India

My new friends!

Visiting India has been my desire for a while now and I am so glad I finally made the decision to come here. The people here are very friendly and I have met some amazing volunteers from all over the world already. And getting the opportunity to befriend other young Catholics volunteers from different countries is pretty awesome! The streets of Kolkata are very dirty though and littered with trash everywhere. The city is also filled with stray dogs everywhere and a lot of “displaced” goats and cows tied outside of people’s homes in the city. They even eat the trash along with the stray dogs. And most buildings are very old and unkempt and there’s construction going on everywhere it seems. I do love the cleaner air and the blue sky here though. And the food is pretty awesome, but still a little greasy for my taste. The humidity can be ruthless and it rains almost every day and it’s very sporadic. At least when it rains we get a slight break from the heat and sun. 

Volunteering here has been very worthwhile, but can be hard at times. Especially when I see the conditions some people are living in. I am approached by beggars almost every day asking for money or food and I try to help them the best I can. At orientation we were warned about professional beggars (people who beg for a living because it’s more lucrative) working the streets of Kolkata. They discouraged giving them money and if we buy any food for them we should open the package so they don’t sell the food back to the vender and use the money for other things or for drugs. We can also tell them where to get free food as well. I’m sure there are people in need of food and won’t misuse the money from strangers, but you never know.

Mother Teresa's Feast Day.

My registration card

There are six homes run by the Missionaries of Charity (Started by Mother Teresa) in Kolkata that volunteers can work at. 

Nirmal Hriday “Kalighat” means Immaculate Heart. It is the first home opened by Mother Teresa for the dying and destitute. It is not a hospital, but a home for over eighty men and women who need to be taken care of and loved. 

Prem Dan means Gift of Love and it is a large home for the dying and/or destitute. It houses over three hundred adult men and women many of whom need long term care.

Nabo Jibon (New Life) is a center for handicapped men and boys. It is run by the Missionary of Charity Brothers. Only male volunteers can work there, except on Sundays. The brothers provide lunch to the street children (not orphans) and give them the opportunity to take a bath. 

Daya Dan (Gift of Mercy) is home for the mentally or physically handicapped children. Most of the children have cerebral palsy at Daya Dan.

Shanti Dan (Gift of Peace) houses mentally or emotionally challenged women who are mostly self-sufficient. We work along with them, encouraging them and helping them. It’s also a home for girls that are handicapped. The majority of the girls are not self-sufficient. This place is for female volunteers only.

Shishu Bhavan means Children’s Home. This place is where toddlers and babies are cared for. Only female volunteers can work here.

Most volunteers meet at the Mother House (the main headquarter for the Missionaries of Charity) at seven for breakfast and then travel together to their work place. The Sisters provide a free breakfast for volunteers which consist of bread, bananas, and chai (which contains tea, milk, spices and sugar). Then we say a morning prayer and divide into house groups. Volunteers usually take a bus to their designated homes in Kolkata together, so new volunteers can learn the route. Most Indians speak some English, so that is very helpful if you get lost. You can choose where you want to volunteer at orientation, unless there is a shortage of volunteers or they need your skills at a specific place. You can choose if you want to volunteer all day or just in the morning. Working hours are from eight to twelve in the morning with a fifteen-minute break and three to five-thirty in the afternoon. I was chosen to work at Daya Dan because most of the children need physical therapy there. In the afternoon I volunteer at Shishu Bhavan because it’s the closest home near my guesthouse, so I can walk there instead of sweating on a bus with a bunch of other people. 

The work at each home is kind of similar. The first thing we usually do is wash the laundry. They hand wash everything piece of clothing here and it can take an hour or two to wash and hang the laundry up. Then we wash the bed mats and floors and then make the beds. At Daya Dan I mainly help with physical therapy because so many kids need it there. At eleven we serve lunch and help feed those who are not able to feed themselves. Then we help them to their beds for their afternoon nap and help wash the plates and cups by hand. Most Indians eat with their hands, so we don’t have to wash any utensils. In the afternoon I have been scrapping paint off cribs and repainting it at Shishu Bhavan. The work is hard but so worth it because God's children deserve the best. It’s really amazing to witness God using people from different countries and cultures to carry out His amazing work among the poor; all started by one person obeying His will without hesitation and with great faith and trust in Jesus. Mother Teresa is truly the perfect human to imitate in my opinion.

Baptist Missionary Society Guesthouse

Lastly, I highly recommend Baptist Missionary Society Guesthouse if you are visiting Kolkata and if you are on a budget. Wi-Fi, drinking water, and breakfast are included with the cost. I share a clean room and a bathroom with three other girls for only seven dollars a day. Some people are paying sixty dollars a day elsewhere and it doesn’t even include Wi-Fi or breakfast. They also have private rooms with AC. And BMS is run by Christians, so that is an extra plus. I also love this place because it’s only two minutes away on foot from the Mother House and most of the people staying here are volunteers as well. It’s very convenient because I go to morning Mass at six and end my day with adoration at six thirty in the evening every day. I am so grateful for the opportunity to grow closer to God each day at Mass and to server Him here in India!