Today, Nam and I were sent into the classrooms to teach on our own.  There are about 120 students from the slum neighborhood this school is located in. They range from 3 to 18 yr. olds.  Some classes have 8 kids, others 40, depending on their level.  The kids are so happy to see us each time, they all say good morning mam and when they were leaving school, some bowed and touched our feet out of respect (wow, that was strange).  The fifth graders sang some of their favorite songs to us in Hindi....and they seem so happy even though they are so poor. We spend our afternoons working on lesson plans for the next day. They have no resources, so we bring the crayons, paper, etc. and the class rooms are cement block bldgs., dirty floors that they sit on, no windows, etc.....very sad !!!  Even though, they smile, laugh and seem so proud of their school work. The teachers are grateful for our presence and the resources that we bring each day.  

We have Hindi lessons every afternoon;  man, is this hard to learn !!  When we drive to and from school each day, the sights we see......blow our minds. !!!  Cows everywhere in the busy streets, attack monkeys along the fences that line the roads, goats, pigs, and sickly dogs mingling amongst all the people, traffic and craziness. Contradictions of every sort fill your senses.....there seem to be so many men just hanging everywhere......the women are working apparently. People wash their clothes, their dishes, their children in dirty washtubs on the sides of busy, dusty streets. We at home surely take for granted clean water and clean air, the most basic needs of people are not being met here.  I must say OMG a hundred times each day !!!!!!!!!

I feel as though we will be able to make a difference here to these kids......they seem to appreciate us being here, so much.  That is why I am here.