Picnic at Ramtek

Greetings from India!

Katherine and I (Katie) made it safely to Nagpur, India after a grueling 24+ hours of travel. After leaving our homes in Hillsdale and Marquette, MI we traveled to Chicago, then Minneapolis, then Paris, then Mumbai, THEN Nagpur. We are happy to be settled into our rooms at Nav Jeevan Sanstha School, where the students and staff have been welcoming and nothing short of enthusiastic to show us their school. Below is a photo of their playground.

Nav Jeevan is a school aimed at helping children from the slums or tribal regions of India achieve not only academic success but also basic needs of food, shelter, and love. The school has around 200 students, half of which live at the school. Currently the students are on winter break; however 20 students who have been orphaned remain at the school.

The Wilkinson family established Nav Jeevan in 2006 and they have been doing incredible work since the 1980's, caring for slum babies from their own home. Obtaining the property, electricity and other needs for the school has been very difficult for the Wilkinsons because their board of director is entirely made of women. To read more about this fantastic story or to donate to support this amazing school, please follow the link below:

http://navjeevansanstha.org.in/

After sleeping off our jet lag and receiving about five meals on our first day, we had our first outing with Nav Jeevan to Ramtek Temple for a picnic and some fresh air. Staff, students, and volunteers all piled into the yellow school bus for a day of adventure. To drive with 20 students is always an adventure, but to drive with 20 students in the narrow, crowed, bumpy streets of Nagpur was a little taste of chaos! Below are a few photos from our excursion.

Many smiling faces at the beginning of our ride.

Especially us!

It was a tight squeeze but we all made it to Ramtek safely. The temple at Ramtek was built because it is believed that the Hindu god Rama rested on top of this hill while he was in exile. Nowadays, it is an attraction for both worshipers and day outings because of the beautiful views from the temple and its proximity to the lake.

The kids eagerly climbed the steps to the temple.

At the top the views extended for miles. As you can see, the boys are always playing jokes!

Here is a group photo of a few of the students and staff at Nav Jeevan. In the middle are Kiran and Roger Wingelaar, who coordinated our stay at Nav Jeevan. Kiran Wingelaar is the daughter of the President of Nav Jeevan School, Mrs. Iris Wilkinson.

After exploring Ramtek, the children enjoyed a picnic of rice, dahl, and specialty chicken (the children do not receive meat very often).

Some time on the playground was a special treat for all.

Our first day in India brought to light many themes we will be meditating on throughout our stay. It is incredible to see the work being done at Nav Jeevan. However, it's also important to understand why this work is necessary. According to the CIA World Factbook, nearly 30% of India's population is under the international poverty line, earning less than $1.25 USD a day. In India, there is an increasing wealth disparity between the population that has disposable income and those that are living in poverty. In many ways this fuels the political and religious tensions that already exist in the country.

Opportunities for women are especially lacking. The struggles that the female board members of Nav Jeevan faced when establishing the school are just one example. The female students at Nav Jeevan also face many obstacles. Girls have dropped out to take care of their families and girls as young as 14 years old have left the school to be married.

The problems India faces are not unique; many developing countries around the world have the same challenges. However the specific cultural and political factors, such as Hindu and Muslim traditions or the relationship the country has with Pakistan, may indicate the need for creative responses to poverty that have a unique Indian flavor.

We look forward to the coming school days at Nav Jeevan. Katherine and I will start officially on Monday, probably with reading and library time for the students to practice English.