Buckets, Breakfast, Boys & Builders

Hi, it has been a while since my last blog so I thought I would catch up, and let you know how a typical day pans out for me at the moment.

I begin the day about 7pm with a good refreshing bucket shower in my 'minimal' bathroom. I use an immersion heater placed in a metal bucket to heat the water. This warm water I then pour over myself (I am sure you get the idea!) After this I have breakfast. I have found a source of oats, which means I have porridge each morning. The locals think this is very strange as they usually feed oats to the animals. I have a lady who, comes and cooks for me each day, she also washes clothes, sweeps through and generally looks after me. Although she is illiterate she is the best, most patient, language teacher I have ever had. We have a good laugh at my mistakes.

And after breakfast I go to the boys hostel to check the progress of the renovation. It only takes a few minutes to walk.

Obviously there are always boys around. They usually greet me with," Good morning sir, how are you?" Have you noticed that, considering the condition of this place is so dire, they always manage to present themselves clean and tidy, and usually with a smile on their faces. (Although not when it is time for a photo)

The photo above and left: that's Ms Kumar. She is in charge of the boys. Next to her is the Hostel worker who cooks and generally keeps an eye on the boys. Ms Kumar has such vision for the hostel, it is really quite inspiring. She would like to see the children's families give more. Not only that, she would like to see a system where ex-boarders, when they have moved on and are working, give back to the hostel to help other poorer children. Along with this she is developing programmes where the children will go back to their villages and encourage good practice in things such as farming, storing and using waste water and also kitchen garden development. It sounds very exciting when she shares this.

And the final people I meet are the workers. In this photo they are all getting ready to mark out foundations for pillars for the building of a toilet block. The one on the left is Mr Tandy, he is the building contractor. The gentleman on the right is the person I work closely with. I pester him daily to get things done and he tries, or at least looks as though he is trying, to make things happen.

And then the work, with it's joys and frustrations, are rounded off with another relaxed amble through the village!