On the 26th October, 2006: Thursday, around at 7:00am, we (Thomson, Seion, Roshan, Vivian and Melvin) started our journey from Vasai to Vadoli with Sr. Sheila. Violet Aunty took us all the way from Manickpur to Vasai Fata (Highway) in her car. Then from the highway, we had to ask for a lift in a truck then off to Vadoli.
We reached Vadoli in about two hours, then we went into the Sisters Convent there. There we got a little refreshment, relaxed for few minutes and then Sr. Sheila showed us the place, there was a hospital run by the sisters. There in the hospital there was a Leprosy Center as well.
After some time Sr. Sheila took us to a village where we had to stay, this village was called Bobipada (here, we had to teach basic English to the children). We then had a small meet along with Sr. Sheila in the Church (the village had its own Church) there and then to a house where there was food prepared for all of us - the best dal and rice that I had ever eaten.
We were five in number, so five village people had to select any one of us to stay with them, but Seion and Roshan decided to stay in the same house as that lady requested them so. I got the poorest house of the lot but they were rich at heart. After settling down at our respective houses we decided to meet our students to be, at the Church. A huge number showed up and for a moment we were confused as to how do we handle them all. Then came the simplest idea - devide them into groups according to their respective ages. Five groups were made for the five of us.
The first day was certainly not meant for studies, this was the time we really got to know each and every kid we were supposed to teach. So the first day was fun. In the evening, we had to go to a nearby cannel for a bath (We had to do this everyday). At night it was not possible to take any session as there was no light system in the church. So we used to either be somewhere else together ot at our respective houses just sitting around.
It was day two and when we woke up in the morning we were surprised to know that we had to go to a nearby river to brush our teeth!!! - Whereas Thomson got everything at home itself. Well this was just for the first 2-3 days then when we randomly shifted to other housed (on demand) we got those facilities there.
We decided to teach them on that day, and so the very first thing was to find out - how many of them were familiar with a b c... the answer that we got was that not ever 50% of them knew it - some knew it but were not opening up. The second day went out with a lot of new things on their as well as our ways.
Following Sr. Sheila’s instructions we decided to do Rosary every evening at the Church, well we lit candles for light - Maybe doing the Rosary everyday gave me the strength and the willingness to stay there.
From then on everyday went like a new experience and a challenge which was rather easily achievable. But slowly by slowly the five of us were parting away, Roshan and Seion had to leave home due to their personal reasons, even the number of kids we got were decreasing - maybe due to their personal reasons?
We really were enjoying the stay the days spent with families, students and other people. They were like - wanting to keep us there forever, but we had to realise along with them that we had a different life - which was not a part of theirs’. So many things to do, so many things to learn - just the experience of one village was not enough
Then, one fine day Vivian had to leave too, leaving only Thomson and me there, later we were accompanied by a Novitiate who was sent by Sr. Sheila to help us out. She took the smaller ones and we took the bigger ones, we taught them, we enjoyed with them, and we even learnt a lot from them.
We made a place fro us in some families but could not promise them this place forever. They also invited us for a fair that was to be held at Talasari. 12 days in the village with the villagers was a certain experience. That night was out last at the village. The next day on we would not be here, but there was an invitation we got by the villagers for their Church Feast that was to be held on the 30th December, 2006.
That night we all lit up a camp fire of a sort-of, we sang songs, we danced and enjoyed the night. The next day we did leave promising a return on the thirtieth for their feast. We, then went to Vadoli, back to the sisters convent, staying one night and thereafter experiencing a fair - well it was a 3 day fair but we could only stay for a day. We missed their local dance - ‘The Tarpa’ which we really wanted to see.
At last it was time to say goodbye - we would miss them and would always cherish those days, but also feel good about the days we had spent, the life we had seen, lived in, the families and the people we met. These things are certainly not easy to forget - well who ever would want good memories to vanish out of the mind??
We reached Vadoli in about two hours, then we went into the Sisters Convent there. There we got a little refreshment, relaxed for few minutes and then Sr. Sheila showed us the place, there was a hospital run by the sisters. There in the hospital there was a Leprosy Center as well.
After some time Sr. Sheila took us to a village where we had to stay, this village was called Bobipada (here, we had to teach basic English to the children). We then had a small meet along with Sr. Sheila in the Church (the village had its own Church) there and then to a house where there was food prepared for all of us - the best dal and rice that I had ever eaten.
We were five in number, so five village people had to select any one of us to stay with them, but Seion and Roshan decided to stay in the same house as that lady requested them so. I got the poorest house of the lot but they were rich at heart. After settling down at our respective houses we decided to meet our students to be, at the Church. A huge number showed up and for a moment we were confused as to how do we handle them all. Then came the simplest idea - devide them into groups according to their respective ages. Five groups were made for the five of us.
The first day was certainly not meant for studies, this was the time we really got to know each and every kid we were supposed to teach. So the first day was fun. In the evening, we had to go to a nearby cannel for a bath (We had to do this everyday). At night it was not possible to take any session as there was no light system in the church. So we used to either be somewhere else together ot at our respective houses just sitting around.
It was day two and when we woke up in the morning we were surprised to know that we had to go to a nearby river to brush our teeth!!! - Whereas Thomson got everything at home itself. Well this was just for the first 2-3 days then when we randomly shifted to other housed (on demand) we got those facilities there.
We decided to teach them on that day, and so the very first thing was to find out - how many of them were familiar with a b c... the answer that we got was that not ever 50% of them knew it - some knew it but were not opening up. The second day went out with a lot of new things on their as well as our ways.
Following Sr. Sheila’s instructions we decided to do Rosary every evening at the Church, well we lit candles for light - Maybe doing the Rosary everyday gave me the strength and the willingness to stay there.
From then on everyday went like a new experience and a challenge which was rather easily achievable. But slowly by slowly the five of us were parting away, Roshan and Seion had to leave home due to their personal reasons, even the number of kids we got were decreasing - maybe due to their personal reasons?
We really were enjoying the stay the days spent with families, students and other people. They were like - wanting to keep us there forever, but we had to realise along with them that we had a different life - which was not a part of theirs’. So many things to do, so many things to learn - just the experience of one village was not enough
Then, one fine day Vivian had to leave too, leaving only Thomson and me there, later we were accompanied by a Novitiate who was sent by Sr. Sheila to help us out. She took the smaller ones and we took the bigger ones, we taught them, we enjoyed with them, and we even learnt a lot from them.
We made a place fro us in some families but could not promise them this place forever. They also invited us for a fair that was to be held at Talasari. 12 days in the village with the villagers was a certain experience. That night was out last at the village. The next day on we would not be here, but there was an invitation we got by the villagers for their Church Feast that was to be held on the 30th December, 2006.
That night we all lit up a camp fire of a sort-of, we sang songs, we danced and enjoyed the night. The next day we did leave promising a return on the thirtieth for their feast. We, then went to Vadoli, back to the sisters convent, staying one night and thereafter experiencing a fair - well it was a 3 day fair but we could only stay for a day. We missed their local dance - ‘The Tarpa’ which we really wanted to see.
At last it was time to say goodbye - we would miss them and would always cherish those days, but also feel good about the days we had spent, the life we had seen, lived in, the families and the people we met. These things are certainly not easy to forget - well who ever would want good memories to vanish out of the mind??
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