REPORT 2002

Initially a presentation was made by Mr Walsh, we made our applications and were interviewed. The selected group attended a weekend workshop in Dublin for all the Christian Brother schools that are taking part in the India Immersion programme. By this stage we understood the rationale of the project and firm commitments were made.

Fundraising was to be the main activity from May till August. Each student had a target of €1100 to cover travel expenses, accommodation etc. Any extra funds raised would be left as donations in the various centres we would be working in. Fundraising activities included table-quizzes, flag days, raffles, letters to firms, friends and acquaintances and a Grand Variety Concert in the Excel theatre on Sept 11^th. Indeed, many individuals, organisations and firms came forward with generous contributions to assist the Project. The people of Tipperary and district responded with great generosity to the call – a generosity that is well appreciated by the various centres for the disabled/underprivileged in Shillong.

Once passports, visas and inoculations were obtained there was a great need to address more immediate issues. We studied articles concerning Meghalaya, Shillong and Calcutta, Hinduism, The Christian Brothers in India, the teaching requirements of the Project, the need to operate as a team, and health issues. The basics of sign language were studied, as much of our work would be with the hearing-handicapped.

Our group of 8 (Warren Connolly, Eoin Casey, Cormac English, John Hickey, Glenn Murtagh-Naughton, Jack O’Dwyer, Barry Quinn and Mr Walsh) was joined in Dublin Airport by Mr J.J. O’Dwyer, a management consultant (and a native of Tipperary) who had indicated an eagerness to travel with the Project and contribute his own particular expertise to organisations dealing with the disabled / underprivilaged in the Shillong area. All 9 bonded quickly and operated as a unit for the period.

CALCUTTA
Our journey brought us from Dublin through Heathrow and Dubai and we landed in Calcutta International Airport at 8.30 on Thursday morning, Oct 24^th. We were met there by Br Michael White from St Mary’s ,Dum Dum (a native of Cappamore) and after immigration control and currency exchange we emerged into the oppressive of Calcutta.
But the heat was not the only thing to strike us as we made the half-hour taxi journey (3 taxis) to St Joseph’s C.B.S.Bow Bazaar St in the centre of the city. Some were very conscious of the flood of new smells around on the route, other recall the deafening tooting of car-horns as the cabs zig-zagged along the crowded streets. It was so difficult for us to take in all the new sensations – shanty towns appearing with regularity, cows wandering with abandon along the busy thoroughfares and at one stage a funeral moving quickly along the side of the road – the colourfully shrouded corpse carried shoulder high with a handful of mourners. This funeral blended in with the other traffic; it was but a normal part of life here.

We thought we were psyched up and ready for the shock of Calcutta but nothing could have prepared us for the sheer scale of the hardship, poverty and deprivation that was so evident on every road and around each corner. In the laneways people conducted their business from tiny shops, then merely pulled down a rough bed and slept at the doorway for the night.

Some traffic in Calcutta.

It was so difficult to relate what we saw to any situation in Ireland. Still we noticed the smiles on so many faces – an indication of contentment and happiness? But how could they be content and happy in such conditions ? Have they some insight into life that we have missed out on ?

After a number of days observing Calcutta at close quarters it was bound to have an effect on our thinking – we saw how little they could survive on and we were compelled to reflect on how demanding we can be in our own lifestyles.

After a light meal in St Joseph’s and a few hours sleep ( most welcome after two nights travel) Jim McGinnis arrived to guide us on our visits to a number of centres operated by the Missionaries of Charity. Jim is an Australian volunteer (with Irish and Tipperary connections) who works in St Mary’s Orphanage, Dum Dum and with the Missionaries of Charity in the afternoons.

Shortly after tropical darkness had fallen, Jim brought us to Motherhouse (of Missionaries of Charity) an unassuming building on the side of a Calcutta street. Inside the building we found it so so quiet though there were crowds of Sisters about. We gathered around the simple tomb of Mother Theresa – an emotional few moments of silent prayer. The tomb is only feet away from the crowds passing on the street – so typical for a person who devoted her life to serving the poorest of the poor who spend their entire lives on the pavements of the city. After leaving Motherhouse Jim brought us to visit such a family whose entire world was gathered on a few square feet of broken pavement. We will never forget that family and their situation and their joy. The previous night the mother had given birth there on the street. Both parents were so happy with their new arrival and pleased to receive a visit from Jim (known to them) and his friends. We were shocked to learn later from Jim that this baby was born on the street, was likely to spend his life on the street and to die there also.

From this point we walked through the crowded lanes of the Muslim quarter towards the centre of the city for a meal in Sudder St. By 9 p.m. we were back within the haven of St Joseph’s and all seemed so calm and so peaceful. We held a short meeting where we shared our impressions and our experiences of this first day in Calcutta. Then it was so easy to pass into slumber, in spite of the continuous noise from the laneways directly beneath the windows.

On Friday we visited Kalighat, Mother Theresa’s home for the dying destitute, her favourite project. Here it was so heartbreaking to see so many young men (one was just 16) with little hope of recovery. One young man was there covered in sores after being abandoned in a city hospital for weeks. A number of the 40 patients here were picked up dying on the streets or in the railway stations. Others would have presented themselves for some type of treatment. One of the volunteers there, Andy from Bavaria, gave us the profile of the volunteers. They were of all ages; some were Catholic; some from other Christian denominations; some were Hindu and Muslim and some professed no religion at all. They offer their services for three reasons – for their dying brother or sister, for God and for themselves (all get a satisfaction and fulfilment from working here) . We would liked to have had more time here to personally meet the patients and even to share in the work there – even if it were washing in the kitchens or whatever.

We made a bus journey and paid a visit to Nirmala Shishu Bevan, the orphanage near Motherhouse. Most of the 97 children here were girls. Some had been abandoned; others had been placed here by single parents while others had been sent by hospitals. They gradually accepted us and reached out to play with us as they stood there in their cots. We were the distraction, we were the big event for that day in their young lives. Many of these would be adopted into Indian homes or abroad. Many others would not. It was so eye-opening to look at any one of these children and to think what life had in store for them.

In the afternoon we took the train from Sealdah station to Titagarh, just north of Calcutta. Here the Brothers of the Missionaries of Charity conduct a leprosy hospital in premises by the railway side. Some of us were worried by the deformities we would encounter once inside. A leper in a family meant that the girls in the family would never get married. This causes those suffering from this nerve disease not to admit to it and it also leaves physical, emotional and social scars. In the workshop section the level of skill was most impressive – weaving, making special shoes and forming prosthetic limbs for amputees. So many of these skilled people had stumped hands, missing fingers or deformed legs.

For some of us , going into the wards containing lepers under treatment or recovering from amputation, was the most harrowing experience of the few weeks. As we moved from one ward to the next, the level of deformity increased. Still each of them greeted us with ‘Namaste’ and enquired ‘Your country?’ Each sat up , saluted us and shook hands. We were the ones who felt out of place. They were so outgoing as they sat there with their bandaged hands and feet. They were living proof of that statement of Mother Theresa “Those who have the least, have the most to give”. That trip to Titagarh (on an unforgettable crowded Indian train ) was so moving. Again it brought home to us how much we have and how little we may appreciate it at times.

That night Jim joined us for our period of sharing. Each spoke movingly about his deepest reaction to the events of the day. Later Jim commented on how the group had coped so reflectively with a day of such tough experiences

Our two days in Calcutta in many ways were eye-opening to each one in our group. It has enabled us to think of Third World issues, famines, disasters in a different way. Hopefully we can view them from the human angle – these are ordinary people suffering, ordinary people who are not to blame. In comparing both societies we have a relatively plentiful supply of money; they haven’t. Money can buy comforts; it cannot buy happiness and contentment.

Each morning during week one our work centered in Roilang Vocational Workshop .During the year 60 trainees (mostly hearing handicapped) ,the training staff and Director Gail had moved into the purpose built new premises on St Edmund’s campus.
As we gathered for the assembly on Monday morning it is no exaggeration to say that we were a little apprehensive and afraid about the week ahead. Would we be able to communicate? Would we be able to pick up the skills involved? Others were more positive and just wanted to get stuck into whatever lay ahead. The assembly each morning was so ordered, as was everything else in the centre. Gail and staff have the rare ability to have everything so organised but still the whole atmosphere of the place is so friendly and ready to adapt to these Irish strangers. But Roilang don’t regard Abbey students as strangers. The Abbey group of 2000 assisted personally and Abbey India Project helped financially also. In 2001 the Abbey financed development in Roilang through the Sponsored Cycle organised by Tipperary Garda.
Cormac and Jack volunteered to undertake bamboo work – making morras (seats) and table lamps. This work demanded patience and nimble fingers and a sharp eye especially during the preparation of the bamboo strips. Glenn and Eoin were trained in the production of greeting cards – by quilling, string-art and brush-spraying. Shibashish was an excellent instructor in this department. Barry and John operated in the room dedicated to hand weaving. This hand weaving – no loom involved - is a traditional craft in the North East states of India. This was a difficult skill to master and involved dealing with intricate designs. Warren undertook rexine and leatherwork. By the time we left he had a number of items completed. In general, our learning was quite slow and highlighted the high level of competence that the trainees had attained . They were not handicapped, but were just deficient in one ability (hearing and speech), but more than able in other areas. Each of us found that communication was easier than expected and that the study of sign language we had done before departure had paid off. The level of communication was brilliant and went far beyond the giving of instruction dealing with the skills. With everyone in the centre working willingly to a purpose, the whole atmosphere helped in the acquisition of the skills.
The week’s work in Roilang was valuable to all and played an essential part in the Project. We have established friendships with trainees there. In spite of not knowing what to expect, we have returned home with a great admiration for their level of skill, their ability to instruct with patience and their ability to communicate easily and efficiently. The items we made under their instruction are most precious to us. We looked after them jealously on our journey home (some had to be carried as hand-luggage). Gazing at them now at home brings a sense of pride and a feeling of gratitude for our instructors. They have more than sentimental value; they are unique and priceless.
Most definitely our period in Roilang has highlighted for us the fact that India has offered us every bit as much as we may have contributed. We can all learn so much from those who are supposedly less well off than ourselves. The hours spent in Roilang each morning provided a great opportunity to gather our thoughts and focus on the afternoon’s teaching in Providence. Leaving the workshop with a satisfied mind we could face into the teaching work with energy and enthusiasm. On the last day, the trainees treated us to an entertainment programme. Again they had gone to great trouble to arrange and to practice their pieces. Some performed singing (solo and choral),dance (modern and traditional Khasi), mime and fashion show , all to a high level of competence. They prevailed on us to contribute – the Fields of Athenry and a rousing Spancil Hill. The programme finished with the presentation of completed crafts and certificates to the seven of us.

OTHER CENTRES
During the second week we undertook work in three other centres on the St Edmund’s campus. The week was upset somewhat on Monday by the Hindu festival of Diwali ( festival of Lights). Some went to the Mary Rice Centre for Physically Disabled. Unfortunately, teachers here were in the process of end-of-year assessment and the director, Soni, was otherwise engaged in a seminar/workshop during the first days. The visits to the various classes when it came were beneficial and instructive. In the School for the Blind, it proved to be a great challenge to communicate especially in a classroom sense. The children were adept at reading Braille from pages that were unintelligible to us. The blessing of sight was something that gradually was driven home to us. Again most of the classes were in their final preparation for exams. It was satisfying to visit the Techno-Vision Centre in the school. This finely furnished room has the Braille computers and printers that were funded by the people of Tipperary during 2001. This equipment enables the school to produce their own notes and textbooks and not have to depend on handwritten pages.
	Three of us worked during the second week in the School for the Deaf. Br Dinny O’Donoghue had arranged for students staying in the hostels to come in on Diwali. They were more than anxious to avail of the opportunity to revise subjects before their exams. Again it took a while to come to terms in the classroom with the fact that most of them were totally deaf and were not impressed by our long explanations. We quickly learned to use diagrams, sign language and slow speech (to enable lip-reading). These students were so co-operative and keen to make progress. Class 9 were studying at a high level of Maths and Physics – much the same as we are doing in 5^th Year in the Abbey.
In general, the work in these three centres was less satisfying than that in Roilang. But, it was of value; it did prove to be another challenge. It did bring home to us that we cannot take anything totally for granted – even simple things like chatting to friends, looking at people, pictures or surroundings or moving about with ease and confidence.

PROVIDENCE

For the two weeks we spent every afternoon (12.30 till 4.00) working in Providence, the school for the underprivileged set up a number of years ago by Br Steve d’Souza. This school is for children who have never had the opportunity to go to normal school. After a couple of years in Providence, most of the children (with the help of tuition in small classes and sponsorship from concerned people in Tipperary and elsewhere) move into mainstream schools. A few who are too old to move on continue on a vocational programme in Providence doing tailoring or carpentry or indeed rexine work in the near future.

We didn’t know what to expect in Providence although we had seen excerpts in the 2000 video. For the first half of the afternoon we each taught Maths and English to a group of three children from Varina’s class. At Maths they knew their tables like a song but couldn’t make a statement out of context eg 7 + 4 = 11. In this respect they improved a lot as days passed. During the second half of the afternoon we operated with a different group of older children from Dona’s class. These we taught on a one-to-one basis and found it more demanding but every bit as satisfying and offered a change.

It was so refreshing to be teaching children who were so eager to learn. Each evening they insisted on having plenty of homework and had it done perfectly next day in spite of the hardships they encountered as we later found out. By the end of the two weeks the older children had picked up so much – from not having an idea of a half or a quarter to simplifying fractions, finding LCM, adding and multiplying fractions. Their English conversation, reading and writing improved with the passage of time. Each evening we found that there was a great need to prepare more than was necessary. This preparation of copies and blackboards meant that we could concentrate on presenting the material. Some found that their fear of being able to do the teaching work before travelling out was unnecessary. The work did demand patience, but the enthusiasm of the children added to the satisfaction we got from the task. At times we doubted if we were making a difference in Providence but then the hearty “Bye, bye Sir” as they left each evening and “Good afternoon, Sir” as we arrived each day at 12.30 (they would have been waiting for an hour or more for us to arrive) did show that they were enjoying the learning experience and revelling in the almost individual attention that they were getting.

Indeed there were a number of low points during the weeks. It was disappointing when some of your group didn’t turn in for whatever reason. It disappointed a little when a child seemed slow to retain what he/she knew a few moments earlier.

At present three young qualified teachers – Dona, Varina and Saker, staff the school and are totally dedicated to the children as well as a tailoring teacher for that section. Br Steve teaches full-time in St Edmund’s School but still finds time to direct operations in Providence and is ever on the lookout for ways to offer more opportunities to these children on the margins of society.

Glen with his pupils in Providence, 2002.

On certain days we conducted singing sessions and actions with the assembled school and even succeeded in having them join in with ‘Spancil Hill’.

We got the opportunity to visit the homes of the children unexpectedly during the second week. We were welcomed in each house and after seeing the conditions in which they lived increased our appreciation of the effort that they made to get to school and to perform so well. The downside of this was that those children whose homes we did not visit on the first evening showed their disappointment and annoyance the following day at being left out. But they were on our list for the following days and soon all were satisfied.

The final day in Providence was memorable. Towards the end of the afternoon we were all brought into the end room which had been decorated with bunting ( made by the vocational students in the tailoring section), fresh floor covering and blackboards decorated with ‘Bye bye, Thank you, Come again’. We were seated in the place of honour and entertained with a number of their songs in English and in Khasi. After a lunch-meal there were more songs and presentations. We presented each child in the school with an item.

Those children who the Abbey students taught in 2000 and who come back each evening to do their homework were presented with a framed photo of themselves and their Abbey friend. The present children of the school received writing sets. Then we were on the receiving end – each of us received a t-shirt from the group of 4 that we were teaching bearing their handprints and names. Br Steve presented us with other mementoes also. These gifts are so special to each of us at this stage and will always be a reminder of those special children. When it came to say the final goodbyes we all became so emotional. The repeated attempt at making the break was an indication of the strong bonding that had taken place. The children and ourselves (young and older) were upset and not afraid to show it.

THE BROTHERS
Before we went to Shilong we expected that the Brothers would be very solemn and wearing white collars all day. But, no , we found them to be quite normal, able to enjoy themselves and quite aware of the lifestyle and pressures that young people have. Br Peter Gomes, quiet and gentle was so interesting and keen to introduce us to the stars in a friendly way. We learned to recognise the constellations of the night sky. Br Dinny O’Donoghue really enjoyed the presence of so many Irish people in the community. He has spent 50 years in India and being one of the last Irishmen there he experiences understandable loneliness. Although his heart is still young and fun-loving, he could be so keen and so helpful when setting us up with our teaching work in the Deaf School.
	At mealtimes the Brothers freely moved among us, enjoying the chat and genuinely appreciating our vision of things. Br Keenan the headmaster of St Edmund’s even after a demanding day in school could relate to us in such a friendly way. Then there is Br Steve. He devotes himself totally to Providence although he starts teaching in St Edmund’s at 7.15 each morning. He has every little detail covered in the organisation of the school for the underprivileged children. He seems to be a miracle-worker. In conversation he can be very intense but interesting; equally keen to listen or to speak. In their work one can see the vision of Edmund Rice in action. We also met with the Novices (young Brothers in training) especially on the weekend hike. They shared their various reasons for joining the Brothers – mostly dealing with contributing through education to those living on the margins of society.

STAYING IN THE HOMES

During our period in Shillong we were befriended by Class 10 of St Edmund’s – a fee-paying school with a great educational reputation in the city. Broadly speaking they shared the same interests as ourselves with the exception of sport. Sport doesn’t have the same importance in society there and the school has few if any teams. Their company was most welcome for us in this strange society. We stayed in their homes on two nights near the end of the project and received royal treatment from their parents. They put themselves out a great deal to show us Khasi and Hindu culture and customs. They altered meals and dishes to agree with our tastes and were keen to know of life in Ireland. Those couple of nights proved to be an invaluable part of the India experience.

SAW SYMPER
On the weekend in the middle of the project, we travelled southwards for a few hours through the East Khasi Hills in the company of Br Kevin Ward (a native of Co Meath) and the 4 Novice Brothers. We went as far as Mysenram which locally vies with Cherrapungie as the wettest place on earth. From here we were looking down on the plains of Bangladesh a mere 30 kms away. The locality is known for its many caves and we visited two of them in the afternoon. One of them , Devil’s Cave, is 22 km long but proper caving gear would be necessary to proceed further than we went.
	Our base for Saturday was to be in the vicinity of Saw Symper, where Michael Ryan spent a number of months teaching earlier this year. The school, San Ferrando, stands apart on a wide expanse apparently equidistant from each of the four villages that it serves. The headmaster of the school insisted that we visit for dinner and we were served with tasty Khasi fare. That night, with the assistance of flashlamps, we climbed to the top of Lum Symper a sacred hill of the Khasi people. Here we lit our campfire to keep us warm as we slept beneath the stars. We all took our turn to attend the fire during the night as the rest slumbered round about in the sleeping bags ….on Nov 2^nd at 5500 feet. Watching the fire had its attractions – nothing like toast done on a stick by an open fire ! As daybreak approached at 5 a.m. we had hoped for a brilliant sunrise, but because of clouds on the horizon we had to be satisfied
with a gradual dawn. Still that night on the mountain will remain as a vivid memory. Later on the Sunday, after breakfast in Wailoi village, we were joined by a number of Brothers from St Edmund’s for a most informal Mass in a classroom in the school celebrated by Fr Pat Hogan who had arrived that day from Limerick. The entire celebration was centred on the project, its progress and its meaning. That weekend break was an essential break in a very busy two and a half week project. It served to recharge the batteries for another week’s work and also gave us yet another view of India.

FINAL PRAYER SESSION

At 6 pm on Thursday we all gathered in the Brothers’ oratory for a special prayer service to mark the end of the Project in St Edmund’s. We sat in a circle with candlelight (the same candles we had been given by the classes in the Abbey before travelling) and with some faint background music. The recurring theme throughout the service was the planting of a seed and the nurturing of that seed till it becomes a full bloom. We had hoped that we had planted a seed although we may never behold the flower. Br Steve had addressed a letter to the group indicating what we had achieved and this gave occasion for reflection and sharing. A period was spent considering the seeds we had planted and also how something had blossomed within each one of us in many different ways while working on the campus of St Edmund’s.

OVERALL

The Abbey India Project was well worth the effort and the preparation that was involved. over the previous 8 months. We would gladly do it again in order to assist with the children in Providence. We can never forget the genuine ‘Bye bye, sir’ from each of them as they left after class and the smiles and ‘Good afternoon, sir’ that greeted us each day. It was heartbreaking to leave the place; we would willingly have stayed for another two weeks. From Calcutta and Shillong; from dealing with handicapped (deaf, blind, physically) and the underprivileged we have come to realise how lucky we are and that we often take so many apparently simple things and abilities for granted. The time spent on the project was an eye-opener all packed into a short time.