It's Diwali!!!

Delhi has been transformed into a city of coloured lights, bling, garlands, sweets, parties and fireworks - not to mention enormous traffic jams!!!

We have had fun in the slums we are working in - parties, fireworks and special food, to enjoy with the women, kids and students and many beautiful cards.

Thursday afternoon found us enjoying tea and cake at the British High Commission with all the volunteer teams that are here working with Asha. It was quite a contrast to where we had been in the morning!!! 

It's been wonderful meeting up with the team from St. Stephens - they kindly brought bagfulls of soft toys for me to give to the babies and preschool children I am working with. They have been so lovingly received and enjoyed. Thank you to everyone who stuffed their cases full and donated these toys. 

The photos will continue this week's story.

Mums and babies at Trilokpuri with their soft toys!

Sparklers and fun with the Bal Mandal group.

Heather's last day with these lovely children and staff.... 😥

Such a lovely Diwali card made by Ken's students at Chanderpuri.

Sweeta, Ken and Durgesh with a lovely diya ready for a candle.

Such a beautiful rangoli.

In 1963, the peacock was declared the National Bird of India because of its rich religious and legendary involvement in Indian traditions.

Ken with students and staff at Chanderpuri with the MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly), Anil Vajpayee, to celebrate Diwali.

Stalls along the street are bursting with sweets and delicious food.

Tea on the lawn at the British High Commission.

Quiet, clean, orderly, peaceful ..... a moment to be removed from the every day bustle of life!

Mums with their pre-school children during this morning's workshop all busy enjoying the games and 'having a go'.

Counting game with pegs.

This little boy loved making his pop up toy.

Back to normal? - what's normal? It's so good to feel well again tho!

As Ken and I have been working in different Asha slum centres, we cannot help but be awed by the faithfulness and commitment of the Asha staff running the centres.

Most have been working with Asha for years and years - Sweeta (one of the co-ordinators) celebrated working with Asha for 27 years this week and we have heard many similar stories.

I talked to Happy, the young man who teaches computer skills, now, at Trilokpuri; he also speaks very good English too. His association with Asha began when he was a young boy and was a member of the children's group - just like the young kids I am teaching now .... who knows what their futures will be. 

So many University students pop into the Asha centres on their way home from college - it becomes like a second home - they are always welcomed so warmly and chat and share about their day. It's no surprise that the attitude the students have is continually to 'give back' in their communities. 
 

They live out the Asha values: compassion, justice, generosity, simplicity, gratefulness, honesty, affirmation, non violence, empowerment, optimism, dignity, joy and the power of touch. These young people, living with the most unimaginable hardships, display these values!

Wouldn't it be amazing if we could all live with these values embedded in our lives.


Love 


Heather and Ken xx 

Our local doctor's surgery was being repaired - he just moved outside and carried on.....!!! (Can't imagine that happening in UK!)

Not the most private of places tho!!

Shopping with a friend, so much choice and colour!

The children at Kanak Durga Slum Colony just kept pouring in and joining in... at the end we had approx 60 kids - manic, noisy but great fun and such lovely helpful attitudes!

My lovely 'boys group' - they love singing 'Oh when the saints, go marching in......🎶... with the extra bits, Swing low sweet chariot' ......and 'I will sing, sing sing.....' 🎶🎸 working towards singing it as a round soon!!!

The mums and babies at the Asha centre in Trilokpuri Slum Colony.

Today, college girls came to join us - they were in charge of putting the Diwali decorations together and the glitter!!

Signs that Diwali is nearly here..... next Sunday in fact.

This Wednesday was the Karwa Chauth festival - Karva Chauth is an one-day long festival that is traditionally celebrated by Hindu women in North India. Women fast from sunrise to moon rise to safeguard and encourage their husbands' (and sometimes fiancés') longevity and safety. One of the young girls stopped by to henna our hands!

It's a privilege to work with such committed and happy people.

It's mostly about me (again!!)

Ken is getting better (thank you to those of you who have sent 'get well' messages and prayers - much appreciated). He had to have this week off - so I boldly stepped forward and headed off to Chanderpuri and Anna Nagar on my own for my last week working there.

It was very sad to say good bye to all the women and children. Thank you for all the cards and love you have shown me. I plan to pop back and see them all before we leave Delhi in November, to give them some of the small soft toys which will be brought by Amanda and team later this month. 

Next week I head off to Trilokpuri and Kanak Durga for the next two weeks to carry on sharing the message of 'The Power of Touch' Baby Massage, preparation for starting school and teaching the Bal Mandal groups (children's groups). I should be there for two weeks before moving to two new slums. 

Amanda Johnson came back from Goa and has been with us for a few days - we managed to get to Dilli Haat market tonight for some last minute shopping and then she is off back to London tomorrow morning.
 
We really appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Love


Heather and Ken  

The Bal Mandal enjoyed the story of Elmer - one of the books sent by St.Mary' s and St. Peter's School.

The children love to dance - in fact to end the day, we were all up and dancing!!

We shared a picnic together, sang songs and prayed for one another! A very special time. — with Sweeta Jacob

The little children (and mums) loved playing with play dough during our session on 'ways to prepare your child for school etc.'

The children at Anna Nagar enjoying the new books that have just arrived. They love stories and we're trying to read them themselves.

I told them the story of the Rainbow Fish and then they made their own fish.

This lady was encouraged and supported by Asha to get a loan to start her business - the loan has been repaid and the business is growing!! Wonderful achievement.

Such a privilege to visit some of the students in their homes.

One father, has his tailoring business in his home.

A walk through Anna Nagar Colony.

Tonight Amanda and I went to our local taxi firm to book a taxi to the airport for tomorrow - as usual, everyone was asleep!!

Amanda's hoping she can go to the airport in this beautiful Ambassador tomorrow ( not if we can't wake the driver tho!!)

Our tuk tuk driver decided to travel down the main road the wrong way!! Amazingly we made it to the station!!

Greeted at Dili Haat market by Rajasthani dancers!

Our get up and go has gone (for the moment)

For the last few weeks, our 'get up and go' has been threatening to 'leave' and finally we had to give in, as it 'went', leaving us feeling very weak and feeble and unwell!

Thankfully, being connected to Asha, we were able to visit their doctor and get some things to help us back on track. We took last week off and just rested. Ken has been particularly weak with a virus infection - rest, sleep and antibiotics have been the answer.

Not all doom and gloom tho' - it has meant time to delve into more of the adventure of understanding ourselves better, each other, and realising that there is a 'bigger picture' which doesn't always go the way we think, that we are part of. 

On a completely different track, this week we have been approached by a media company who, having done a 'voice test audio', are considering us for 'voice over' work with them..... sounds fun!! 

We have also had Amanda Johnson with us for a few days after her trip to Manali and before she heads off to Goa. 

Sometimes we are aware that the photos we have shared with you are only of our work etc. This week we thought we would show you another side of Delhi (a side that we find next to the slums very difficult to reconcile but it is there, and we are part of it too).



Looking forward to feeling 'ourselves' again and being back at the 'chalk face' ASAP!!


Love

Heather and Ken 

The Ambience Mall - a very Western atmosphere with good A/C!!

Time for a well known coffee?

Shops galore!!

Feet, eyebrows and hair all taken care of (for a fraction of uk prices!!!)

Decorations are appearing as Diwali gets nearer.

The centre piece in the Mall.

52 Janpath - a good place for ladies to lunch!

Described in their blurb as 'home from home' (nothing like the homes we are usually in tho...)

And a good selection to books to read with a cuppa!

Amanda, the 'goddess of the shopping bag'.

Loved the new Bridget Jones film snuggled in a blanket with reclining seat, footrest and chair service!!! (I'm surprised I stayed awake).

A rather exclusive cinema experience......

All the flats around us are beginning to put their lights up ready for Diwali.