The first week we will be involved in celebrating with Asha 25 years of working with Delhi's urban poor. We will have the privilege of sharing in the celebration of all that they have achieved since 1988, when Dr Kiran Martin borrowed a table and set it up under a tree to offer her first clinic. The plan was to try to stop so many young children from dying from simple illness such as diarrhoea. This has since involved education and improved housing conditions for slum communities. Since that time Asha has developed and changed according to needs. Nearly all primary age children attend school (instead of working for small amounts of money to help their families). Most older children continue to secondary school and some continue to A level standard. Over 700 young people from the slums have now entered University and some have graduated. They have been given careers advice, mentoring and internships with companies and embassies. Meanwhile many slum dwellers have received loans from local banks to enable them to improve their lives through business development, education fees etc. There is much to celebrate, and we will be able to commemorate all this with Asha staff, Indian dignitaries and many of the slum dwellers themselves!
The second week is less clear at the moment - but we expect to be spending time with many of the slum communities running craft shops with the children, encouraging the young people, many of whom get little encouragement in their lives, sharing with the deaf and exploring how we can help these folk etc. I may be doing some more medical teaching too and our finance experts will no doubt be exploring the loans system and meeting some of those who have been on the receiving end - the "loanees"!
And now it's my turn to share a favourite photo from a previous trip...
This is Dhamini showing me her home in Javeen Nagar slum:
