 Team Reports |
To Experience it AllLisa Remillard — London, ON
How does one summarize the experience of having given out 4,000 bedkits at twenty-two different distribution sites in eleven days? I was one of two newbies on this trip — meaning it was my first trip with SCAW. And here’s my attempt at sharing the sights, sounds, and emotions of those eleven days. We arrived at Mumbai airport after midnight. The air was thick and the smells more subtle then I had expected. I saw palm trees, beautiful coloured clothes on the women and many men wearing white shirts. And lots of taxis. There were no bugs where we stayed, but warm water and clean sheets — what more could a girl ask for? Preparing for the first distribution included a meeting with the Rotarian organizers, discovering the bedkit and practising setting it up, getting input from the experienced ones on how things will work. There were a number of jobs to do and we rotated through all positions every day, except for the photographer. This gave everyone a different aspect on a distribution. I laughed and talked for hours with the team members I had just met whom I now consider great friends. Then it was off to the distributions in a city filled with people everywhere. People drive all over the road but honking is their saving grace. I never saw either of our drivers yell or get excited once, a feat I am not sure I could have accomplished.
Things I noticed: one elephant, monkeys in the woods, lots of people sleeping on the streets, thousands of stands selling everything, English everywhere, a mix of smells and sounds, and beautiful bright colours everywhere. It was amazing! The distribution sites varied depending on if we were close to the centre of Mumbai or in the north in places like Dahanu or Mulund. We saw hundreds of children sitting patiently and waiting in rows to welcome us with song, dance, flowers, “life long” ceremonies or just with smiles. In some tribal villages we received a silent hello of hands above the heads and wiggling fingers — so they wouldn’t scare the birds and animals. I saw children with sores, deformities, deaf and mute, badly decayed teeth, torn clothing, and thin dirty bodies. I saw a variety of bathrooms in remote locations I could only have dreamt of. I saw poverty and shelters made of two sticks and a leaking tarp — or no shelter at all. Woman were washing their clothes near the wells or in the rivers in the same water used for bathing, drinking, and urinating. I witnessed women who had to carry heavy loads of bricks on their heads for eight to ten hours a day, men and women working in the rice fields, and people selling their goods at the many markets. I saw the faces of hundreds of children wanting more and expecting little. I heard first-hand the stories of love and planned marriages and stories of poverty and hunger. I heard and felt the desperation of mothers wanting more for their children and realizing that education, money, and sometimes luck play a part in their children’s future.
But even more I saw, heard, and felt hope. I saw smiles as bright as stars and faces with hope for brighter futures. I met people who give hours and hours of their time, money, and love to try and give children and families in India a better life and a better future. I met people who cherish family, who have strong beliefs, and who fed and shared with this Canadian their hospitality and generosity and showed me what India — real India and their people — are all about. I am honoured and felt so much kindness from the people of India. I loved it there. But isn’t that what giving and experiencing are all about — opening yourself up to the sensory experiences, the emotions, and the unexpected challenges. To live life — and to experience it all. |
