Monday, March 16, 2009

A Day in the Life

OAT has begun a new program this year. They used to take travelers to a school on every trip and the travelers brought small gifts to the school, pencils, books, pens, whatever. This year they are endeavoring to adopt a village!! So this morning we visited a village OAT is trying to adopt. It's not easy with all the red tape and hoops they have to jump through. They can't do everything but they want to center on sanitation and education. When we arrived, the children came running. Told us their name - wanted to know ours! They didn't speak much English although they are studying it. We were there on a Sunday so school was not in session. However, the principal had the children line up for their morning prayer. This was led by 4 girls who said a few lines, then the rest of the children joined in. This went back and forth for a good five minutes. The children were kneeling in straight lines. Such discipline! We walked through the village and then went to the house of one of the villagers and had tea and cookies. We got to see his house which was really only one room but he did have a TV! :-) I think this is a very good thing that OAT has started. They have a pharmacy and clinic and they are trying to teach them sanitation and pre-natal care and care for the babies. They are also looking into Distance Learning through Video Conferencing because young teachers will come to a village, get some experience and then leave for a better job. DL may allow them to have the best teachers. Oh yes! After we visited the village, we went to a women's coop where they make items. We bought several things - helping the local economy. When we got back on the bus, the man whose home we had visited had come to find us. Someone in the village had found some money and brought it to him knowing it had come from our group because it was a lot of rupees. Kathy had dropped from her purse. She had noticed it missing but knew it was her fault she had lost it so had said nothing. He returned it to her because if he hadn't it would have been a smear on him, OAT and his country. Is that not amazing!!!

1 comment:

Fran said...

what a wonderful adventure...I'm so jealous...isn't technology so wonderful...you are getting to share all this and not have to "remember" everything...keep having fun and keep us informed...hugs, Fran