India blog, day 2...the good news is i got to touch a dog. The bad news is, everything else.
Hi. I'm not feeling so hot today - that's the truth. We'll keep this brief. Today I was shown a 'slum' that made yesterday's trip look like Malibu. You cannot imagine a place like this if you haven't seen it before -- the imagination is only willing to go so far before things seem ridiculous and impossible. Take it ten times more, and that's where we went today -- it was a labyrinth of concrete and brick structures with people EVERYWHERE. There were piles of waste on every corner, and sick animals covered in flies baked in the sun on both sides of the street. Children - no pants, no shoes, nowhere to play.
We visited a schoolhouse - very sweet. The children sat two to a desk with their scant school supplies in front of them - they were adorable. Singing songs, reciting the English alphabet, and even humoring us as I sang. We met some youth journalists - two groups - that are understanding that they have the power to create change and get their stories told through the power of video. The girls were sassy - it was a real treat. The boys were showing us paperwork that they filed to get the equivalent of food stamps rationed to their families as the state promised. World Vision is teaching them to speak out loud and they can be the creators of their community's future. Bright spots today in an otherwise difficult day.
At one point I teared up today and told Arik that this was the most desperate scraping out of life I had ever seen.
More tomorrow... and more pictures available HERE
