Kolkata, India
Published on Nov 22, 2015
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KOLKATA INDIA 2013
WORKING WITH MOTHER TERESA'S MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY
My name is Daniel Costain and I travelled to Kolkata India to work with the Missionaries of Charity. I was there for two months.
CALCUTTA (KOLKATA)
LIVING CONDITIONS
Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work. - Blessed Mother Teresa
Photo by jinka!
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1.2 BILLION people live in India. Kolkata is the 3 rd largest metropolitan area in India next to Dehli and Mumbai.
Approx 14 million people live in Kolkata.
(Toronto = 2.4 million. GTA =5 million. Canada's entire population is only about 33 million!)
40percent of Kolkata's population are considered slum dwellers.
Over 200,000 orphaned children live on the streets of Kolkata.
There are around 25 to 30 thousand people per square kilometre.
(Toronto has 4 thousand per square kilometre and Sarnia has between 2 and 4 hundred people/km2)
Approx 14 million people live in Kolkata.
(Toronto = 2.4 million. GTA =5 million. Canada's entire population is only about 33 million!)
40percent of Kolkata's population are considered slum dwellers.
Over 200,000 orphaned children live on the streets of Kolkata.
There are around 25 to 30 thousand people per square kilometre.
(Toronto has 4 thousand per square kilometre and Sarnia has between 2 and 4 hundred people/km2)
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There is no refrigeration in Kolkata. Everything is sold on the streets.
In Kolkata, millions of people shower from taps on the streets, they sleep on the streets, eat on the streets, defecate on the streets, slaughter goats on the streets, make their living on the streets, and have no home but the streets.
In Kolkata, millions of people shower from taps on the streets, they sleep on the streets, eat on the streets, defecate on the streets, slaughter goats on the streets, make their living on the streets, and have no home but the streets.
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Hand pulled rickshaws like these two are becoming less and less common to see in most Indian cities, however, Kolkata is behind the times in many ways compared to most Indian cities. On my way to the Mother House every morning (a twenty minute walk), I would see at least ten and sometimes around 30.
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Kolkata is DIRTY.
There is no real garbage collection in Kolkata. In the slums and poorer neighbourhoods, the streets literally are the equivalent to our dumps. I asked my hotel owner where I can put my garbage and he told me to throw it out my window onto the street.
Store owners and people who live on the street clean up their own areas and put all the garbage into big piles where cows, crows, pigs, rats, and dogs congregate to find food. These piles of garbage are also places where hundreds of thousands of people in Kolkata find their daily food and things to sell. It is not uncommon to see people collecting every piece of tin he or she can find, or plastic cutlery or water bottles or clothing, or animal entrails.
There is no real garbage collection in Kolkata. In the slums and poorer neighbourhoods, the streets literally are the equivalent to our dumps. I asked my hotel owner where I can put my garbage and he told me to throw it out my window onto the street.
Store owners and people who live on the street clean up their own areas and put all the garbage into big piles where cows, crows, pigs, rats, and dogs congregate to find food. These piles of garbage are also places where hundreds of thousands of people in Kolkata find their daily food and things to sell. It is not uncommon to see people collecting every piece of tin he or she can find, or plastic cutlery or water bottles or clothing, or animal entrails.
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A market selling jewellery and clothing for the upcoming Durga Puja festival. Way too many festivals and holidays in India.
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Howrah bridge. 100,000 vehicles and over 150,000 pedestrians daily! One of the busiest bridges in the world.
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A rickshaw driver and his wealthy passenger after a downpour.
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Hotel Paragon! 250 rupees per night ($4.30). Cheapest hostel I could find. I was safe and relatively safe from rats (as long as my door was closed). Bed bug bites went unnoticed after about a week and stepping on cockroaches on my way to the bathroom became a satisfying feeling. My hip became tougher from sleeping on the thin hard mattress and my standards of cleanliness were at an all time low. Sometimes the water didn't turn on in the hotel. When it did, large green chunks were usually in the water haha. I ended up becoming very attached to my hotel, I miss it.
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This is where my hotel washed my sheets and also where I did my laundry everyday. Hotel paragon
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This is an Indian toilet. Sometimes metal, usually porcelain, it is a hole in the ground. Squatting is a skill one should attain before travelling to India.
Indians don't use toilet paper. Beside every toilet is a small tap for water and a bucket. Toilet paper is only sold in richer shopping places and near hotels where foreigners stay.
I got used to using these, and if will never complain about a smell in Canada ever again.
Indians don't use toilet paper. Beside every toilet is a small tap for water and a bucket. Toilet paper is only sold in richer shopping places and near hotels where foreigners stay.
I got used to using these, and if will never complain about a smell in Canada ever again.
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Not quite street food but not quite a restaurant. Fit my price range perfectly. This place is called flavours and it has the best khati rolls. Only 35 rupees for a double egg veg roll.
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A fountain right beside the main bus station. The water is full of garbage and feces and these kids are loving it.
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In Kolkata you can't walk two blocks in the morning time and not see people bathing in the streets or in the Hooghly river or in a local pond. No matter what street, or how busy the road is, people where just their underwear or sometimes not, and lather up and rinse.
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This girl is one of the thousands of child beggars I met in Kolkata. I never gave any money. These kids are part of an enormous mafia of begging. The money I give her will not be hers.
40 minutes after this picture was taken, she had a different baby. These babies are passed from beggar to beggar. Who knows who's baby it really is. Many parents sell their children to the begging business so that even their infant can contribute to the family.
“Among our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of giving a voice to the cry of the poor.” (Pope Francis, Address to the Archbishop of Canterbury, 6/14/13
40 minutes after this picture was taken, she had a different baby. These babies are passed from beggar to beggar. Who knows who's baby it really is. Many parents sell their children to the begging business so that even their infant can contribute to the family.
“Among our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of giving a voice to the cry of the poor.” (Pope Francis, Address to the Archbishop of Canterbury, 6/14/13
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This is a woman named Ahsa. She is a beggar who lives right outside my hostel. I talked with her a couple times a week and she was hilarious.
She lives near my hostel because she knows that just foreigners live there and foreigners give better tips. She has burns all over her neck and chest from her husband throwing hot oil on her. This is a common story for many Indian women. If the husband wants more money and/or she can't produce children that would contribute to the family, the husband takes it into his own hands. I never gave her any money throughout my stay but I thought I got to know her pretty well. Until on my last week, I was sitting on a curb and she approached me with an empty bottle saying, please sir, milk for my baby...I said 'Ahsa, I know you don't have a baby' and instantly she recognized me, stroked my chin, laughed and apologized then sat down to talk for a moment. She is a genuinely happy person. I miss her.
The girl on Ahsa's left is a girl from Seattle who was also a volunteer and lived at the same hostel as me.
She lives near my hostel because she knows that just foreigners live there and foreigners give better tips. She has burns all over her neck and chest from her husband throwing hot oil on her. This is a common story for many Indian women. If the husband wants more money and/or she can't produce children that would contribute to the family, the husband takes it into his own hands. I never gave her any money throughout my stay but I thought I got to know her pretty well. Until on my last week, I was sitting on a curb and she approached me with an empty bottle saying, please sir, milk for my baby...I said 'Ahsa, I know you don't have a baby' and instantly she recognized me, stroked my chin, laughed and apologized then sat down to talk for a moment. She is a genuinely happy person. I miss her.
The girl on Ahsa's left is a girl from Seattle who was also a volunteer and lived at the same hostel as me.
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This is the street I took every morning to get to the Mother House. There are several mosques on this street so I called it the Muslim street. (It is almost impossible to find street names in many parts of Kolkata).
This was my last day in India. It was a Muslim holiday called Muharram.
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and begins with mourning of the death of Imam Hussein Ali, who was also the grandson of Prophet Mohammad. Some Muslims engage in very serious self flagellation. They use chains, small daggers and sharp objects. The particular procession that I walked through, there were drummers In the back and several shirtless men wearing white blood soaked pants marching in front of them. The men were methodically wounding themselves on their upper chests with their small daggers in each hand.
No pictures I want to post here!
This was my last day in India. It was a Muslim holiday called Muharram.
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and begins with mourning of the death of Imam Hussein Ali, who was also the grandson of Prophet Mohammad. Some Muslims engage in very serious self flagellation. They use chains, small daggers and sharp objects. The particular procession that I walked through, there were drummers In the back and several shirtless men wearing white blood soaked pants marching in front of them. The men were methodically wounding themselves on their upper chests with their small daggers in each hand.
No pictures I want to post here!
MOTHER TERESA
- Left home at 18 to be a missionary with the Loreto Sisters
- At 27 she made her final vows
- She was 38 years old when she left the Loreto Sisters
- Six months later she opened a dispensary and a school
- After eight months of working alone, one of Mother's former students joined her and became Sister Agnes
When Mother Teresa left home at 18 in the year 1928, she knew she would never see her family ever again. In those days, missionaries never returned home again.
Her mother's advice to her on the day she left home - 'Put your hand in His hand and walk all alone with Him and never look back.'
Imagine how much faith Mother Teresa must have had to leave a convent without the normal habit of a nun, and walk alone into the slums of Kolkata. This was the year 1948.
Her mother's advice to her on the day she left home - 'Put your hand in His hand and walk all alone with Him and never look back.'
Imagine how much faith Mother Teresa must have had to leave a convent without the normal habit of a nun, and walk alone into the slums of Kolkata. This was the year 1948.
Photo by scotted400
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Before Mother Teresa left the Loreto Sisters, for six months she kept hearing Jesus speak to her. He told her
'My little one - come, come, carry Me into the holes of the poor. Come, be My light. I cannot go alone - they don't know Me - so they don't want Me.'
Once she had a vision, she saw many, many very poor people and children calling out to her: 'Come, come, save us - bring us to Jesus.'
She also saw the Virgin Mary who told her : 'Carry Jesus to them - Fear not. Teach them to say the Rosary - the family Rosary - and all will be well. - Fear not - Jesus and I will be with you and your children.'
She also saw Jesus on the cross, he was begging her not to refuse Him. He wanted her to begin a new congregation of sisters, who would be called the 'Missionaries of Charity.' They would bring His love and compassion to the poor in the slums.
'My little one - come, come, carry Me into the holes of the poor. Come, be My light. I cannot go alone - they don't know Me - so they don't want Me.'
Once she had a vision, she saw many, many very poor people and children calling out to her: 'Come, come, save us - bring us to Jesus.'
She also saw the Virgin Mary who told her : 'Carry Jesus to them - Fear not. Teach them to say the Rosary - the family Rosary - and all will be well. - Fear not - Jesus and I will be with you and your children.'
She also saw Jesus on the cross, he was begging her not to refuse Him. He wanted her to begin a new congregation of sisters, who would be called the 'Missionaries of Charity.' They would bring His love and compassion to the poor in the slums.
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MOTHER HOUSE AND OTHER HOMES
- Shanti Dan
- Prem Dan
- Dayadan
- Nirmal Hriday
- Shishu Bhavan
There are more than 50,000 people helped every day in Kolkata by the MOC sisters. There are a lot more homes than just these 5 but these five are the ones that accept volunteers.
Volunteers are desperately needed, nothing is required of you besides willingness to work...hard.
I travelled to Kolkata without contacting anyone, showed up at the Mother House at 6 am for mass, then was working in a home across the city at 8:30.
Bengali is the language spoken in Kolkata.
"Dan" means give or gift.
Shanti Dan - give peace - a home for women with mental illness and mental disabilities.
Prem Dan - give love - a home for the elderly.
Dayadan - give kindness (sometimes translated give mercy) - a home for boys and girls with disabilities.
Nirmal Hriday - pure hearts - home for the dying and destitute.
Shishu Bhavan - children's home - home for young children without parents and for infants that were given to the MOC right after birth. These infants will be adopted by richer families across the entire world. My dispensary was located in the Shishu Bhavan entrance.
Volunteers are placed in whichever home they want or wherever they are needed most. The sisters placed me in a dispensary because I have medical training. Dispensaries are not places you can choose to go. You have to be asked.
Some volunteers only work mornings (8-12) but some work mornings and afternoons (3-530 or 6). I chose to work at Nirmal Hriday in the afternoons.
Volunteers are desperately needed, nothing is required of you besides willingness to work...hard.
I travelled to Kolkata without contacting anyone, showed up at the Mother House at 6 am for mass, then was working in a home across the city at 8:30.
Bengali is the language spoken in Kolkata.
"Dan" means give or gift.
Shanti Dan - give peace - a home for women with mental illness and mental disabilities.
Prem Dan - give love - a home for the elderly.
Dayadan - give kindness (sometimes translated give mercy) - a home for boys and girls with disabilities.
Nirmal Hriday - pure hearts - home for the dying and destitute.
Shishu Bhavan - children's home - home for young children without parents and for infants that were given to the MOC right after birth. These infants will be adopted by richer families across the entire world. My dispensary was located in the Shishu Bhavan entrance.
Volunteers are placed in whichever home they want or wherever they are needed most. The sisters placed me in a dispensary because I have medical training. Dispensaries are not places you can choose to go. You have to be asked.
Some volunteers only work mornings (8-12) but some work mornings and afternoons (3-530 or 6). I chose to work at Nirmal Hriday in the afternoons.
Photo by Swami Gaurangapada
MY TYPICAL DAY
- 5:15 wake up, shower (only if my water turned on) 20 min walk to the mother house
- 6:00 mass. I usually served at the mass with my friend Theo from France
- 7:00 breakfast of chai, bread, and a banana
- 8:00 start work at Shishu Bhavan dispensary - bandaging station (or sometimes filling prescriptions)
- 12:00 20 min walk to my hostel or to lunch with friends
MY TYPICAL DAY CONT'D
- 14:15 start my commute to Nirmal Hriday, walk, metro, walk
- 15:00 work at Nirmal Hriday till 17:30
- 17:30 commute back to my hostel to get ready for adoration
- 18:00 adoration at the Mother House
- 19:00 dinner with friends
MOTHER HOUSE - CONVENT
This house is only for the sisters. The second floor is where I attended mass every morning with the sisters and some volunteers. The ground floor is where all us volunteers ate breakfast before trekking to our respective homes.
Volunteers were all ages. Most were between the ages of 18 and 30 but there are also a lot of middle aged people and a few older ones. Most volunteers stay for a week or three. Some stay for a month to a year. There are 2 volunteers who have been volunteering for 20 and 25 years. Interestingly enough, I only met one Indian volunteer during my entire 2 month stay. Volunteers are from every country, mostly from Japan, France, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Norway, United States, Canada and Italy. At one time there are usually between 20 and 60 volunteers depending on the season.
Volunteers were all ages. Most were between the ages of 18 and 30 but there are also a lot of middle aged people and a few older ones. Most volunteers stay for a week or three. Some stay for a month to a year. There are 2 volunteers who have been volunteering for 20 and 25 years. Interestingly enough, I only met one Indian volunteer during my entire 2 month stay. Volunteers are from every country, mostly from Japan, France, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Norway, United States, Canada and Italy. At one time there are usually between 20 and 60 volunteers depending on the season.
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This is Mother's tomb. It is on the first floor of the mother house. It is a popular tourist spot but at night it is only open to volunteers and sisters. It is always silent in there.
We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls. - Blessed Mother Teresa
We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls. - Blessed Mother Teresa
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This is the breakfast room located on the ground floor of the Mother House. Every morning we had chai tea, a banana, and bread for breakfast.
The brown garage door at the back is opened up after our sending forth prayer. The door opens onto the sidewalk and into a major street full of trams, buses, taxis, rickshaws, people, bikes, motorcycles....everything. Once that door opens, it is chaos. All the volunteers walk out into the street and traffic to jump onto city buses, which don't stop unless you make them stop. Veteran volunteers show new ones where to go so no one gets lost or overwhelmed.
The sisters can do this with ease, they usually walk everywhere but when they need to go far, they are pros at navigating the city and chaotic Indian culture. I would always get home after work with a black film all over my body but somehow the saris of the sisters always stayed so white.
The brown garage door at the back is opened up after our sending forth prayer. The door opens onto the sidewalk and into a major street full of trams, buses, taxis, rickshaws, people, bikes, motorcycles....everything. Once that door opens, it is chaos. All the volunteers walk out into the street and traffic to jump onto city buses, which don't stop unless you make them stop. Veteran volunteers show new ones where to go so no one gets lost or overwhelmed.
The sisters can do this with ease, they usually walk everywhere but when they need to go far, they are pros at navigating the city and chaotic Indian culture. I would always get home after work with a black film all over my body but somehow the saris of the sisters always stayed so white.
SHISHU BHAVAN
DISPENSARY - WOUND DRESSINIG
Shishu Bhavan is a home for orphan children and also for babies that will be adopted by people in the 1st world. The dispensary isn't technically part of Shishu Bhavan but we use the big space in front of the building to hold our clinics.
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These men are regulars at the dressing station. The man closest to the camera has an open wound at the site of a fracture of his tibia. He broke his femur and tibia a few years ago. He couldn't receive surgery because the people in the hospital including the workers kick out any street men. He tried several times to receive care and every time he was thrown out. His left leg is now half a foot to a foot shorter than his right leg. The tibia never healed together at all so the wound where the two bones meet is chronically open. His femur healed but at an angle that makes his whole upper leg deformed and useless.
At the dispensary, I was able to do many things I would never be able to do and see things that don't exist in Canada. I removed hundreds of maggots and bandaged a few hundred wounds, drained several abscesses, cut off a mans toe, gave 8 stitches, gave several injections, and encountered patients with active TB and leprosy.
And not all the excitement just happens to the locals!
Two of my friends who were volunteers got malaria, one got typhoid, one dengue, several got amoebas, one got a parasite. One volunteer broke his arm and had to have surgery in a Kolkata hospital, where they didn't have blood so a few of the volunteers with his blood type went to the hospital to donate their blood. One of the volunteers told me that he was just so thankful in the fact that he can easily receive care at the hospital, most people he dealt with everyday off the streets can not.
At the dispensary, I was able to do many things I would never be able to do and see things that don't exist in Canada. I removed hundreds of maggots and bandaged a few hundred wounds, drained several abscesses, cut off a mans toe, gave 8 stitches, gave several injections, and encountered patients with active TB and leprosy.
And not all the excitement just happens to the locals!
Two of my friends who were volunteers got malaria, one got typhoid, one dengue, several got amoebas, one got a parasite. One volunteer broke his arm and had to have surgery in a Kolkata hospital, where they didn't have blood so a few of the volunteers with his blood type went to the hospital to donate their blood. One of the volunteers told me that he was just so thankful in the fact that he can easily receive care at the hospital, most people he dealt with everyday off the streets can not.
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This man came in with second and third degree burns. He works at a plastic factory and hot plastic was poured onto his hands. I spent half an hour peeling hard black and grey skin off his palms. His wound looked so much better every time he came in and he was always so grateful for my care.
He had to go right back to work the same day he was burned.
He had to go right back to work the same day he was burned.
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This baby was brought into the dispensary with second degree burns all over her torso and legs. She is a newborn and lives on the streets with her mother and three sisters. Her mother started a fire to warm themselves at night because in November it starts to get cold. The baby's clothes caught on fire. A volunteer nurse and Sister Marguerite (who is also a doctor) started an IV and bandaged her burns. The Sister in charge of the house where the dispensary is located gave permission to the mother of the baby to sleep at the home until her baby has fully recovered.
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” - Charles dickens
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” - Charles dickens
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This is the sink where we would clean our instruments. Below the sink is the hazardous waste bin where we put all of our used needles, bloody gauze, old bandages, maggots, and anything and everything else that can come off of a person. A maid comes around every once in a while and collects the garbage into her plastic bag.
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The dispensary is packed completely full some days. I took this picture before we opened for the day.
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This is Mariana, a volunteer from Mexico, and Sister Jean. Sister Jean was very close with Mother Teresa and Mother Teresa gave Sister Jean her name. She runs a dispensary at Dayadan where I sometimes worked.
Sister jean told us a story about when Jesus spoke to her. She was in a coma for two days after a big fall in the mountains in Darjeeling. When she woke up she was in a lot of pain and was feeling really sorry for herself. She said that Jesus said to her, 'Am I not enough for you? Stop your complaining. I have chosen you to be a victim'. Sister Jean is a super tough sister. She will also slap any street man who is drunk and asking for more than what he needs.
Sister jean told us a story about when Jesus spoke to her. She was in a coma for two days after a big fall in the mountains in Darjeeling. When she woke up she was in a lot of pain and was feeling really sorry for herself. She said that Jesus said to her, 'Am I not enough for you? Stop your complaining. I have chosen you to be a victim'. Sister Jean is a super tough sister. She will also slap any street man who is drunk and asking for more than what he needs.
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Every other week our dispensary from Shishu Bhavan went to a rural village to bring medication and care to the people who were too far to travel to a dispensary in Kolkata.
When we first arrived to this courtyard it was crawling with screaming people. They were lined up and pushing and hitting to keep their spots. We spent all day bandaging wounds and giving out general drugs depending on the complaint of the patients. I learned a lot of Bengali that day...all bodily complaints haha.
This is Tommomy, a paediatric nurse from Japan, Doan, a med student from Norway, and Ireri, a high school grad from Mexico.In the background is the Missionary of Charity ambulance where we packed ourselves and supplies.
When we first arrived to this courtyard it was crawling with screaming people. They were lined up and pushing and hitting to keep their spots. We spent all day bandaging wounds and giving out general drugs depending on the complaint of the patients. I learned a lot of Bengali that day...all bodily complaints haha.
This is Tommomy, a paediatric nurse from Japan, Doan, a med student from Norway, and Ireri, a high school grad from Mexico.In the background is the Missionary of Charity ambulance where we packed ourselves and supplies.
NIRMAL HRIDAY
HOME FOR THE DYING AND DESTITUTE
Mother Teresa's first home. This home was originally a hostel for pilgrims visiting the temple for the Hindu goddess kali - the god of death and destruction. It wasn't being used so Kolkata gave it to Mother.
44 men and 44 women stay at one time. There are 5 sisters in total who live and work here.
New patients are brought in as soon as there is space. Nirmal Hriday is not a hospital, it is a place to die. However, some men and women do recover and are discharged.
44 men and 44 women stay at one time. There are 5 sisters in total who live and work here.
New patients are brought in as soon as there is space. Nirmal Hriday is not a hospital, it is a place to die. However, some men and women do recover and are discharged.
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“When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed.” Mother Teresa
'Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given.' - Blessed Mother Teresa
'Nobody has ever become poor by giving.' - Anne Frank
'Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given.' - Blessed Mother Teresa
'Nobody has ever become poor by giving.' - Anne Frank
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On my first day here, I asked sister what I could do to be of use. She looked at me seriously and said "Give love". At first it was difficult to connect with these people, I felt like I had so little in common with them. "Giving love" here became the best part of my day. There was no rush, no bandages to apply, no lineups, no noise.
Sometimes I would do some physiotherapy with certain patients, give scalp and back massages, help the men eat, and attempt to communicate. But, most of the time I would sit with the ones who were in the most pain, or who were scared or who couldn't speak anymore and they would hold my hand.
On my last day, I told one of my favourite patients that I'd see him in heaven. He couldn't move anything besides his lips and he could barely speak but he used all his energy to say 'I love you'.
Sometimes I would do some physiotherapy with certain patients, give scalp and back massages, help the men eat, and attempt to communicate. But, most of the time I would sit with the ones who were in the most pain, or who were scared or who couldn't speak anymore and they would hold my hand.
On my last day, I told one of my favourite patients that I'd see him in heaven. He couldn't move anything besides his lips and he could barely speak but he used all his energy to say 'I love you'.
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This is the dressing room where the sisters would wash and dress all the men's wounds. When a new patient came in, the sisters would cut his hair in here, scrub every inch of his body, then usually start an IV and bandage whatever needs bandaging. Volunteers weren't supposed to enter unless invited. There was one volunteer I met who worked at Nirmal for a month and she would go in when the sisters were busy, crouch behind the patients head, and stroke the new patient's forehead while singing really quietly into his or her ear.
One day a man came in with only half of his left leg (lengthwise) because of an accident on the street a week before. The wound was now full of maggots and severely infected. I watched the sisters as they easily cleaned him up, pulled every maggot from his leg, bandaged him up and layed him in bed. He died three hours later.
One day a man came in with only half of his left leg (lengthwise) because of an accident on the street a week before. The wound was now full of maggots and severely infected. I watched the sisters as they easily cleaned him up, pulled every maggot from his leg, bandaged him up and layed him in bed. He died three hours later.
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Mother Teresa used to sit in this chair while registering paitients at Nirmal Hriday.
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This crucifix is on the roof of Nirmal Hriday. It is right above the balcony where volunteers take a break after work before we split up and push our way onto the metro and buses to get back 'home' across the city.
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The man on the left of the picture is a recovered patient of Nirmal and is now a volunteer doorman or guard.
The man on the right of the picture is Sumil. He is my favourite worker. He speaks English really well. One day I asked him why he speaks so well and why he is so good with volunteers - he was raised by volunteers. He was an orphan raised in Shishu Bhavan. He has worked at Nirmal for many years and is married to a worker who works on the women's side of Nirmal!
The man on the right of the picture is Sumil. He is my favourite worker. He speaks English really well. One day I asked him why he speaks so well and why he is so good with volunteers - he was raised by volunteers. He was an orphan raised in Shishu Bhavan. He has worked at Nirmal for many years and is married to a worker who works on the women's side of Nirmal!
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On the left is Theo from France, a Nirmal Hriday worker (I forget his name) , and Ernan from Argentina. We worked together at Nirmal for a few weeks.
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St Francis's prayer posted inside the home for the dying.
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"Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.” - John Henry Newman
“The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.” Gordon b Hinckley
“The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.” Gordon b Hinckley
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One of the my best memories at Nirmal is from my first and my last week working there. A man was admitted who was very weak and had several injuries and a pneumonia. I sat down beside him and started to massage his scalp and asked him how he was. He was laying on his side and he reached over to touch my knees. He touched them then touched his forehead. In the Hindu faith, Hindus bless themselves by touching a holy object or a holy persons feet then touching their foreheads. He was saying 'babu' over and over again and was crying. I asked a sister what babu means and she said it means little child. He was blessing himself with me.
He never felt worthy of my attention and if I massaged his arms, he would massage mine at the same time.
On his deathbed, he could no longer close one of his eyes, he couldn't close his mouth, he couldn't speak, and he was working so hard just to breathe. I sat beside him for an hour or two and as we were sitting, he started to massage my arm with the little strength he had left. He could barely close his hand but he decided to massage my arm. I called him Babu since I never could remember his name. He died that day.
He never felt worthy of my attention and if I massaged his arms, he would massage mine at the same time.
On his deathbed, he could no longer close one of his eyes, he couldn't close his mouth, he couldn't speak, and he was working so hard just to breathe. I sat beside him for an hour or two and as we were sitting, he started to massage my arm with the little strength he had left. He could barely close his hand but he decided to massage my arm. I called him Babu since I never could remember his name. He died that day.
NABO JIBON AND TITAGHAR
HOMES RUN BY MOC BROTHERS
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Nabo Jibon is a home for boys and men with severe disabilities. On Sundays, they open their doors to all street children. The dispensary is closed on Sunday so I usually went here. The boys and girls are separated and we bathe them and scrub them clean the. put oil in their hair. We play ball with them for a while then once lunch is ready we give them food and water.
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'If you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace because you know what you are.' - Blessed Mother Teresa
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Luke 6:24
Woe to those who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
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'If we have no peace it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.' - Blessed Mother Teresa
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“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” - John Bunyan
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This is one of the entrances to Titaghar. Titaghar is a leprosy colony run by the Missionary of Charity brothers. 400 families live within the walls of the colony. In India, once you are a leper, you will never again be welcomed into society. There are still many patients with active leprosy that are being treated. However, Most of the people there no longer have leprosy but are left with physical disabilities and many are also blind. Couples with leprosy get married here, have children, and raise them here. The brothers run a school and the patients are very self sufficient. They grow their own food, and are productive workers. Every single sari worn by the sisters worldwide is made here by these people.
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Mother Teresa chose the white and blue sari for several reasons:
-White and blue to symbolize the Virgin Mary and purity.
-3 blue stripes, small small BIG, the three theological virtues, faith hope and LOVE.
- To be in solidarity with the poor...no one buys the fabric made by the lepers for fear of catching leprosy, so only the 'untouchables' and the poorest of the poor wore the fabric and these white saris. At the time Mother Teresa first put on this sari and walked alone into the slums of Kolkata, this particular sari was associated with the poorest of the p
-White and blue to symbolize the Virgin Mary and purity.
-3 blue stripes, small small BIG, the three theological virtues, faith hope and LOVE.
- To be in solidarity with the poor...no one buys the fabric made by the lepers for fear of catching leprosy, so only the 'untouchables' and the poorest of the poor wore the fabric and these white saris. At the time Mother Teresa first put on this sari and walked alone into the slums of Kolkata, this particular sari was associated with the poorest of the p
PARVOTI AND HER FAMILY
HOSPITALITY IN A SLUM NEAR SEALDAH TRAIN STATION
Anyone who has struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor.' - James A. Baldwin
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This is the one room home of a maid named Parvoti who works at a missionary of charity home. She invited me and two other volunteers for dinner. She lives in the middle of a large slum beside the train station.
We sat on the bed that was 3 feet off the ground (where the whole family sleeps) while she prepared dinner below us with a gas stove. Her daughter prepared a lot of the food too.
She has 3 daughters and a son. Her fourth daughter who was 11 committed suicide 2 weeks before this picture was taken. Her husband committed suicide 7 yrs ago. She was very happy and seemed very grateful for our company when we were there. My impression of many Indians is that they are way tougher than us. They get used to suffering.
The baby in the picture is her nephew.
We sat on the bed that was 3 feet off the ground (where the whole family sleeps) while she prepared dinner below us with a gas stove. Her daughter prepared a lot of the food too.
She has 3 daughters and a son. Her fourth daughter who was 11 committed suicide 2 weeks before this picture was taken. Her husband committed suicide 7 yrs ago. She was very happy and seemed very grateful for our company when we were there. My impression of many Indians is that they are way tougher than us. They get used to suffering.
The baby in the picture is her nephew.
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This is Parvoti and her son. Parvoti is wearing a sari given to her by a volunteer as a gift. Her son is 18 and works at the train station. He does not work for himself, he is working to save enough money to buy a sari for his Auntie, Parvoti's sister, who is getting married soon.
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All of the food preparation was done below the bed we were sitting on and the spices were prepared on this cement board with a rock roller to crush them.
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She made us prawn and chicken and potato curry with rice...and we ate it indian style with no utensils haha. Got sick after that one. Worth it.
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THANKS FOR LISTENING
SEND ME AN EMAIL AT DANCOSTAIN@HOTMAIL.COM OR FEEL FREE TO TEXT 519-384-8606
travelling across india
TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM KOLKATA
I spent two weeks travelling India after having spent a month in Kolkata. Seeing other places in India made me think differently about Kolkata. Kolkata is the dirtiest and most chaotic city I have ever experienced. In no other city did I see more poverty, garbage, pollution, drug use or traffic than in Kolkata.
My 'Kolkata cough' went away while I was travelling and my skin became dry from not being in the jungle of the region's humidity. After living in 'kolkata-the armpit of India', I never felt very dirty or the need to shower like I did while in Kolkata.
My 'Kolkata cough' went away while I was travelling and my skin became dry from not being in the jungle of the region's humidity. After living in 'kolkata-the armpit of India', I never felt very dirty or the need to shower like I did while in Kolkata.
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The Indian train experience. On my travels, I caught 9 separate trains, and spent approximately 98 hours inside them. My longest ride was a 28hour train from Kolkata to Jaipur. The total cost for these train rides was less than 100 Canadian dollars.
I usually travelled in sleeper class which is a class second lowest from the bottom. The cheapest is standing class where people are crammed into every possible space including the luggage racks above your head and the space below your seat.
Sleeper class was surprisingly comfortable. Vinyl mattresses and space to sleep! I became very good at sleeping in trains. I just lock my bag up extra secure, put my head on my blanket, wear earplugs and shield my eyes from the constant flickering of lights. I always got a solid 5 or 6 hours of sleep.
Beggars walk through the trains at most stops so I had to be extra careful of my stuff so it didn't get stolen. Children with disabilities and kids who are obviously very poor come through and clean up garbage and sweep beneath everyone's feet.
Sometimes I had to kick people out of my spot and sometimes people would wake me up and lie and say I was in their bed.
Just for anyone who is thinking of travelling to India:
This class of travelling is not for women who are travelling alone!
I usually travelled in sleeper class which is a class second lowest from the bottom. The cheapest is standing class where people are crammed into every possible space including the luggage racks above your head and the space below your seat.
Sleeper class was surprisingly comfortable. Vinyl mattresses and space to sleep! I became very good at sleeping in trains. I just lock my bag up extra secure, put my head on my blanket, wear earplugs and shield my eyes from the constant flickering of lights. I always got a solid 5 or 6 hours of sleep.
Beggars walk through the trains at most stops so I had to be extra careful of my stuff so it didn't get stolen. Children with disabilities and kids who are obviously very poor come through and clean up garbage and sweep beneath everyone's feet.
Sometimes I had to kick people out of my spot and sometimes people would wake me up and lie and say I was in their bed.
Just for anyone who is thinking of travelling to India:
This class of travelling is not for women who are travelling alone!
AMBER FORT
JAIPUR
First impression of
Jaipur - dry, more camels and monkeys, less people, clean, way less poverty, people are better looking
Jaipur - dry, more camels and monkeys, less people, clean, way less poverty, people are better looking
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tombs of several maharajas
JAIPUR
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monkey temple
JAIPUR
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hawa mahal
JAIPUR
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tiger fort
JAIPUR
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We had the chance to spend a whole day with elephants. We rode them, painted them, washed them then swam with them in a small pond. I got to jump off the elephants head into the water!
water temple
UDAIPUR
First impression of
Udaipur - small town feel, European-like, small cobble stone roads and tons of kids on the streets playing, lots of water, safe, easy to get around.
Udaipur - small town feel, European-like, small cobble stone roads and tons of kids on the streets playing, lots of water, safe, easy to get around.
THE DREAM TEAM
dan + dan (New Jersey), thamara (mexico), gloria (mexico), + me
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SWIMMING WITH THE LOCALS
water palace
BOAT USED IN JAMES BOND MOVIE "OCTOPUSSY"
second largest city palace in india
UDAIPUR
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agra
TAJ MAHAL
First impression of
Agra - dirty, Taj Mahal, lots of monkeys, so many loud mosques, a lot of scams and people I didn't trust.
Agra - dirty, Taj Mahal, lots of monkeys, so many loud mosques, a lot of scams and people I didn't trust.
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TRAIN STATION IN AGRA
monkeys in the station were stealing food...dangerous
BATS IN GWALIOR
We had to spend a whole day in a city called Gwalior. It was a layover on our way to Varanasi. We locked our bags up at the train station then walked for hours and hours and had a lot of fun.
First impression of
Gwalior - absolutely not a tourist city, poor, hard to get around, super dusty, lots of dead animals on the road, people were really nice.
First impression of
Gwalior - absolutely not a tourist city, poor, hard to get around, super dusty, lots of dead animals on the road, people were really nice.
CITY PALACE IN GWALIOR
INSIDE A SIKHISM SANCTUARY WHERE THEY FEED THE POOR
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VARANASI
THE HOLIEST HINDU CITY IN THE WORLD
First impression of
Varanasi - beautiful, so many cows, eclectic (more so than the rest of India), super narrow and historic streets, quiet, touristy, holy, lots of cow poop.
Varanasi - beautiful, so many cows, eclectic (more so than the rest of India), super narrow and historic streets, quiet, touristy, holy, lots of cow poop.
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THE BURNING GHATS
VARANASI
Hundreds of thousands of bodies are cremated on the banks of the Ganges and thrown into the river every year. Hindus believe that if you are cremated and thrown into the holy river then you achieve moksha or a release from the cycle of reincarnation. The river comes from the Himalayas and the Hindus believe the river springs from the spiritual world.
A cremation takes about 3 hours. They are public and anyone can see. I saw quite a few during my 3 days in Varanasi. The burning ghats run 24/7.
There are some people who are considered holy so do not need to be cremated, their bodies are thrown into the river...sadhus (holy men), pregnant women, children under the age of ten, snake bite victims, and anyone who died of smallpox or leprosy.
Many people can't afford to buy wood for cremation so the bodies are thrown into the river with a rock tied to their ankles.
There are many rituals performed on the river and during the cremation process. It is very interesting to see. It is not uncommon to see a corpse floating down the river.
A cremation takes about 3 hours. They are public and anyone can see. I saw quite a few during my 3 days in Varanasi. The burning ghats run 24/7.
There are some people who are considered holy so do not need to be cremated, their bodies are thrown into the river...sadhus (holy men), pregnant women, children under the age of ten, snake bite victims, and anyone who died of smallpox or leprosy.
Many people can't afford to buy wood for cremation so the bodies are thrown into the river with a rock tied to their ankles.
There are many rituals performed on the river and during the cremation process. It is very interesting to see. It is not uncommon to see a corpse floating down the river.
SWIMMING IN THE GANGES RIVER
I had to do it.
On the other side of the boats in this picture we saw two nice dogs eating a dead body...maybe I should've checked before jumping in.
On the other side of the boats in this picture we saw two nice dogs eating a dead body...maybe I should've checked before jumping in.
DARJEELING
FAMOUS CITY IN THE HIMALAYAS NEAR THE NEPALESE BORDER
First impression of
Darjeeling - cold, clean, soooo clean, people are friendly, people are more oriental looking, no beggars on the streets, beautiful scenery everywhere in the city, "I can't believe no one has asked us for money yet!", so cold at night
Darjeeling - cold, clean, soooo clean, people are friendly, people are more oriental looking, no beggars on the streets, beautiful scenery everywhere in the city, "I can't believe no one has asked us for money yet!", so cold at night
MT KANCHANJUNGA IN DARJEELING
Third highest mountain in the world! 8500 metres approx.
was thought to be the highest mountain until 1850. It borders Nepal and India.
was thought to be the highest mountain until 1850. It borders Nepal and India.
MT EVEREST!
Mt Everest is the middle white peak of the three in the distance.
BUDDHIST MONASTARY
THIS STATUE IS SEVERAL METRES TALL
DARJEELING TEA PLANTATIONS
THIS WOMAN PICKS TEA ALL YEAR ROUND
THANKS
-DAN
