strongly consider making a donation. Every penny is one step closer to helping a child stay safe, receive an education, and have a happy future.
                                 Links: tong-len-usa.org
                                 Https://www.facebook.com/TongLenUSA

This week in McLeod Ganj really has been an experience. Not only do I see how blessed I am and how I should remain thankful for what I have, but I also recognize the need to give back. My time here has lit a desire in my heart to find ways to stay with the children here and also help children back home. I hope that with sharing my experience, you too may feel the desire to give back. In the words of John F. Kennedy "One person can make a difference, and everyone should try."

Today we visited a slum. Visiting the slum really put some things into perspective for me. We take a lot of stuff for granted. For many of us it’s hard to imagine, a life without drinkable water, living in tents that are at least 20 degrees hotter than the temperature outside, and not having food to eat. But many of the people we saw today are living in conditions like this. They live in tents made out of bent bamboo, covered with black tarp. None of the homes have running water, and it wasn’t until very recently that they got access to water. Because of recent donations and contributions, a local charity was able to provide the slum with a well. The charity also provided the slum with a medical tent and trained some people in tending to basic wounds. What was really amazing to see in the slum, was that everyone was so happy. All the kids were enjoying our company and were oblivious to how poor their living conditions were. It was also cool to see the kids learning how to read and write. I really hope that conditions for these kids get better even though they are not sad at all.