Sunday, February 16, 2014

Mitchell McLean

“How was India?” I get asked. Over and over again. It is such a simple question which I have so many different answers to, but there is so much to say about the experience that I don’t even know where to start. Usually I just say, “The trip was amazing. The people we met over there are incredible.” And I pretty much leave it at that. It feels so difficult to truly speak about the trip and do it justice, as it was such a special journey that sometimes I feel only the 25 of us that embarked on it will truly understand when attempting to explain how amazing the experience was.

 

The whole trip was such an emotional rollercoaster. There was the nervousness I felt leaving Singapore Airport and arriving in Kolkata having no idea what to expect. There was the uplifting and inspiring story of Freeset which was contrasted minutes later when we encountered a dead teenage boy lying in the street. The whole group had their mood changed to a very depressed one in an instant. There was the feeling of guilt when the boys in the slums proudly showed us their tiny dwellings. These experiences made it impossible not to draw comparisons to our own privileged lifestyles, and I feel that I can learn a lot from each personality I met and their perceptions of life; learnings such as valuing what is truly important. After all, it is not materialistic possessions, but family and friends that really matter the most.

 

My favourite parts of the trip included visiting and speaking to people my own age whilst in India and finding out how they live their lives. In particular, I enjoyed visiting Future Hope in Kolkata where I played cricket in their school nets, before going to their homes where we played Chess and Carrom before dinner. The friendliness of the boys there, and the joy we shared together that night, will remain one of my favourite memories of the whole trip. Yet is was not only the boys we met that night, but the people we met all over India, that made the experience so wonderful, as we truly learnt how “the other half lives”.

 

The most important thing I took away from my visit to India was hearing about all of the different NGOs and other charitable organisations’ activities that are making a difference in people’s lives, no matter how big or small. Whether it was Freeset, Mother Teresa’s Homes or ASHA, they were all so inspiring in what they do to make a difference.

 

I feel it is most appropriate to end my final reflection with a quote from Mahatma Ghandi:

 

“It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” 

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