23/09/09

Both the programme and the community volunteers went on a day trip to visit some of Sangam's partner organisations.1st stop was Ishwari an institute set up to proved women with the opportunity to learn new skills such as cooking, craft and housekeeping. All of which will help in later life. There are also causes for men such as IT and mechanics. Its a brilliant foundation as it enables those who have fewer opportunities to learn new skills. They also make the best ginger biscuits I have ever tasted, we somehow managed to arrive right after a batch had come out of the oven so ate them warm...delicious. We then visited Anand Gram an institution which was started in 1964 by Dr. Indutai Patwardhan to reach out to the victims of leprosy. As leprosy declines the site has started to focus on the needs of the children. There is a large school which children who live in Anand Gram attend along with children from the surrounding area. Anand Gram not only has a school but also housing, cooking and dinning facilities for all the residents, a lounge and a large area of land used for farming. Its a fantastic institution and has made a real difference to those who have been affected by leprosy, both suffers and those stigmatized unfairly for having a family member with the disease. We went to Darshi's for dinner and had another chapatti rolling lesson, she taught use a different technique and I amazed myself by making a round chapatti. It may appear easy to do but its much more difficult than it looks.