It is monsoon season here in India and the rain comes down very hard making the humidity so thick that it feels like you are walking around in a sauna. Although it's hot, the India weather has been doing wonders for my skin. I have not worn any foundation, concealer or face powder since I've been here because my skin has been acne free.
Sadly, the heavy rain and humidity does not do such great things for the children who attend this school. More rain leads to flooding and then areas of stagnant, dirty water that causes skin infections for the children. Also increases the number of kids getting malaria. The other day I accompanied Rajan to visit a little girl named Mona. She is a student at Rajan's school and she was in the hospital because of dehydration. She had an infection from dirty water so now she was vomiting and had loose bowels.Thanks to donations, Rajan was able to pay for the hospital treatment and Mona was put on an IV. While we talked to the doctor, he stopped after a few minutes to ask me if I spoke Hindi. When I said no he switched to English so I could be included in the conversation. I really appreciated him being so polite. He told me that the street children get sick like this often because the water here is polluted all the way to 350 feet under ground.
Today, Tuesday, the rain was coming down extra hard so many children did not show up to school. At the end of the school day my host Rajan and I went with the bus driver to drop off the children so we could see what damage the rain has caused in their homes. It made me sad to see how flooded the homes were and for some children the water came up to their thighs. As we walked around the kids rushed over to talk with us, hold our hands and had the most beautiful smiles on their faces. It was then I realized that although I know these conditions can't be healthy for the kids, the kids are still happy. I admired their innocence and their energy.
Each day I am here, I am more grateful for the experience. I get to witness on a large scale how beautiful, strong and forgiving the human spirit can be. Traveling by myself is also helping me to grow as a person and I feel proud that I can get along with people regardless of language barriers or cultural differences. I only have two and a half weeks left but I'm sure there is much more to come :)
In other news my host family also gave me a packet of jeweled bindis. I am totally embracing the cultural dress and I absolutely love it.
What are bindis?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are seeing how resilent children are, and that you are gaining a true cultural expierence. Have you had a chance to practice Hindi?
Hey Rosa! Bindis are the jeweled sticker I am wearing on my forehead (at the location of the third eye). I have practiced a little Hindi but most people I talk to want to practice their English with me.
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