Tara's Blog

Kolkata is a buzzing, energetic city, where you will never have a quiet moment on any road or street. There is people everywhere and every little inch of the streets are used for some thing or another, from a toilet, to a home, to a stall. The poverty is very touching, and I think every teenager my age in Ireland should experience this at one stage or another in their lives, just to have them realize that what they have they should be extremely grateful for, even if it’s just a simple glass of water. It is dirty and smoggy, but beautiful at the same time, the Indians are very happy, friendly people.
The experience that touched me most was, in the heaven for many street children of Kolkata, Loreto Day school Sealdah. It is a simple school building, cornered away from the noisy, loud streets of the city, where over 1,200 children get their education every day, and over 200 of them live there.
I walked down the stairs, only to be surrounded by the most beautiful, happy children I have ever met. They held my arms and pulled me into the clean stone yard, where their schoolmates played and talked. They greeted me by saying “auntie, auntie, what is your name?”, I answered, and they immediately started playing and chatting with me. I felt as if I had got to know them more than I even know some of my own cousins, whom I see quite often, within the short space of only half an hour. They are always smiling and joking, and are very interested to know about you. One child ran up to me as if she was my sister and give me the biggest, tightest hug that warmed my heart, and even brought a small tear to my eye. A tear of happiness, that is.
What I also like most about this school is that the girls are very appreciative of where they are, and their education. Whereas, in Ireland you would find so many schoolchildren complaining and taking for granted the wonderful education that is provided for them. These children are so much more mature than their age equivalent in Ireland, They are teachers by the age of ten, and have to learn through English, even though it isn’t even their mother tongue. Everyday the girls go up onto the roof and do all their washing and cleaning. They are very independent.
I have just realized that I could go on writing this all day, so I am going to conclude here.
I love India and it’s people and it has been the best experience ever for me so far, and I can definitely see myself coming back here to Kolkata and helping these people in the future.