The Oval of Man

As our time in Kolkata is nearing its end, I really am growing more and more at home in this wonderful place.

I now both love and hate this city.

I hate how so many people are so firmly fixed in their positions in society, and how so many of them lack the motivation and psychological will to break the seemingly endless cycle of poverty they are stuck in. We have seen some truly wonderful organisations at work here - Freeset, which is devoted to removing prostitutes from their horrendous living conditions and providing them an alternative employment to provide for both themselves and their family. 200 women have been transformed by this organisation, but 10,000 remain "on the line". Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this statistic is that the reason so many remain on the streets of Kolkata is not because there are too few positions at Freeset, but that these girls are psychologically incapable of leaving their line of work. Breaking this psychological barrier is the biggest challenge facing Freeset and other such organisations.

I love how life in this place keeps moving. Cars beeping, people shouting, children playing cricket. Beggars begging, shopkeepers cheating, people smiling- it all contributes to make this city as joyful as it is painful. Yesterday I was reminded whilst playing with the children of Future Hope that the basic human need has been, is, and always will be to be loved by someone. The young children, bursting with energy, were so welcoming. Moreover, they were so trusting. A young boy, Rahul, after knowing me only 30 seconds was already reaching for my hand and beckoning me to sit next to him on the bus. I will probably never see him again. But the trust and love that was so visible in the lives of all those children was infectious, and will remain with me for years to come.

I guess that is the whole purpose of this trip. To come, to observe, but most importantly to leave. Leaving will, I believe, present us with our greatest challenge; what to do next.

But we are not leaving yet. We are only 6 days in.

Eek.

Christopher