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Train journey to Tenali
The
first thing I saw on arrival were lovely young women carrying bundles and
buckets on their heads, crossing the bridge over the railway line. I was told
they were going away to the paddy fields for 20 days to work in the rice
fields. Coolies put my 40kgs suitcases on their heads, and walked us to the
nearest rickshaw. It’s amazing how much you can get in one rickshaw. We all
piled in, and set off for a Hotel in Tenali.
Did
I say Hotel, well let me rephrase that, a dwelling place for people in transit.
After sleeping till 8am the next day, we awoke to see that the roads were full
of oxen, cows, wild boars and dogs, it was as if they ruled the town. On
reaching the town, I remembered seeing hogs and wild boar rummaging through the
rubbish that had been left by the market, that had been on earlier that day. We
rested in a little room, over a cafe, and the next morning we were taken by car
the 35km journey to the village. En route we saw forms of transport that defied
human understanding. Such as 6/7 people on a bike. Oxen pulling heavy loads of
wood and bamboo, that reached the sky. Women carried whole tree trunks on their
heads, it was just awesome to see.
The orphanage is set in a very rural place, within the village of Bhuttiperlou, AP.The whole area near the coast had suffered from the Tsunami, and although the orphans home was not demolished, it had suffered by being cut off by the flooding. Early last year the local farmers were burning off the waste in their fields, when the winds changed, and burnt 25 little houses in the village. This left many families with absolutely nothing and very destitute. Their water buffaloes perished in the fire. The children helped the locals and many people came to Pastor Giri for help. Last August a cyclone hit the village, and the roads were completely immersed in water.The children’s home was flooded, yet again, and bedding and food and clothes were destroyed. Once again we sent out some financial help, and food was bought to relieve their hunger. Leeches clung to their skin, and many of the villagers and the children had skin disorders. They also suffered from breathing problems, and flu like systems. Dampness bought bronchial problems, and TB is rife in this area. The situation these people find themselves in is through no fault of their ownThe
Pastors and the children had never seen foreigners before, never mind white
women. Everywhere we went, people just stood and stared in amazement. In turn we
stared back in awe and wonder. The floods had washed a lot of the road away, and
dirt tracks ran off the village in all directions. The children and staff
greeted us by putting garlands of flowers around our necks. They had waited patiently
to meet us. We started by telling the children a story. The educational supplies
were presented to the teacher. We played games with them, and then gave
them all gifts of yoyos and dolls and teddies. Books and pencils were shared out
with he 30 children. We took baby and toddler clothes for the
orphans. They were received with shouts of glee.
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