Why do I keep crying?

This week I've had a twist in my passion for India, but not in a bad way, in a way that I'm going to find it very difficult to leave.

First came the boys town - It amazed me how a nation can really go out of it's was to provide an amazing service for young boys that have next to nothing, a bed, 3 meals a day, educational support and schooling - all this is managed by the fantastic work Rotary do here and St John Ambulance provide first aid training to these young people. You'll see from Hollie's post the whole experience made me cry and I was even more moved when I was presented with a card and picture from one of the boys.

Wednesday was to date my most moving experience, I spent the day at the government hospital - its massive, with 5000 beds, but the day I was there it was hosting 7500+ patients, so for every 2 beds there was a patient on a mat on the floor. My first exposure was to a body being wheeled freely across the car park to the chapel of rest. Then came the real side of India, a young boy in agony after being bit by a snake while working on the paddy fields two days earlier - he was very distressed and in a lot of pain, this hospital does an amazing job, but does not have even half the equipment it needs. I then sat with a family who's mum was being kept alive by her children squeezing a resuscitation bag every few seconds as the life support machine was in use on a guy who had a received a snake bite - but putting everything aside, this hospital does an amazing job in providing a service to the poorest of people in India, which without it would not receive any treatment.

Today - well, it's been amazing. This morning I left my last family and I'm now with Sam and his wife Meera in their fantastic traditional Indian home on the busiest and loudest street in Chennai, and I love it.

I've spent the day with the St John Ambulance and Indian Red Cross combined project, looking at the Youth elements provided and the work in the communities they undertake. Followed by a visit to the artificial limb and department that provides training courses for those with severe limb diasabiltites.

With my vocational visits this week I have learnt so much and really have lots of things I want to take back to my work in the UK and also to find ways to support some of the projects here in India.

This evening I went to Sam's work, which was an amazing experience, Sam and Meera don't have any children (that was until I arrived!) so they give all their time to others, Sam employs 5 young men who when joining him were unable to read, write and perform basic tasks, he's trained them up to be engineers and they work for him - then when I got back I found Meera supporting 10 local children with their homework at the house.

I came on GSE to learn, share and develop, and this week, I find myself really doing that, the team are wonderful and I know I'll stay friends with all of them for the rest of my life - someone told me I would return from India a different person, and that's very true.