Posted: 03/11/2008
This October, Asha welcomed 49 cheerful volunteers who formed 3 teams. While the 21 members from the India Team Ballymena Presbytery spent their time laying tiles in our centres at Jeevan Nagar and Zakhira and building a walkway in Mayapuri, 3 teachers and 12 students from Rainey Endowed School in Northern Ireland and 16 members from the New Generation church in Kent, UK, spent their time in Kusumpur Pahadi and Seelampur.
Tea at the British High Commission
Wendy Butler, the wife of the British Deputy High Commissioner, kindly invited all the volunteers over for tea at the High Commission. The evening was spent discussing what the teams were doing and the progress made by the children Asha had sent to college. They all thoroughly enjoyed a relaxed evening at the High Commission, which was a welcome change from the clamour of Delhi and their busy days spent at the slums.
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Stewart Polley and Dr Kiran Martin presenting new computers to Bablu and Rohit
The three teams were inspired to see how students from such poor backgrounds were coping with the pressure of studying in some of the best colleges at Delhi University. They loved hearing the student's stories and spent time motivating and counselling them. So inspired was Stewart Polley, the Head Master of the Larne High School in Northern Ireland, that he decided to donate two computers to Bablu and Rohit who are studying to become animators at Arena Multimedia. Members of the New Generation team also contributed by giving a computer to Shiv, another student doing an animation course at Arena.
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Volunteers working hard to improve the Asha centres
Volunteers with medical backgrounds spent time training midwives, giving health classes to Community Health Volunteers and other members of the women's groups, and helping the Asha staff with immunisations. Others volunteers spent time with the children, teaching them English, computer literacy, songs, and stories. The younger members of the teams enjoyed playing sports with the children and holding craft workshops. They all got a chance to see the work of Asha in detail and were happy to experience walking around the narrow lanes of the slum. The care and concern showed by the slum dwellers coupled with generous invitations to their small houses won the hearts of our guests.
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Saying farewell to new friends
After many emotional speeches, songs and dances, hugs and tears, the teams bid us farewell and promised to return in the future.
The teams have made extraordinary contributions both in terms of hard work and raising money for the renovations of our centres. We'd like to offer our sincere thanks and best wishes to all those involved in beautifying our centres and spending time with the people in our slums.
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.gif "Usha, Shanti Vihar")
20 years ago, Shanti Vihar was unrecognisable - so much disease, mud and rubbish, and tiny huts for homes. Asha taught us how to prevent disease, and introduced us to officials so we could make improvements. Now it's such a nice place to live, nobody believes how bad it once was!
Usha, Shanti Vihar
