Smiles. Laughter. Happiness.

Smiles. Laughter. Happiness. Destruction. Devastation. Chaos. What do you see? 

Some people fear their extreme levels of poverty and others can only see the heartbreak in their eyes, but I personally feel that I will only see their incredible potential, determination and motivation.

One of my personal intentions of the trip, partially because I am also Indian, is to motivate and encourage the younger girls to have an aim and ambition in life and later go into a professional career, something that will give their life drive and direction.

In 2003, over Diwali time, I visited India. My father’s family live in Bhuj which is an area in Gujarat. The city had previously been hit by an earthquake.  My Aunt’s house was destroyed which meant she was living in one room with her mother in law, and all my cousins were also confined to one bedroom. Their optimism inspired me.  My brother and I learnt a lot and saw how little they had compared to us. Last year I travelled to Tanzania where we also have family. Here I visited an HIV orphanage which was devastating and frustrating. I was amazed to see how they could smile through their circumstances. The poverty was extreme and made me eager to change lives of others in the future. My experiences have made me aware of the extreme poverty in India, and I know I am, and will be emotionally ready to deal with it.

The cyclone that has hit Southern India has caused utter destruction, killing and injuring many people and causing families and friends to lose their loved ones. As a group, this has made us even more determined to fundraise and help them as much as we can.

Ella Doshi

Ella is currently a sixth form student at Richmond School, and will be visiting the Amala Children's home this Summer.

To most people.....

To most people, India provokes thoughts of a scary, disease ridden, people laden place, that’s full of traffic and is constantly crumbling with every monsoon. I am no exception. But, seeing that the children’s home at Amala was described as an ‘an oasis in a desert of poverty’ really made me want to be a part of the fantastic project, and it spurred me on to apply to visit.

I was thrilled to find I would be visiting the children’s home this summer, and I think my excitement for this trip has stemmed from the 5 years I spent at the Wensleydale School - a school which raised money for, and took students to Amala every other year. Every time the students came back, we heard how it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a fantastic experience, and we saw the pictures of the bright smiling faces of the children at the school. It seems like a really loving place.

The children’s home at Amala provides a home for some of the poorest children in the area who may be orphans, children from large families whose parents cannot work because of illness, or children who have been abandoned and may only have one elderly grandparent who cannot take care of them. The thing that I am looking forward to the most is meeting the children - I think it could be quite a humbling experience that many people, including myself, could learn a lot from.

Amala is also home to the St. Agnes Nursery and Primary school as well as the St. Agnes High School. This provides children with a fantastic opportunity to make the most of their difficult situation and break the cycle of generation after generation living in poverty with little or no education. A free education is something that a lot of children in our society take for granted, so I think it will be very worthwhile to experience how grateful the children are for the opportunities they have been given.

Overall, I am very excited (if a little dubious) for our trip this summer! We will be keeping you updated on how things are going, so watch this space!

Sam Buck

Sam is currently a sixth form student at Richmond School, who will be going to Amala, Summer 2012.