Food for thought!

Having initially been taken on a tour of the school, I’ve now got to know the orphanage.  One thing that’s made an impact on me is the lack of furniture.  We’re so used to furniture that it seems strange to see that everything is carried out on the floor, not just lessons in school, but eating & sleeping, preparing food, washing up etc.  It was one thing, seeing the children sitting & eating their meals from their metal dishes on the floor, but it tugs at the heart strings to see them simply lying on the ceramic floor, to sleep.  As it’s hot in Summer, they don’t even lie on a blanket & they have no covering. There are a few beds for older children but the majority sleep on the floor of the same room, which serves also as their dining hall.



The few beds for older girls



The kitchen is very tiny at the moment, as renovation work is in progress.  The ladies, who prepare the food, do a wonderful job but have very little space at the moment. However, I’ve noticed that even the neighbours in the houses next door, squat on the ground to prepare the vegetables etc.  In the orphanage they manage very well in catering for so many children and they’re very aware of nutrition. 

The food is vegetarian, healthy and very tasty.  I’ve found it spicy but not overly so.  Every day there is some sort of curry or spicy dish plus one of a variety of rice dishes, or chapattis and usually served with curd.  There is also fresh fruit & I’m adhering to the rule that so many friends quoted to me: “Peel it, cook it or leave it!”  The only meal that I’ve found quite hard to take is the curry for breakfast!  Although I love savoury food, I simply find curry hard to stomach first thing in the morning!  I’m managing very well though with oats, milk & fruit, which was very thoughtfully bought for me.  The people here really are very considerate & anxious that I should feel comfortable.

The orphanage has specially filtered water for drinking, which I’ve only tentatively tried, as I felt more confident with bottled water.  I’m taking food & drink carefully, hoping that my system will adapt without any unpleasant repercussions! 

Whilst touching on that delicate subject, I’ll tell you that yesterday I realised that my loo paper was running low.  I asked if there was some more available & discovered that they don’t have it here! I had read in the guide book that it’s not used much in India & sure enough, in the loos at the airport I’d noticed the little hose pipes that are fixed to the wall beside the loos!  Now I understand!  So, yesterday I was very kindly taken to a little supermarket, where the assistants looked blankly when asked in their own language for loo paper.  I hunted round the shop but couldn’t see any!  Finally a man found a pack on a top shelf – obviously not a common request!  So that’s something else I’ve learned & I hope I now have enough to last the month!

Hygiene is also being highlighted in the orphanage & school, & the staff are also keen to teach the underprivileged people, with whom they work in the outlying areas, of the necessity of good hygiene.

More about that work later.  The internet is available in only one office here, so I don’t always have access, time is therefore limited & then there are the daily power cuts!