After touring the industrial and commercial side of Dharavi, we visited the Reality Gives Community Center, where they focus on educating Dharavi youth to get self-sustaining jobs and invest back into the community both with new knowledge and money. The program focused on teaching students English, computer skills (how to type, navigate, and use applications), and life skills (communication, time management, self-care, etc.). One of the biggest distinctions of this community center was its emphasis on self-confidence, encouraging students to believe in themselves as they move through the program. We were very excited to interact, play, and learn from students enrolled in the program. After returning from Dharavi and having dinner, we preceded to the CST train station —which used to be the busiest station in Asia— to ride to Heranjalu, where we will spend the remainder of our trip.
1 Comment
Today we woke up with the sounds of Mumbai coming to life. At the Garden Hotel we had an Indian-styled breakfast on the rooftop of a nine story building, which some of which included french-fries, bread, eggs, dosa, fresh fruit and rice. Now fully energized on a full stomach, we began a short waking tour to the Taj Mahal Hotel and the historic Gateway of India. Many of us were greeted by non-American tourists or locals who wanted to take pictures with us…it felt a little like being a celebrity and it was kind of fun. During a short bus ride we had opportunities to learn more about the history of Mumbai (do you know when and why the name changed from Bombay?) and ended up visiting one of the Mumbai’s many sacred reservoirs and a scenic overlook park, Nehru Park, named after the first Prime Minister of India. A busy morning helped build an appetite and was the perfect chance to be introduced to the Indian tradition of eating with our hand (singular…remember right hand only!). Everyone had their favorites, from the pannier, to the pea, the fresh lime soda to the rice, but the overall winner may have been the buttery topped roti. "Oh my gosh, are those your students...they are the best group we have ever had on the plane!" was heard more than once from the flight crew as we flew 15hrs on a relatively smooth flight, though the flight patter seemed to take an interesting "turn." Surprise...it was Ms. Smith's birthday so what better way to mark our official entry to India than sharing cake, smiles, and song. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MS. SMITH!
Greetings Berkeley Carroll School friends and family,
The group is in Mumbai! They arrived safely and are in transit to the hotel. They will update the blog tomorrow. Please feel free to call the WLS office at 303-679-3414 with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your continued trust and support! The WLS Team At the airport now, waiting for our flight, happy that we are missing the upcoming storm so no delays in our future. Our final day at Berkeley Carroll began a little later to give everyone time for the late minute preparations. It was a packed day, reading some award winning literature by Jhumpa Lahiri, individually completing the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, and making sure to have some time for traditional Indian games: Kunt Kaal ( Hopping and tagging) and Lagori. We squeezed in a minute to get a group shot (missing Ms. Smith and Mr. Budd) . Next stop Mumbai!
To get the day started we decided to go on a picnic: Smith is bringing spaghetti, Jared is bringing Jelly, Bryan is bringing broccoli, Matthew is bringing maps, Silas is bringing soup, Graham is bringing grapes, Jake is bringing jello, Zach is bringing a zebra, Max is bringing mangos, Budd is bringing bouillon, Peter is bringing pasta, Niizuma is bringing Nicaraguan coffee, Ayden is bringing apples, Isaac is bringing intensity, Angela is bringing apricots, Zoe is bringing zippers, Elly is bringing eggs, Sophie is bringing sandwiches, Alayna is bringing asparagus, Libby is bringing licorice, Brianna is bringing burritos. Your turn...try to repeat that from memory:) Now that we were all on a first name basis, we explored trust through a brief partner activity. Nothing says "I trust you" like walking with your eyes closed and having someone guide you through a space using nonverbal cues while keeping you safe! As we wrapped up the morning, exploring the purpose of our program inspired by the Accompaniment Model, we read a few short articles, and watching a powerful TED Talk from Chimamanda Adichie titled, "The Danger of a Single Story." If you haven't watched the TED Talk it is highly recommended. Throughout the program we will be focused on making real and authentic connections to the community, both learning and sharing through experiences. As a piece of this, we will be working as a group to raise funds for the community with a goal of $2500.
Different than many fundraising efforts, our goal with the partnership is to focus fundraising openly, understanding that needs and initiatives will constantly arise as the community evolves. Keeping it open helps develop a sustainable practice instead of making a commitment to a singular element, and it keeps the trust open to allow the community to comfortably and independently make decisions on the use of the fundraised money. Please click the link to make donations and share with other family and friends. |
|