SATURDAY, SULTANPURI & SARASWATI - January 31st

As I mentioned in my last posting, the members of the Rotary Club of Delhi – West invited the team to visit a singular project, which they initiated a few years back. It is a center in the Sultanpuri district of Delhi, where underprivileged children can come and be educated in a number of different disciplines. It was especially gratifying for me to visit the center, because when the Delhi – West club was little more than beyond the planning stages of the center, several members approached me and my Rotary club in Maine, asking if we would consider working on a Matching Grant from The Rotary Foundation. We were able to raise a few thousand dollars, which when matched with other funds collected both in India and the United States, and then matched again by The Rotary Foundation, the entire first stage of the project was funded. On a visit five years ago, members of my team were quite impressed with the Sultanpuri project, and one of the members, Anne Russell from the Rotary Club of Hampton, New Hampshire, sent funds to purchase three sewing machines for girls to learn how to stitch clothing and someday earn a living. The following year, I delivered the sewing machines, and today, I was so pleased to see three girls in their late teens using the sewing machines and stitching clothing from simple salwar kameses to wedding dresses for brides.

From the farm, it took nearly three hours to drive to that section of Delhi, even though it is not even seventy kilometers. Traffic grinds to a screeching halt once reaching the outskirts of Delhi. At one point, I think we actually moved forward a total of two hundred yards in ten minutes. When we arrived at the dropping off point, we had to cross a very busy street, and then walked down a narrower one to the center. The students and the Rotarians were outside waiting to greet us and it was the students who placed garlands around our necks. We were then taken on a tour of the school, which had been successfully expanded to include classrooms on the second floor. The success here really points out the great differences, which exist between what can happen with government and private sector assistance in an urban area, and what does NOT happen in remote areas such as the village of Chahalka. Out there, only seventy kilometers from Sultanpuri, the assistance available from the government or non-government organizations (NGOs) simply does not occur. Villages similar to Chahalka slip under the radar and are neglected. They are neglected, that is, until friends like Sanjiv Saran and groups he and I have organized for the past three years from some seven countries take the initiative to travel to India, leaving homes and families and jobs to travel half-way around the world, merely to serve others.

Before I elaborate more on our visit to Sultanpuri, I want to take a few moments to say how blessed each of the members of our team is. We are blessed to have understanding and supportive families. We are blessed to be able to pick up and leave our businesses in the hands of others, while we serve total strangers. We are blessed as Rotarians to be able to realize our passions and dreams, through working cooperatively with other Rotary Clubs from around the world, as well as with The Rotary Foundation. If we forget to say “Thank You” often enough, I hope this might serve to let our families and friends know just how much we appreciate how much you do for us.

Back to Sultanpuri: We were pleased to see the dispensary, where people in the neighborhood can come to pay a fraction of the appropriate charge to purchase homeopathic medicines. We were taken into another classroom where girls were learning the basics of cosmetology. Two students were actually working on an exercise in make-up for brides. The work they were doing will help them in the future to be able to be hired in private homes to provide make-up services for brides and the other women in the family. Upstairs, boys were learning computer training. When we finished the tour, we were invited outside to see performances by both the boys and girls – dancing, as well as recitations. Again, it was obvious to each of the members of the team how a difference in geographic location can make a huge difference in the quality of life. Clearly, the students who receive education are the advantaged ones over those in Chahalka.

As long as we were in Delhi, and it was Sunday afternoon, and there was no way we would be able to reach the worksite before dark, we were able to tour Humayun’s Tomb. This tomb is distinctly similar in so many aspects to its great uncle – the Taj Mahal in Agra. We were able to walk leisurely around the grounds and to gain an appreciation for the Muslim influence on architecture in India. Following our tour in Delhi, we boarded our bus and headed back to the farm. Unfortunately, it seemed that every one else in Delhi decided it would be a great time to drive around the city, or at least in the sector where we were driving. We got into a bottleneck, and two hours after we left from the tomb, we were still within the city limits of Delhi. We thought we would NEVER arrive at the farm. A few of the team members were succumbing to Delhi Belly, and really needed to stop at the motel and remain there for the rest of the evening, without joining us for another amazing meal. One of the things they missed was what we saw when we arrived at the farm and walked into the entry hall.

Unbeknownst to us, today throughout India, Hindus celebrated the festival of Saraswati, the goddess of the arts and of knowledge. While we were in Delhi, Jyotsna had taken great pains to create a beautiful design on the table, using powders of different colors, including sandalwood, saffron, and other vegetable died powders. It must have taken her hours to complete. She had also cut two or three dozen red and white roses from the gardens, as well as hibiscus blossoms and tiny white flowers that she strung into a garland to drape around the icon of Saraswati. Oli, her sister, also had made some rings of brightly colored yarns, which added to the festive nature of the display.

Throughout the entire week, Sanjiv, Jyotsna and Oli have made us feel so welcome, and have truly spoiled each of us with love and affection, as well as wonderful food, meal after meal. We are forever grateful for their caring and their love.