You've arrived at the blog spot for Roy & Gill Fowkes of Dronfield, Derbyshire.
Welcome!
We are applying for Visas so we can return to North India, this time we are hopefully getting Employment Visas (although we will go as voluntary workers) to help in the Literacy Projects in the AG Church School in Rupaidiha, Uttar Pradesh.
UP is one of the least literate or developed of the India Provinces. It is rural, with 70% of its children not attending any school at all. Most live in mud huts in villages. Leopards, tigers, elephants, monkeys, snakes and large numbers of other species live wild in UP. Especially mosquitos. Farming methods seem medieval, with buffalo pulling wooden ploughs and people carrying sticks and straw on their heads. People collect buffalo dung to dry and burn as fuel.
In this background of poverty and illiteracy, Jenny & Roy Ramble have set up an English speaking School right on the border with Nepal. Here smuggling takes the place of schooling for many village children, yet many are now able to take part in a quality English education because of their dedication and reaching out.
More soon.
Welcome! We are Roy & Gill, teachers from Dronfield, Derbyshire, UK, and we have been for the second time in Rupaidiha, Uttar Pradesh, to assist with literacy and the education of children in one of the least literate and developed parts of India. ... fun ... and incredibly rewarding ...
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One month in ...
Completion ...
More School stuff...
Family time now - see facebook
Namaste!
Sometimes there is just no time to report on the amazing things we see happening here ... it's such an honour to be working alongside & supporting such an incredible outreach here in UP. The real lives and people we touch from all sorts of (very varied and sometimes awful) backgrounds ... the sense of humour, the relaxed way Indians go about organising things ... we have much to learn ... It's great to have a team of 16 Danish, Slovakian and Norwegian Bible students on board at the moment - for 3 weeks they are keeping the School assemblies rapt with stories, drama & music, and taking full part in shepherding & parenting the Mahima Niwas girls, who need full on attention - so strong young arms for swinging are necessary! Its'still quite aweing for the local villagers to see white people, and more so when there are a lot of them and they are extremely tall, as most of the team seem to be! We've been out to the village tonight, taking with us a doctor and a nurse who are accompanying the Danish team, to give first aid and health advice to people who seem to never even have had a bath in their lives, never mind a visit to a proper doctor ... Broke a record recently - went to 7 parties in 10 days. But don't think of it in a Western sense! Apart from the wedding celebration, "any excuse" is more the theme ... so different cultural themes, food & social groups became a bit of a blur ... can't keep up with the youngsters! Last night may well have been the best meal of my life; the staff "pot luck" with dishes from everywhere in India, cooked with love on many home stoves, with great attention to spices ... wow, what an experience.The staff were asked to keep the spices down a bit for the sake of the European visitors, but they didn't do a very good job with that ... YUM!
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"All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction.
ReplyDeleteLove is therefore the only law of life.
He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying.
Therefore love for love's sake,
because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live. By Swami Vivekananda
Sir i must agree that you and your wife are very giving in life as well as everyone good in this world. I as only a child have yet to learn of matters involving life but as examples of kindness and freedom you two are most excellent models. Thank you.
Thank you so much Daniel! You are a special guy!
ReplyDelete:-)