India

September - October 2017
A 24-day adventure by Stephanie Read more
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  • 2countries
  • 24days
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  • 15.4kkilometers
  • 14.3kkilometers
  • Day 11

    Day 10

    September 18, 2017 in India ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    After spending the night at a university campus, we drove 2 hours to Gangam to visit our last Dream Centre. We are traveling with the director of GNI, Dr. Faiz Rahman and when we got off the van he was mobbed by the kids screaming "Daddy" as he got off the bus. He has 30 D.C. ... over 3000 children and he still managed to know them by name.
    When we arrived a family was standing off to the side. We quickly figured out that they were there to drop off a child. The Grandmother and mother had brought a little girl, no older than 6. The grandmother explained that her father had died and her mom remarried and had another son. The moms new husband didn't want the girl and was treating her badly. I noticed scars on her body. The mom was sad but said she needed to protect her so giving her away was the best option. No words.
    We played and danced, and a little girl no more than 4 fell asleep in my arms as soon as I picked her up. I learned her mother had died and her father couldn't take care of her and her sister. I wondered when the last time was that she had fallen asleep in someone's arms.
    A lot to process from today. So many brave, strong children I've met in the last 10 days.
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  • Day 12

    Last sleep in India

    September 19, 2017 in India ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    We said goodbye to Dr. Rahman this morning and left Babaneswar for New Delhi. We arrived around noon and checked into the Red Fox hotel, where we stayed our first night. Our driver took us to a restaurant in the downtown core and I had the BEST chicken Korma I've ever tasted. Then went to Connaught place, a CRAZY market in the middle of the city. Totally where I wanted to be!!!!! We fought through the crowds and had a few verbal altercations w vendors over prices... thanks to Susan who knows the ropes around here and didn't allow them to take advantage of her wide eyed white friend!! Lol.
    My Dream shopping trip complete I sleep in the same bed I did on my first night in India. Full circle ..... so much to process. I think I'll need some time for that. So much happiness to meet these children who have found safe haven and at the same time so much sorrow to look around and see so many vulnerable people in this place.
    Tomorrow we are off to the Taj Mahal, then airport, then home.
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