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.