TKN Reporter Helps Build a Care Center in India

Here is TKN Reporter Eden's story:

Out of almost 150 students in my school district, 30 were chosen to get the unique experience of going to India.  I was one of the lucky ones!  Every year 6 teachers take a group of student to India for 12 days. We get to go and experience a new form of living that none of us could ever imagine.  Every year they go to the same three crèches (Care Centers for kids whose parents have no money to feed them); Peace Tree, Little Lilies and Grace Kids.  For the first 6 months of the school year we worked hard at work juggling school life as well as trying to fundraise money to be able to use once we were in India to help the kids.  This consisted of many dinners, parties, walks and anything else we could think of.  It seemed so far away, almost a lifetime away. However, the day did come. It came faster then any one of us could ever imagine.

On Wednesday, March 28  we were at the airport by 5:55 am saying goodbye to our loved parents.  We had two flights that day one of almost 2hrs. the other of 11hrs.  We went from Geneva to Frankford then Frankford on to India.  After a good 12+ hours of traveling here we were taking our first steps into the magical land known as India.  We just stood there looking at each other knowing that this was going to be priceless.

The first night in India was scary and extremely hot but none of us ever complained about missing home. At  8:30 am the wake up call range and by 9:00 am we were out the door and off we went.  India is nothing like anything I’ve come across in my life before.  Even with my living in Geneva, Switzerland and having lived in London, England and New York City (which are all big cities) I could not get used to the amount of people that were in India.  The people there are so welcoming and nice.  They would stop us in the street and ask to take pictures of us or with us.  I remember there was one moment when my friend and I were walking in the market and we had people video taping us. In Geneva, this would only happen if you were a movie star.

The day carried on and we did the most amazing things.  We went to the beach but unfortunately we could not swim for the water is not clean...The next part of the trip was the Night train and what an experience it was.  You were in small areas with 7 people and 3 bunk beds of 3 people. The areas were so small you could not get out of your bed.  The night train was 10 hours but it was not such a big deal because you were with your friends and we just sat in our beds and played cards and listened to music.  In the morning we had about 2 minutes to get off the train and onto a 5 hours bus ride.  By this time we were all tried and all we wanted to do was take a shower.  Upon arrival at the guesthouse were we were to sleep, we were told the number of people to a room and asked to separate.  I personally was in a room of 8.  We ran to our rooms and wanted to get in the shower but we were in for a shock when we saw instead of a shower we had a bucket and cold water.  But whatever, it was part of the experience and it was fun we all showered together in our bathing suits.

Then we went to lunch at the International School of Kodia-Canal.  It wasn’t that bad, not like anything we have at our school cafeteria, but we couldn’t complained.  Once lunch was over we went to visit the crèches.  First stop Grace Kids.  I took one step onto the property and new right away that this is were I wanted to work.  But nonetheless, I would go to the other two just to see.  We went around the crèches and the teaches told us what they needed to be fixed - a classroom, new stoves, painting.  Once that was over we went back to the guesthouse where we got separated into three groups corresponding to which crèche we wanted to go to.

The next morning we got up a 7 am went to have breakfast, took our packed lunches and headed to the buses to start our first day of work.  We were all really excited because this was it.  This was what the past 6 months were all about and it was appearing right in front of our eyes. We got off the buses and had to walk down the steepest hill I’ve ever seen in my life! At that very moment I knew that it was going to be hell walking up that thing but nonetheless I didn’t let that be a reason to get me sidetrack off of my one purpose of helping the kids.

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