We visited the Motherhouse, this is the place where Mother Theresa first established her order and where she is now buried. Her tomb filled us with a feeling of peace and we all agreed that it was a privilege to visit the tomb of such a great woman.
We spent a week in Asansol, a small village, a four hour train ride from Kolkata. Again we stayed with the Christian Brothers who gave us the opportunity to do so much in such a short time. Most of our time in Asansol was spent teaching. We taught in four schools, in four groups alternative each day. The schools were St. Vincent's Free School (a school for children who could not afford to pay school fees), Fatama School (A school for homeless children aged between ten and sixteen), Asansol Anandam (a school for special needs children, whose disabilities ranged from children with hearing impairments to children with mental disabilities) and Nyadisha (a school for young children who live at the railway, the children were as young as three years old).
It was in Asansol we had the opportunity to really immerse ourselves by staying a few nights with an Indian family. Everyone had a different experience but the one thing we all took away from it was that the Indian people are a very hospitable and welcoming people.
After our experiences in the school we began the more emotionally difficult side of the trip. This began with our visit to a leper rehabilitation center (a hostel for lepers where they can receive treatment and refuge). The center was run by Mother Theresa's order the Mothers of Charity. The work that took place here was very impressive. A theatre was in operation every Thursday. Patients were given as much time as necessary to recover. If they could not return ot society they were employed to work on the centre's farms. We entertained the patients with singing and music. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
The next day we visited an orphanage in Durgaphur. Most of the children in the orphanage were babies and the stories of their past terrified me. Most were born to teenage, unmarried mothers and were found at the gate of the orphanage. One baby had been found in a dustbin, her name was Joy.
Back in Kolkata, we visited Kalighat (Mother Theresa's Home for the dying). Due to a situation beyond our control we were not permitted to work. The place was nothing like I imagined it to be. There were approximately fifty patients and all lay, almost motionless in narrow beds a few inches off the ground. Most had gruesome bedsores because they had been lying on the streets for weeks before seeking help. Many were literally skin and bones. Kalighat was the only place where we felt utterly helpless. We had a desire to work or to change something. However the donation we gave will probably change more than we ever could.
Donations were given to each school, the orphanages, the leper rehabilitation center and the home for the dying. The strange reality about our trip is that no matter how much we felt we achieved, the people who supported us achieved more and the money raised will do so much more for the organization than the work of fourteen people over four weeks.
