Today we left our hotel at 6 AM to witness
Kolkata waking up. First notation, many
open fires on the street, mostly to keep
warm but also I suspect to burn the garbage. The clutter would be swept into a
pile first, then they would hunch close to the flames. I noticed too, that mostly men collect at the corner store for hot
morning cha (tea) or coffee. They stand as they share stories. 
Three hours later we arrived in Midnapur and were escorted to the site by two Rotarians on a motorcycle. This
distribution site was quite hidden from
the main road and not easy to find. This
is a first time distribution for Midnapur and they drew the children from as
far away as 150 km. It was a very large undertaking for our partners. These
same Rotarians from Midnapur provided a
beautiful floral display to grace our site. There were yellow, pink and orange Dahlias,
the flower heads the size of dinner plates, quite remarkable. While the
children were dressing and eating, local girls performed dances celebrating
life both of mother earth and also of a marriage ceremony. The children chosen as recipients of the bed kits were intrigued with
the dancers. 
Marg Garrett for Team Kolkata
