The tour is over and the group have had a fantastic experience here in India and at the end of the day that is why I do this crazy job - to give the clients a memorable experience in a foreign land. Some of the group will fly to Kathmandou today and the rest of us will head back to Delhi for one night. So last night we had a farewell dinner. I plucked up courage and wore my sari for the group and they really liked it.
I am ready for home and as I prepared to leave India, I thought about the past weeks and what we have seen. I love this country but I hate the poverty and the corruption. The clients often ask me what they can do to help and while I am sure the big charities do a lot of good, it is better to see where your money is going if you make a donation.
I work with a NGO (Non Government Organisation) in Jaipur but unfortunately on this tour I haevn’t had time to visit. The name of the organisation is I-India-online and it is run by a very nice couple and their son. They helpover 3000 street kids in Jaipur, but they started off taking food around the slums in a rickshaw. Now they have 5 shelters for kids, 3 schools, a shower on wheels and other projects on the go. They pick kids up from slums and the railway station and take them to their schools, where they learn, get a meal and learn how to make bags and jewellery, which are sold. Each child is then set up with a bank account, so when they leave school, they have some education, some skills and some money in the bank.