India: Feeling like the pied piper in Delhi

Today was our first visit to some projects after meeting some of the programme staff in the Save the Children office in Delhi, India.

In the morning we visited a drop-in centre for street children, where the children can come each day and get a very basic education and find a safe place to play and rest. They also get a couple of meals a day and once a month they’re given clean clothes to wear. The children became very excited at our visit and wanted their photos taken. It felt a very happy place even though they had such deep problems.

This afternoon we went to an urban slum, which was a very daunting journey over very rough roads. When we finally got there the poverty was incredible. Save the Children’s mobile health clinic was on its weekly visit, seeing about 150 people a day. It has a doctor, nurse and pharmacist as well as a community doctor who visits, counsels and discusses health issues with  anyone who wants it. There is also a Community Volunteer who also works with them keeping an eye on the children and families. We ended up feeling like the pied piper being followed everywhere by dozens of excited children.