Compassion in the Slums of Ahmedabad
16 of us from Be the Cause are currently in Ahmedabad. Today we were in Ramapir No Takro Slum. This slum has over 150, 000 people living in the at most poorest conditions imaginable to mankind. The people there are of course much wealthier then we can imagine. Such beauty, kindness, compassion and love is what is felt when walking through.
Today a few of us from the group walked into the slum and picked up paper and plastic items.This of course encouraged the people in the slum to also pick up and clean their community. While walking through the slum, children and their families ran up to us, and helped us with picking up. A few of us were told from a Manav Sadhna volunteer that we were an example to the community because of our eagerness and dedication in cleaning up their home.
Manav Sadhna has a non traditional educational setting in the slum. They educate the childern and provide nutritious meals, as well as many other things…such as bathing the children which is what we did for this project. While bathing the children, we felt as if we were cleaning our own souls. The experience of seeing the children before and after their baths was astonishing…to see the happiness from the children from also getting their finger nails clipped, hair washed and combed, and lotion applied…was probably the biggest gift we ever could give them…and maybe the biggest gift we could give ourselves.
Another activity that was beneficial for both Manav Sadhna, the slum, and ourselves had to do with building the community center. We had a small part today in helping building this community center…by passing bowls full of bricks to each other, while standing in an assembly line of sorts. It felt like each brick that will be placed…represents a part of each one of us…because we were feeling such love and compassion, and inspiration…
Gianna and Kristeen