Experiences: Shillong

* Projects > Asia > India

Anna from Japan spent a week at Shillong Project, in September 2006. She writes of her time below:

We arrived back in Japan yesterday morning and still have wonderful memories of India, the AM school and the wonderful children we shared our lives with for a week reeling in our heads.It was really nice to meet you and hear the stories about the wonderful work you are
doing. Thank you for your help in settling us in
while you were with us. We had an amazing time at the school, it was a truly great experience. I think we were fortunate that you
couldn't find accommodation for us in town, because it was really nice to be so close to the Didis ad the 'orphans'. Avey and Mikeila had a great time playing and chatting with them and we seemed to get on really well like a big family.

It was nice to see the slips of the little girls laughing and smiling. I had great chats with Rupa too, a really lovely girl. We tried to join their daily routine as much as possible, helping them to carry water up the stairs, and so on. They all work very hard. Everyone was extremely kind and hospitable and we felt as though we could stay there forever. We really appreciate Didi and yourself for organising the programme. Thank you so much.

All 3 of us fell in love with the little darling, Prokash (not sure of the spelling sorry). He
become very relaxed around us and we lavished him with love and attention all his waking hours. He spent alot of time in my arms while I taught him Japanese and English nursery rhymes and songs or on Avey's shoulders taking in all the sights. He is so clever and picked up lots of English, imitating us and using the English in the right context. He seemed to have stopped messing himself at night and just urinated into the nappies, which were dried out during the day and recycled. I bought a double sized bag of nappies to keep him going in the meantime. We would love to adopt him and give him a chance at
a better future...possible? We will really miss him coming up to our room early every morning to say hello and play with us. I went and bought him some new clothes yesterday because I hear it's going to get really cold in Dec/Jan and he seems to have so few things that aren't ripped or torn. I'll also send Mikeila's winter wear that doesn't fit her anymore - it's all like new and with lots of cute Disney and Japanese designs for the girls. We left everything we could...clothes, toiletries, towels, umbrellas, but I still feel it wasn't enough. I will try to find a good CD/tape recorder for next time.

I really enjoyed teaching the different class groups. We taught Japanese origami, games,
English and did a drawing exercise, giving pencils, rubbers and Japanese toys as prizes as
you suggested. The children seem to love anything different from another country. I left
around 80 new pencils in your suitcase for you to give to the students of the free school you talked about and have more pencils and rubbers here in Japan that I can send up with the group in December if you want them.The Cultural Festival, unfortunately was
cancelled due to all the rain we were having. It was made into a 'Celebrate the Teacher's Day'. instead and held inside the big classroom. Crowded and noisy, but good. I was
delighted that 'the dance Didi' as we called her, included Avey and Mikeila into the programme. In fact, Avey was given a major solo dance and had to learn an Indian song. It was amazing seeing them both dressed up and performing with the other children. Magic.

We actually missed our domestic flight to Delhi on the day we left. We got a jeep but even allowing 2 hours before our flight departed, it seemed to take ages to get to Gauhati, with the driver making lots of stops, and then the airport. We stayed the night in Gauhati and then left the next day flying Kolkata and then Delhi.It does feel like something of a let down being back in Japan and at work today, but my co-workers have been fascinated listening to my stories about the wonderful time we had. I wondered if you could send me the profiles of the 'orphans' that you showed me on your computer. Now I know the children better and their names, it will have more meaning if I read the profiles again, plus I'd like to get them and the school some support amongst my students in
Japan if I can. I wrote out for Didi the info you gave me for her in the mail.

Well this mail isn't going to do justice to the appreciation and thanks I want to give you for
giving us the privilege of joining the programme and living with these wonderful people, but a big thank you anyway. If you have any advice or suggestions of things I could be doing back in Japan here (before our next visit!) please let me know.

Regards
Anna Fujimoto