Today we retraced our way through part of the Mhade Wildlife Sanctuary to a small rural village called Ramnagar where once again we were warmly welcomed by the organizing Ekal volunteer Girish Pai, and his outstanding local volunteers, and most especially the beautiful children and their parents. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child, but today it was the exceptional team of volunteers who raised the standard of this distribution of 800 bedkits to new heights. The accompanying picture shows the efficient volunteer team.
Each child on their arrival received a banana, and upon leaving with their bedkits, a sandwich and a sweet bun. In this year’s bedkit our Canadian donors have provided a sleeping mat, two light weight blankets, a very warm wool blanket, two sets of clothes and sweater, an insect repellent mosquito net, flip flops, raincoat, backpack and school supplies. The children and families are overwhelmed with gratitude and joy as kids go home for a better night’s sleep!
As we travel we are exposed to many unfamiliar, but interesting sights outside the larger cities, such as: religious processions on foot in special dress, some with offerings carried on their heads; protests marching on foot; shepherds with their flocks; herds of goats, and of course the sacred cows. Both in the large cities, small villages, and along the countryside, people selling their wares in small stalls or beautifully displayed vegetables sitting along the roadside; small brickwork factories; fields and fields of sugar cane blowing in the wind and the sight of hundreds of trucks brimming over with their load, lining the narrow road, waiting not hours but days to unload their trucks at the sugarcane factory.
But the almost unbelievable experience is the sight, sound, and speed of the congested traffic, consisting of motor bikes, trucks, cars, bicycles, tuk-tuks, pedestrians and at times cows! Up to ten lines of vehicles jostling for a spot to proceed, darting in and out, literally with inches to spare, stopping and starting quickly with screeching brakes all the while blowing their horns, both out of frustration as well as safety measures to alert the driver they are about to be passed.
Our donors and volunteers can rest assured another 800 children are sleeping better tonight!
We are now at 3,600 bedkits distributed towards our goal of 7000 bedkits!
For the children
Carol Rolph for
Team Belgaum 2019Post your comments here:
