In the last two days, I was able to visit some nearby villages where several of the kids at Ashirvad are from. I wanted to find out more about their lives prior to becoming supported by HALO. The first woman I met is actually the mother of twin boys who live at Ashirvad. The boys are 13 years old and have been living at Ashirvad for seven years.
Some of the kids have been orphaned by the death of one or both parents, some of the kids have been orphaned by a parent who has abandoned them. And some of the kids still have living parents who are unable to provide for them. This is the case with the twin boys. Their mother was very friendly to me, even inviting me into her home- a small little hut with a palm-leaf roof. I had to crawl down on my knees to get inside the hut and once inside, she offered me a sprite. Several more people from the village came over, and eventually there were around 10 people packed into her small home. They had a conversation in Telegu, exchanged some live chickens and drank sprite.
It's amazing how attached I've become to the kids here in only 2 short weeks. I am so excited about my upcoming trip to Kenya, but the closer I get to leaving India, the more I find myself wishing I had more time. I find it difficult to express my experiences here through words, usually just summarizing my days in a few short paragraphs that never seem to suffice in expressing the depths of my experiences and relationships that have been formed. I am leaving India barely scratching the surface of a very intricate culture that I would love to explore and learn more about. But my time here is limited and it is time to move on to the next adventure in Kenya. I am so grateful for the time I've spent here and for everyone who has welcomed me with open arms.
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