Though at first difficult to find, the slum school, Baal Baharr, held many children who brightened our day their smiling faces and joyful personalities. Our group brought a variety of gifts for the children such as finger puppets, candy, and school supplies. The kids were also thrilled to see their very own faces in the backs of our camera screens as many of them had previously not had this opportunity. After the school visit, our group ventured to the house of B.M. Singh who runs the Baal Baharr school. He was very insightful, wise, and generous. Later, we traveled to the Rock Garden of Chandigarh which is famous for its towering walls and sculptures that are constructed out of unwanted materials. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed a camel ride while passing natives asked to "snap a picture" with the Americans. Again, we were a novelty at the Lake in Chandigarh where many people pedaled around in self-engined boats. For dinner, we joined the rotary members for a meeting at the rotary house. There, we presented money for the Baal Baharr school. In addition, each visiting American from our team received a banner from the Rotary Club in Chandigarh. We finished the day by visiting the famous rose gardens of Chandigarh. Unfortunately, it was pitch-black, so we couldn't see anything. All we could hear was a screeching monkey in a tree above our heads. Our host sister, Sophia, warned us to run away quickly because she didn't want to take any risks with her guests. Concluding our night, we visited the Peace Monument of Chandigarh which is a large statue of the Buddha. We were asked to keep silent to respect the Buddha whose soul was at peace. He believed that speech polluted the air, so we respected his ideals while visiting his memorial. Each day seems to be busier than the next, but it is just one more experience for us to be infused with the Indian culture.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Rotary Club of Chandigarh Meeting
This evening Team TN attended the weekly RCC meeting held at Rotary House. Rob Johnson led us all in singing the national anthem. Liz Gregor then introduced the Interact students and the RCK folks before giving a short presentation on the connection/relationship we've developed over the past years with Chandigarh. Thanks to Madhukar Malhotra we were able to start an exchange program with the BVB School and hosted Tamanna and Varnika last spring. They were at the meeting in addition to Sophia Doon who is hosting two of our girls. We thanked all of the Rotarians who have helped make our stay so enjoyable and appreciate the kind hospitality that we've received every day.
Lizzie presented the donated Interact money to Vice President Kapur and then Frank Rothermel gave thanks and presented the rest of the donation in honor of the Bal Bahar. Flags were exchanged and photographs were taken. President Saboo gave an excellent closing speech and talked about the close relationship RCC and RCK have had over the years, especially through Bill Sergeant. He thanked our Interact students for traveling half way around the globe and for all their help with polio eradication.
Bal Bahar School Visit
Photo #1: The School Bus picks up kids to take them to the Bal Bahar School!
Smile please!
A warm welcome to our students
After Elisa King first visited the Bal Bahar School in 2009, she and her daughters (Nicole and Sarah) developed a close relationship with the headmaster, Mr. B.M. Singh and his wife, Kiran. A year later, Jenny Banner and Isabel traveled along with the Kings back to Chandigarh and spent the day visiting the Bal Bahar School. Since then Webb Interact Club and RCK have helped raise funds annually to help support the school and have brought clothes, books, and toys for the children. We've also helped create a functioning kitchen that provides a healthy, warm meal to each child daily.
Today, our group of 9 visited the school and spent a couple of hours playing with the children, handing out finger puppets, and singing songs together. The children at this school are from very poor families in the slum area of the city and have very little opportunity to break the cycle of poverty. However, through a good education at Bal Bahar, the children can continue with their education after the age of 11 years. Along with a good education and some training through Rotary these students have the chance to improve their lives and living conditions by getting better paid jobs.
We were impressed how well behaved the students were and how quietly they sat. We presented Kiran Singh with donated school supplies by A&W Office Supply, socks donated by Interact Club, and gave the finger puppets to the kids. We also visited the Creche where the younger children are placed while their mothers go to work. The girls handed out pencils to each child and the kids sang us their favorite songs! It is good to know that there is hope for these children, all thanks to the hard work of the Singh family.
The highlight of the day was visiting Mr. B.M. Singh and Kirin at their beautiful house for lunch. We sat in their garden under warm sunshine and enjoyed a couple of hours of much needed rest and relaxation. After talking with B.M. you get the impression you've just been fortunate enough to have an audience with the Dalai Lama...he his full of wise sayings and is such an engaging, warm human being. He and his family have contributed so much to the welfare of the young students at their school who only have to pay $1 per month to attend...and the opportunity for a better life.
Smile please! A warm welcome to our studentsAfter Elisa King first visited the Bal Bahar School in 2009, she and her daughters (Nicole and Sarah) developed a close relationship with the headmaster, Mr. B.M. Singh and his wife, Kiran. A year later, Jenny Banner and Isabel traveled along with the Kings back to Chandigarh and spent the day visiting the Bal Bahar School. Since then Webb Interact Club and RCK have helped raise funds annually to help support the school and have brought clothes, books, and toys for the children. We've also helped create a functioning kitchen that provides a healthy, warm meal to each child daily.
Today, our group of 9 visited the school and spent a couple of hours playing with the children, handing out finger puppets, and singing songs together. The children at this school are from very poor families in the slum area of the city and have very little opportunity to break the cycle of poverty. However, through a good education at Bal Bahar, the children can continue with their education after the age of 11 years. Along with a good education and some training through Rotary these students have the chance to improve their lives and living conditions by getting better paid jobs.
We were impressed how well behaved the students were and how quietly they sat. We presented Kiran Singh with donated school supplies by A&W Office Supply, socks donated by Interact Club, and gave the finger puppets to the kids. We also visited the Creche where the younger children are placed while their mothers go to work. The girls handed out pencils to each child and the kids sang us their favorite songs! It is good to know that there is hope for these children, all thanks to the hard work of the Singh family.
The highlight of the day was visiting Mr. B.M. Singh and Kirin at their beautiful house for lunch. We sat in their garden under warm sunshine and enjoyed a couple of hours of much needed rest and relaxation. After talking with B.M. you get the impression you've just been fortunate enough to have an audience with the Dalai Lama...he his full of wise sayings and is such an engaging, warm human being. He and his family have contributed so much to the welfare of the young students at their school who only have to pay $1 per month to attend...and the opportunity for a better life.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Choki Dhani Lunch
After a busy morning we left the slums and headed north on the Himalayan Expressway to visit Choki Dhani for a Rotary lunch provided by Rotarian Vivek Gupta. Mr. Gupta's brother-in-law owns a cultural center/theme park (think a smaller version of Dollywood without rides) which celebrates the local cultures of Rajistan. We entered through a gate and were greeted by a drummer. We then proceeded to see magicians, camels, tight-rope walkers, puppeteers, and musicians perform for us. Mr Gupta had also laid out a wonderful lunch for us outside in the glorious sunshine and we were treated to a variety of curry dishes and given turbans to wear as their honored guests. The hospitality is amazing here and we are all humbled by the kindness of our hosts. What an interesting experience!
National Immunization Day (NID)
Today we awoke to warm sunshine and the sounds of migrating birds from Siberia. After breakfasting on the patio with our host Vivek Gupta we headed to the Rotary House to meet up with the group for our big NID day. Team TN has been looking forward to this day for a long time as we'd heard so much about the huge impact these 2 drops of the polio vaccine per child can have on a community, a city and a country. After being briefed and given a brightly colored Rotary jacket and cap we piled into cars and were driven to the outskirts of town into the poorer area of the city.
Chandigarh demolished most of the slum areas and erected concrete housing blocks for those that were displaced from the slums. Each apartment has one room, 7-9 people per family, electricity and running water, including indoor plumbing. The residents pay $7 per month to live here and after 15 years the apartment belongs to them. Forty thousand folks live in this area.
The children and families had been notified that Rotary tents were being set up for the polio drop immunizations and so we were greeted by a long line of curious kids and babies under the age of 5 years (some accompanied by their mothers, others came with siblings). Our team took it in turns to give 2 drops per child and then paint the left pinkie finger purple denoting immunization. Some babies cried but most kids were happy to come and meet us, especially as we handed out candies, toys and paper sun visors!
Most of the kids stayed around to watch us and even the local teenagers came over to stare at the Americans! They'd probably never seen an American so were quite the novelty. Rob broke the ice by teaching them how to play a hand game and suddenly the kids were laughing and playing with us and smiling. After a couple of hours it was time to depart and they waved goodbye to us as we headed out of the district. We felt we'd accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. We probably saw 100+ kids and hopefully we left a good impression and a sense of goodwill in the neighborhood.
Chandigarh demolished most of the slum areas and erected concrete housing blocks for those that were displaced from the slums. Each apartment has one room, 7-9 people per family, electricity and running water, including indoor plumbing. The residents pay $7 per month to live here and after 15 years the apartment belongs to them. Forty thousand folks live in this area.
The children and families had been notified that Rotary tents were being set up for the polio drop immunizations and so we were greeted by a long line of curious kids and babies under the age of 5 years (some accompanied by their mothers, others came with siblings). Our team took it in turns to give 2 drops per child and then paint the left pinkie finger purple denoting immunization. Some babies cried but most kids were happy to come and meet us, especially as we handed out candies, toys and paper sun visors!
Most of the kids stayed around to watch us and even the local teenagers came over to stare at the Americans! They'd probably never seen an American so were quite the novelty. Rob broke the ice by teaching them how to play a hand game and suddenly the kids were laughing and playing with us and smiling. After a couple of hours it was time to depart and they waved goodbye to us as we headed out of the district. We felt we'd accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. We probably saw 100+ kids and hopefully we left a good impression and a sense of goodwill in the neighborhood.
Blog from Ceci and Rachel
First Impressions of India:
From the constant sense of hurrying throughout the sea of Indian rickshaws, cars, and motorcycles to the near misses between each vehicle, travel cannot be compared to any other place. As said by one of our native tour guides, "If you can drive in India, then you can drive anywhere." Since India was once occupied by the British, the English ways of driving have stuck such as driving on the opposite side of the street and having the driver's seat on the righthand side. Not only do street performers weave in and out of the bumper to bumper traffic, but elephants and monkeys also roam the streets of Delhi and Chandigarh. For instance, a small girl around the age of six wandered up to our window to perform a variety of acrobatic skills in an attempt to earn money. On the other hand, a young mother also approached our vehicle with a crying baby begging for money. Even with the insane traffic and constant honking, we have managed to arrive safe and sound to each destination.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Rotary House Visit
Saturday morning was cool and rainy so our plans changed slightly. We all met up at the Rotary House of Chandigarh feeling well rested after a good night's sleep and a shower. Rachel and Ceci visited the BVB School for an hour before joining us as Tamanna had Saturday school. Upon our arrival we were warmly welcomed by our Rotary hosts including Past District Governor Mr. Madhukar Malhotra who has very kindly arranged the schedule and itinerary for our trip.
We visited a blood bank that the Rotary Club of Chandigarh helps support and were impressed by the high standards and efficiency of the program. We joined the staff in a cup of tea and learned more about the blood screening and collection/distribution process.
Chandigarh Museum of History was next on our agenda and we learned much about the region of Punjab (of which Chandigarh is the capital). We were somewhat surprised to learn that the mountain range we can clearly see from the streets is actually part of the Himalayas! We're only a 45 minute drive away from the mountains and approximately 100 KM from the Pakistani border. The city itself dates to 1950 and is a well planned city by famous planner Le Corbusier with a grid and district system. Streets and boulevards are tree-lined and the houses are beautifully aligned in districts with lots of parks and green space. It was voted the cleanest city in India and we can see why.
A member of the RC Chandigarh owns a restaurant and invited us for a buffet lunch of traditional Indian dishes. Everyone eagerly sampled a variety of spicy and non-spicy dishes and desserts. At that point the girls headed off with their host sisters and the rest of us spent time with our Rotary host families shopping and relaxing. Tomorrow is NID day and is predicted to be sunnier and slightly warmer. Keep checking back!
Photo 1: Rotary House
Photo 2: The girls with their host sisters
Photo 3: At Polio HQ in Delhi
We visited a blood bank that the Rotary Club of Chandigarh helps support and were impressed by the high standards and efficiency of the program. We joined the staff in a cup of tea and learned more about the blood screening and collection/distribution process.
Chandigarh Museum of History was next on our agenda and we learned much about the region of Punjab (of which Chandigarh is the capital). We were somewhat surprised to learn that the mountain range we can clearly see from the streets is actually part of the Himalayas! We're only a 45 minute drive away from the mountains and approximately 100 KM from the Pakistani border. The city itself dates to 1950 and is a well planned city by famous planner Le Corbusier with a grid and district system. Streets and boulevards are tree-lined and the houses are beautifully aligned in districts with lots of parks and green space. It was voted the cleanest city in India and we can see why.
A member of the RC Chandigarh owns a restaurant and invited us for a buffet lunch of traditional Indian dishes. Everyone eagerly sampled a variety of spicy and non-spicy dishes and desserts. At that point the girls headed off with their host sisters and the rest of us spent time with our Rotary host families shopping and relaxing. Tomorrow is NID day and is predicted to be sunnier and slightly warmer. Keep checking back!
Photo 1: Rotary House
Photo 2: The girls with their host sisters
Photo 3: At Polio HQ in Delhi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)