TEAM TWO ARRIVAL!

Hello from team two!
We got to the hotel in the middle of last night after a VERY long day travelling, starting at 4am, awaiting the start of the mission.
Once the first flight had taken off (on time!) we were served our breakfast, which by the looks of it was egg and tomato although the egg was rather a rubbery substance!
Many hours, 2 countries and a few movies later we landed in Delhi airport and were instantly struck by the fog that was everywhere inside the building, a vaguelly smelly smog, like what foreigners expect from london. The second surprise (to us at least -Geni and Hannah) was the driving! eeek its mental, no indicating or lanes or anything, just honking to say "hello! im here! you might want to get out of the way but if not dont worry ill drive round you like a madman!"
Our tiredness was proven by the sightings of animals, we thought we saw a monkey in a dress in a car (turned out to be a women sleeping with her hair flopped over her face! woops!) and Hannah and Chelsey mistook an Indian cow for a moose!

But we all got a (good) nights sleep and a couple of us managed to turn on the shower, and after a meeting we set off to the main headquarters of Asha to meet Dr Keeran Martin and a few of the people working with her to hear about all the stuff that Asha do and how it al got started. SHe is an incredible woman with a great passion, she has built the organisation out of nothing and it does SO MUCH for the people out here, totally transforms the way they live!
Afterwards we went to meet the women and children of the slum, they greeted us with flower garlands made by the kids, so touching! we all sat down together to find out what goes on in the slum and they asked us questions to find out what we do back home! The midwife of the slum was lets say a "little" surprised when she found that a few members of the team (who were married) didn't have kids...so she offered to deliver the baby next year!

The woman who was the kind of doctor of the slum, not a proper doctor but trained to give out treatment and stuff, showed us proudly her medicine box. what really struck us was that the pills that they treasure so much and have so few of between so many were only like paracetamol, aspirin, immodium etc that we can get over the counter at boots for like 50p.

The kids themselves showed great passion to make the most of what they actually have. Few wanting to be doctors and some presidents of groups they have in the slums that take care of particular lanes in the slum. They were concerned about the elderly and pregnant women, as well as their rights!! (This is just coming from a 9 year old! amazing eh?!)

However the kids did show their cheeky side when taking us around the slum and they decided to hold our hands with, the left hand (lets just say it doesn't go anywhere pleasant!) They were also so happy to see us and we made instant friends. At one point there was a very picturesque moment where Caroline held very tiny premature baby, it was so beautiful.

The slums wern't as bad as we had expected, but then Asha has been there for quite a few years, and you can tell that alot of work has been done and there is deffinately room for even more improvement. Their houses were so colourful, bold and neat, although they were very small, sleeping up to 10 people in one tiny room! So next time you think about moaning about the size of your room, or even your house take a second to think about some others that don't even have that! In all the houses we visited we were offered food and chi tea.

We now have the evening off, so i think catching on sleep and preparing for an almighty trip out to the market will be in store! Us ladies are especially excited about the Salwar Kameez's. We shall try and report more tomorrow, thanks for all the support back home and keep praying for our health especially, and our physical and emotional strength for the week to come!

p.s. londoners - STOP BEING SO MISERABLE! coming here its like WOAH they are so happy, and welcome and greet everyone around and know all their neighbours like family... next time youre on a tube or in the street or something, give them a smile!