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We arrived at Children Walking Tall as medical students expecting to work with the charity’s medical team. Soon after we arrived it became clear that this was not to be. There was no in house medical team, and it appeared that we would be mainly working as daycare assistants and teachers- not what we had signed up for.

Despite the initial disappointments and apprehensions Stu and I were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it. Both of us had little experience of working with children, so it was a steep learning curve and the kids certainly taught us a lot in a very short space of time (even the odd bit of Hindi!) It sounds like a cliché but the children really are fantastic- if not a tad cheeky and mischievous!The staff at the charity did make an effort to get us as “medically” involved in the day to day work as was possible. We spent time in the slums- dressing wounds, checking up on the families and their children, ensuring the kids were getting vaccinated. We also made regular visits to the regional hospitals treating the kids for malaria and even anaemia. 

So all in all, despite it not  being what we expected, we thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent at the Mango House (apart from the Mosquitos!!). We will always fondly remember our time at Mango House and wish the children and the charity every success in the future.

Oli and Stu

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"But You Don't Like Children"... This is the response I got used to as I told friends and family my plan to spend three months volunteering at Children Walking Tall after I finished university.

Now this wasn't entirely true, but I admit, until August I had had very little contact with children in any capacity and before applying to CWT no real interest to change that. So why even think about this? Well, I spent 8 months in 2006 living and working in India, part of my uni placement year as a language and communication trainer in a call center and I fell in love with the country and found a career I hope to progress in. To do this I need a "teach English as a foreign language" or "TEFL" qualification which involves 4 weeks teaching children in Kolkata. So I saw my 3 months at CWT as both a fast track back to India and a chance to learn a little about children before my TEFL in February 2008.

I arrived with an open mind, no great expectations and a plan B if this really wasn't for me. Three months have passed at lightening speed and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to learn so much from 50 amazing little people. The first couple of weeks were a shell shocked blur, and yes I had more than one 'What have I done moment'

I was convinced that I would never be able to

1. Remember all their names
2. Pick a child up and throw them in the air without breaking them
3. Get a child to sleep after dinner
4. Deal with blood, snot or toilet incidents
5.Really gain the respect of these beautiful kids

Now I am pleased to say I think I was wrong on all 5 counts.

My journey has given me so many opportunities, from the day to day of showering, teaching, caring and playing with the children, to really special things like trips to the park, the beach, Eid celebrations, Pooja at the slum, day trip to Karnataka to visit a girl in hospital and donate to slums and schools en route, finding my artistic streak and leaving my mark on the India map in the reception room, sports day at the school, been invited into the staffs homes for ganpati celebrations, go-karting and Palolem trips with staff and other volunteers, but mainly seeing so many gorgeous smiling faces everyday, is such an honor.

My advice to future volunteers is to come with an open-mind, a wiliness to get stuck into anything, work hard and you will gain so much.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to our wonderful children, to Rob & Shermina, your work is truly special, to Savita, Ali and Saroja Didi and to all the volunteers who shared my journey.

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I guess the first question to this, is to where you start? One of the main reasons I didn’t write my experiences sooner is that I could never find the words to represent my time at the Mango House and in someway I don’t think I ever will it is an experience that is so vivid in the mind something I will never forget, but at the same time so hard to relay to anybody else. This is because everything is so new but also so different to everything you knew before!

Many people sign themselves up to work for a charity, and for many different reasons. However it is something you learn more and more about as time goes on. the children can give so much inspiration they all have such wonderful characters that their personality far outshines their situation, the best word to describe them is ‘glowing’! They all have so much hope, happiness and love, which at first was very surprising to me yet as time went by, I learnt to understand why. And you in response can’t help but give your best, you want to be there everyday, you want to make them laugh and smile, and this is exactly what I did.

Everything I did at the charity had my 100% efforts and this was an unconscious act; you work hard but all that is forgotten because at the same time it gives you so much enjoyment in everything you do.

I was so happy to play a part in everything and I wouldn’t change any of it, it was all so real. One of my most significant moments was when we were invited to a child’s birthday party in the slum, and just to note now that this party turned out to be one of the most impressive moments of my life and its something that will always stay with me. The entire night was so compelling yet raw, it was fresh and it gave you an insight in to a world that is so diverse to your own. The families and the children are so content that you are actually there, the simple things are certainly not forgotten and this is one of the biggest appreciations I had. I took away so many memories from that night it was beautiful to see the children having such a fantastic time with their families; pure enjoyment and real happiness was given to everyone that night. There are so many other fantastic memories; every day I spent at the Mango House was truly worth it and I can’t wait to get back some day soon!

Children Walking Tall aims to give something to the children that we as volunteers could not achieve on our own, I am so thankful to both Rob and Shermina in may ways, they give so much love to the children which is truly from their hearts they do a great job. I miss you guys so much, and everyone I worked with who helped make my time what it was, and course I miss the children like crazy.

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If anyone had said to me, prior to my three month stint as a volunteer, that I would become so attached to the children that I would want to put them in my rucksack when I left, I would have scoffed. Me, hard-bitten teacher with 18 years experience of inner city children? I don't think so.

However...

I started in August, not quite sure of what I'd let myself in for. I'd left a working environment where I knew everyone and everything was familiar. I arrived at CWT feeling like the new girl. Over the next three months I went through stages that I reckon every volunteer must go through -

1. Ooh, it's all so new and everyone else knows everything and I know nothing.

2. Blimey, I've managed to learn some of the children's names.

3. I can't believe how much I'm enjoying this.

4. I'm not sure I want to leave!

The children are fantastic. They are funny and cheerful, helpful and kind. They look after each other and have learnt to be very independent. If they're not smiling and laughing, there's something wrong and, in monsoon, it's often malaria. They grab every opportunity to try something new, to have fun and to learn. And that's where the volunteers come in. If you've got a sense of humour, if you're patient, if you can learn quickly, aren't easily shocked and can use your initiative, you'll fit right in. Don't wait for someone to tell you what to do, if you've got a good idea, try it out. I had a great time helping to develop the Morning School sessions, and was able to suggest lots of things and put my ideas into practice. I'm proud that I've left a little bit of me there.

Some favourite moments:

- taking the children to a playground on Independence Day and watching them shriek with laughter on the roundabout

- watching one of the little ones finally counting out to 5 correctly

- seeing a boy wearing his new clothes for the first time. He was thrilled that his shorts had pockets, and strutted around with his hands thrust in them for ages, a huge grin on his face

- joining the Muslim families for their Eid celebrations in the slum

It has also been wonderful getting to know the CWT staff, and being invited into their lives for a short time. They all work like crazy to give these children a childhood worth remembering. It has been an absolute privilege being part of it.

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“What’s your name?”. “Lisa”. “Great, let’s be best friends!”. Well that’s what it felt like when I met the children on my first day. The children are so welcoming, so keen to please, so eager to be good.  They want you to like them, and like them you do; you quickly grow to love them. The second thing I noticed is that the kids are very tactile, they love to touch you, hug you, hold you and climb all over you – in 40 degree heat, well, it’s sweaty, but one of the nicest things in the world.

The days can be long and hard work. Painting, playing soccer and cricket, skipping rope and dancing to the latest Bollywood hits might not sound taxing, yet it can be exhausting. Every minute is rewarding. One of my favorite things to do was to sit down and eat lunch with the children. From day one I used (not necessarily mastered) my hands to eat – the kids laughed at me everyday without fail. They thought it was just hilarious. There would have been a lot less curry stains on my tops if I used a fork, but to see the kids smile was worth every grain of rice that didn’t make my mouth!

In Australia I am a nurse, in India I became known as ‘Australian Doctor’. Anyone with the slightest health care knowledge can be invaluable at CWT – not because the children are running around with exotic tropical diseases that need curing (though one or two might be), but because applying a band aid with confidence to  barely scratched skin becomes a daily affair. Don’t get caught standing near the medicine cupboard if you don’t have at least a spare ½ hour. Every child who sees you with an antiseptic spray in your hand will promptly begin searching their bodies for some kind of injury that you can attend to! In between scratches and boils there were a few more serious ailments. Two children suffered from malaria, one from an ‘inflamed bowel’, a dog bite and nasty gash on the back of a head. Working at CWT gave me the opportunity to sit in government and non-government hospitals for hours on end. An enlightening and often infuriating process. Thank goodness when Oli and Stu arrived from the UK – fresh student doctors, it took some pressure of being a neonatal nurse pretending to be a pediatric doctor.

Goa is an easy and beautiful place to live. Everyone is so warm and friendly. You’re living in a county of 1.136 billion people, and your local baker knows your name, the shop owner down the road inquires about how your parents are, the chai wallah has the paper you like to read on the table before you even sit down. It’s amazing. We did a few weekend trips, from picturesque Palolem to bush walks in the lush dense rainforest in Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary to boulder watching in Hampi. There is plenty to do (if you don’t find a 26 hour bus ride in one weekend a bit crazy), and there always seems to be the right people to do it with.

India is my favorite place in the world. I traveled there about 4 years ago with two friends; we did a whirl wind tour of a lot of the country. I fell in love with the people, the food, the trains, the smells and the sites. I never left my fellow travelers’ sides - never felt confident enough to walk very far away from them. What made me think I could travel to India by myself? I don’t know, but I did, it was easy, and it was the best thing I have ever done.
 
Thank you Rob, Shermina, Harry, Amber, John, Sophie, Oli, Stu, Savita, Saroja, Ali, Sangeeta, Cinderella and ALL my beautiful children for making my time at CWT so incredible… I love you and miss you all HEAPS!!

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When I first arrived at the Mango House, I was positive I would never learn the names of all the children, and begged Rob to make ID badges (“The volunteers have them, why not the children as well?!”), but it’s impossible not to get to know them eventually! During my first month, the children were on their school holiday and so they all came into the house for the whole day. When the school term started again and the older ones went back, a rota system was started so volunteers took it in turns to supervise the younger children who still arrived in the morning. This involved a lot of finger painting, colouring in and baking (with questionable hygiene standards…), as well as the compulsory recitation of We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, which I can now quote word for word.

The first time I visited the slums, I was shocked to see what the children go home to everyday, because watching them playing at the charity you would never imagine how hard some of their lives are. Seeing the slums helped me better appreciate the importance of the Mango House to many of the children, as it really does allow them to escape for a while from what would otherwise be a very difficult childhood. However, I also had the opportunity to see a more hopeful side to life at the slums, too. For example, one evening the volunteers were invited to a birthday party there, with lots of delicious cake. It was great to see everyone dancing to loud music blaring out of a stereo system they’d hired!

One of the nicest memories I have of my time at Children Walking Tall is actually of after work one day, when a group of the older children dragged me down to the river near the slum to show me where they do the washing. After giving me a tour of a small play area nearby, and climbing up into the trees to pick fruit for me to try (I assume this was edible as the children also ate it!), a few of the boys began showing off and jumping from quite a high wall into a little pool where some older women were washing their clothes. One of the women asked me in English, “Are these your children?” and although she was probably just annoyed because they were splashing everybody around the pool, I felt proud to answer yes.

Since returning home, my time in India feels so long ago. However, I just have to look through the hundreds of photos I took to remind myself that it did happen. I miss all of the children so much; I know it’s a cliché but they really don’t have anything and yet I hardly ever saw them not smiling. They were so friendly and enthusiastic and could always make me laugh with their hilarious dance moves or the amusing comments they would just come out with. I feel privileged to have known them. For anyone who’s planning on volunteering at Children Walking Tall in the future, I’d say go for it just in order to meet these children!

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I first stumbled across Children Walking Tall’s website over a year ago in March 2006 when I was looking for a charity to volunteer for. In the end the timing wasn’t right for me but I kept in touch with what was going on at the Mango House through the newsletters and the odd email from Rob. Lots happened for Children Walking Tall during that year and it was interesting to see the development of the charity and the constant slogging against the red tape of Indian government. The couple of weeks leading up to me heading out to Goa, I’m sure I drove Rob mad with my 101 questions – what visa do I need to get?, how easy is it to find somewhere to stay?, is there anything special I need to bring with me?. But he always humoured me and put my mind at rest so by the time I was leaving there was nothing really bothering me. As it happens, Rob was in England on his yearly break when I got to Goa and I was a little bit nervous about him not being there as all my contact up to them had been with him. But when I got there the other volunteers were so nice to me that I needn’t have worried.

After the initial ordeal of being without my bag for a whole week and only having the sweaty and very stinky clothes I got off the plane in, I settled in brilliantly. (please note – if you are taking a connecting flight in Mumbai and the dopey check in girl in England tells you that you don’t need to recheck your bag and that it will go straight to Goa then don’t listen – because you do, you do, you do!!) It was so easy finding somewhere to stay. I arrived in Goa with no accommodation booked and the rough plan to head to a hostel. But within three or four hours of landing Shermina had helped me find a nice three bed roomed apartment that I had all to myself for a week, until two English lads, Stuart and Oli came over and moved in with me – leaving their smelly boys smells around and leading me astray.

There’s no such thing as a quiet night in in Goa. Fun just seems to have a way of finding you. My first day at the Mango House was a bit hectic and I spent the whole day in a bit of a daze as children ran around all looking and sounding the same to me. I thought I’d never be able to tell them apart and remember all their names but after a week or two I was fine. There’s no way you can be shy at the Mango House – the kids won’t let you!! They’re so friendly and welcoming in a way that they don’t even realise. Before you know what’s going on there’s a child trying to climb up your leg for a hug or wanting you to count how many skips they can do. I’ve been here a month now and am loving it. Everyday is different and you never know what is going to happen. Sometimes the things are sad, like one of the children being ill and rushed to hospital. But most of the time is spent laughing – either with or at the children. Kids are so funny.

On Friday we had a big birthday party for all the children who’s birthday it was in July and I think I was more excited than the children. But we all found it so hard not to laugh at some of the dance moves the boys were pulling out – think Mr Bean meets Alan Partridge and you nearly there. Most of the day is spent with the children at the Mango House helping with dinners, showers and homework etc, but sometimes we go further a field to give out clothes or fruit. In my first week we loaded up the van with bags of donated clothes and went to the slums around Old Goa to give them out – it was a bit hairy at times but so rewarding. At one of the bigger slums things got a bit overheated and we had to shut ourselves into the temple until it calmed down. Order (or some semblance of order) was eventually restored by way of a man with a big stick…….. I phoned my mum last night for the first time and she asked me whether I was enjoying it. Put it this way…….it is Saturday – my day off – and as I write this I have just got back from work because I wanted to go and watch the kids’ swimming lessons at the local pool. Would you get me into work at home on my day off? Would you heck!!!

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I spent 4 wonderful weeks at CWT. A 40 minute (purple) scooter ride from where I lived but well worth it! I think Rob & Shermina are doing a fantastic job at bringing smiles to the little faces of all those gorgeous kids!

Congratulations to Santa Ali before I forget, Cinderella is beautiful! & thank you Saroja for the amaaaazing cooking! It's been so difficult to write this. It really IS tough to summarize 4 weeks in a few sentences but i'd say that it was a great experience altogether, from beach trips with the babies to wrapping Christmas presents (while learning how to juggle), asking the larkis and larkas to beto in separate lines to receive their gifts, watching Jake being chased by a cow, playing pass the parcel with the kids in crossroads, 'me me photo'ing at the slums, singing Christmas carols driving around with Santa & crew, & I can go on forever...

Last but not least i'd like to thank all my family & friends for their donations & to my fellow volunteers for making my stay so memorable. Dhum machale! & I cant wait to come back :)

Azadeh

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My husband  Dave and I  were at Children Walking Tall from January to April 2007 and I can honestly say it was three of the best months we’ve spent for a long time.  We had decided to take time out from our work (we are both in our mid fifties) and spent a long time researching where we might want to do some volunteer work. CWT impressed us from the outset with its very professional website and its obvious commitment to do the best possible by children who didn’t have a lot.  Many of the charities we contacted in India were just a bit too keen to have us – no police checks, no idea how they might use us, no nothing really,  whereas from the outset CWT made it clear that the safety and wellbeing of the children would always come first.

The first couple of days were difficult as we struggled to work out how we could fit into the organisation and how best we could help.  CWT leaves a lot to the initiative of the volunteers which can be difficult for younger volunteers but suited our mature bossy natures fine.  Before long, Dave had established himself as a bit of a gardener/handyman and I was sorting out lesson plans for the afternoon sessions in the slum – this was before The Mango House was open for business.  Days took on a very pleasant routine – not too early a start in the morning so time for a lie in or a swim before work; mornings spent pottering round The Mango House doing whatever needed doing; a totally wonderful lunch cooked by Saroja   and then two hours in Karaswada in the afternoon in semi-formal teaching situations with the children.  The children are just fantastic – everything you read on the website is true.  They are full of spirit, affectionate, funny, bright and have the most amazing will to survive under the most awful of circumstances.  And most importantly of all, they have a huge desire to learn – if CWT can transform their childhoods into something positive, then we would say they have a good chance of making something very positive of their adulthood.   We were really pleased that we got to see the children back in the house just before we left and know that Rob and Shermina and the army of volunteers will continue to make a big difference to their lives. 

Socially we had a lovely time.  The atmosphere around The Mango House is brilliant.  As volunteers, you know that you are all contributing what you can and there is a great sense of common purpose and fun.  We loved being surrounded by young volunteers who were so positive and enthusiastic about life and what it has to offer (and thank you, all of you, for letting us come with you to beaches and stage hypnotists and clubbing – yep, really – and not making us feel like, boring old farts that we undoubtedly are, we were cramping your collective style…)  And Goa is a great place to let your hair down and have some fun, whatever your age. 

Rob said he wanted an honest appraisal of our experience and of course there were things that we weren’t completely happy with.  The charity has a very open policy on people visiting The Mango House which is excellent but I think all the volunteers sometimes got fed up with the constant stream of visitors during the morning and certainly, there was some disquiet about visitors visiting the slums in the afternoon when we were teaching, a feeling that for some of them, there was an element of  ‘slum tourism’ complete with photographs.  The handing out of clothes is also a thorny issue.   Many of the clothes donated are unsuitable and it seemed that a disproportionate amount of volunteer time was spent on the sorting process.  Personally I can’t see any way in which the distribution can be anything less than a rather dehumanising process and in terms of conventional development wisdom has no sustainable outcome.   Having said that, one of the great strengths of the charity is that volunteers can express their opinions about things and, more importantly, are listened to.  As a teacher, I would also be pushing for the charity to look to its long term strategy – the children were clearly enjoying lessons but we do need to look to the purpose of education – what are we educating these children for?  Is the greatest spin-off for them social (and there was certainly plenty of that) or will what they have taken from the charity be useful to them in their future life??  Where is CWT heading?   And what will happen to it if Rob and Shermina decide to return to the UK – is it set up in such a way that it can continue without them?  And maybe more importantly, how can volunteers continue to support the charity after volunteering other than financially if they can? It would be a shame for all that great experience to go to waste.

Overall we had a fantastic experience with Children Walking Tall and would recommend it to anyone of any age who wants to do something a bit different.  Thank you to Rob and Shermina who I hope are very proud of the incredible things they’ve achieved, whose commitment to the children is extraordinary.  Thank you to the other volunteers (you know who you are….) – we really enjoyed spending time with you.  And most of all, a big hug and kiss for all the children – you wouldn’t believe how much we miss you. 

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I had a great time working with the children at Children Walking Tall. They are truly remarkable kids. They always wore wide smiles on their faces, never complained, and really seemed to appreciate our presence. I would regularly have to remind myself how little these children have, for their happy smiles hid the fact that they are so very poor. I could hardly believe it when I was told that one young girl had been brutally abused by her drunken father when she was younger because she only ever displayed a happy smile. They are inspirational kids; full of character, full of energy, and incredibly positive. CWT is working hard to give these kids a future they deserve.

Rob and Shermina do a great job of maintaining a strong relationship with the children's families. As a volunteer, I always felt welcome at the slum and I felt we had support from the children's families.

The charity also has fantastic staff. Ali, an absolute legend, who works incredibly hard to keep everything running smoothly. Saroja, who cooks a mean soya curry and fried potato thingies, is a delightful and warm woman. And not to forget the house chicken, named Dada. She never fails to lay an egg and I respect that.
I had a lot of fun volunteering for Children Walking Tall. I highly recommend getting to know these kids.

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Let us begin by saying that we had a wonderful time working for CWT. We worked for two and a half months and during that time we really got to know the children, we also became very attached to them.

The children made a big impression on us, even though they are living a hard life in the slum they are impressively positive. Before we started to work we thought that the children?s situation would be a lot harder than it actually is, by this we are not saying that they are living an easy life, but through CWT's work their situation is much better than it could have been.

There arrived two new children to the slum during the time we were working. These two children joined the baby group and in the beginning they were starving for attention and they had big difficulties to listen and understand when we were trying to teach them. We noticed a positive change in these children?s behavior already during the short time we were there, which really proves that CWT's work makes a big difference for the children.

Even though many of the children might not ever move away from the slum we hope that CWT?s work makes the slum a better place to live, because they bring new role models and new knowledge. Before we came to India we were a bit unsure and didn't know what we could offer CWT. We had no previous experiences of volunteering or teaching. But when we arrived we realized that everyone can contribute, like sorting clothes, painting or do some basic teaching. We were responsible for the craft lessons, which we enjoyed, and we also did plenty of mosaic to make the area within the grounds of CWT more inviting to visit.

To work in the slum might sound really hard but it wasn?t, because the children were so positive. Even though most of the time we were really tired after a day in the slum it always felt so awarding. Another thing that made the time at CWT so amazing was all the nice people we had the opportunity to get to know through work. Now when we have left we miss not just the children but also the other volunteers.

We will always remember the two and a half months we worked at CWT.

Thanks to Rob and Shermina for giving us the chance to contribute! We hope and believe that now when the house is open again the children's life will improve and they can look forward to a better future!!

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I had the most amazing time as a volunteer for CWT.  My original plan of staying for a month soon got extended to nearly 2 months and then I had to ring up Air India again(!) to extend my stay to near 3 months in the end!  Needless to say I enjoyed it so much I really didn’t want to leave.  Even though there were ups and downs during my stay you have to take the good with the bad and I wouldn’t change it for the world!

During my first few weeks it was still raining quite heavily so we used to get sooo muddy and dirty in the slums and I will never forget the days we had to take shelter with all the kids in one of the family’s houses or just crowding with 5-10 kids under a small umbrella!  The kids would just keep smiling and find the whole thing very amusing…

I soon got really attached to all the kids although I must admit I did have my “favourites” but I think most of us did!  I miss the kids so much now but they are with me every day as I keep pictures (I have 100s of them!) at work and home and it always makes me smile!  It is the one thing that is truly amazing and that is how happy and smily the kids are despite having nothing.  They are so much fun and full of life!  Even if I was in a bad mood one day I would always come back from the slums absolutely shattered but with a big smile on my face (and very dirty clothes)!

I have so many many great memories from my time with CWT, many of them of course include the kids, including the two beach trips I was fortunate enough to take part in and just every day school and games in the slums.  I also have so many fantastic memories with the other volunteers and Shermina and Robert.  I made friends for life and will never forget all the fun days and nights out!

I really had no idea what to expect when I first arrived at the Mango House but as long as you get stuck in and make the most of it you will have the time of your life.  The kids are so affectionate, sweet (and naughty) that you can’t help but love them all.  I could go on forever writing about all the funny stories of days with the kids but I have promised to send this Rob now since Christmas so I have to keep it shortish…..

Last but not least I would like to say big thanks to Rob and Shermina who are the most unselfish and inspiring people I have ever met and the hard work and dedication they put into working with the kids and their families every day is truly amazing!  They work incredibly hard, more or less around the clock, and have managed to keep going through some really tough times.  To give up everything and dedicate your life to ensure these kids have a childhood worth remembering is extraordinary.  Rob and Shermina have the biggest hearts and I am so happy and grateful to have met them, the kids and played a tiny little part in their lives!  I can’t wait to go back soon!

Frida

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After leaving India and all the children that I spent time with at CWT, I found it hard to express in words the wonderful experience I had. These children and their families left a real impression on me. It was wonderful to see children with joy in their hearts and big smiles on their faces everyday. The attitude they have for life is quite different from children living in North America. They spend their days being very busy, and in many cases are often involved in daily activities that mirror more of an adult life than a child’s. Many of these children spend numerous hours caring for their younger siblings, elders and parents without ever complaining. Arriving in the slums each day I was filled with excitement to see what these children would be up too. Everyday was different and filled with its own ups and downs, but at the end of the afternoon I always left with a bit more dirt on my shirt but always with a smile on my face. I never actually realized how much I was going to miss being there until I had left, and now I cannot wait to return; actually I’m planning another trip in the near future and cannot seem to get there fast enough.

I wish to extend many thanks to all the wonderful people I spent time with while I was at Mango House, they made the experience all that more exciting. While I was at the Mango House I was thrown into action wherever help was needed, from organizing children’s clothing, to helping to lay mosaics, as well as painting walls and murals. This was a welcomed change from life in Canada, as I had spent the last 4 years bent over books, and so being able to be creative was much appreciated. I only hope that when I come back, that this house will be filled with the voices of children, which is all that it was really missing.

I would like to thank Rob and Shermina for being there in Goa with these children, and allowing others and myself the opportunity to try and give these children a chance to be kids. They were very willing to help and were always there to answer questions that I might have. They also give so much to this community through their genuine dedication and concern, without ever expecting any thanks or acknowledgement.

Namasté!

Kathryn Tiedje Halifax, Canada

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Days grew into weeks now, where I couldnt bring myself to write my volunteer experience. It seemed to me like a big challenge to summarize the best time of my life in a few words. Passing in review I see a time of superlatives. All days where just very wet or very dry - very sad or very happy - very hopefully or very desperated. I dared to do take this step out of my convicton, that human beings get used to everything. But fortunately I experienced such a big relief in terms of the children´s joy and love. I had a worse association of this work than it was all in all for me afterwards.

Life in slums is so rude. The living conditions are so shocking, it smells awful, there is just dirty water and over and over you are confrontated with the irresponsible behavior of some parents. But if you get the possibility to spend more time in the slums you gain an insight how strong the childrens energy is to create a happy life. The children are so heartly, rational and conscious. Some of them are physicaly retared, but mentally little adults.

I know the credo might sound worn out, but Rob and Shermina do really such great work to meet the children´s requirements. Furthermore the children have found confidants in them for their problems. I am convinced that this work bears fruit over and above the present tense. Rob and Shermina please keep going! You get really addicted to the the little children and I don’t know how often I cryed in that time out of Joy and Sadness because the relationsships with the children got that deep. Particularly in the last weeks where I realized, that I would miss India with all its great children, the nature , culture and all the great people who I was allowed to meet.

I thank everybody who was part of my India and CWT-experience. Most of you I wont forget and I am really looking forward to our reunion with some of you this year in London. This was my first trip to India and I felt in Love with this country and plans for a professional future in social work after my studys in Germany are growing….

With a little bit sentimental regards.

Your Justine (G) September 06- January 07

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Well what can i say, 6 months working with Children Walking Tall had its highs and lows as any experience does. I can remember showing around visitors around The Mango House and being asked what was the thing that most shocked me thing working in the slums of India? I think they were expecting 'the dirt, or the poverty that these children face probably for the rest of their lives'. Instead the answer they got brought sudden realisation that in fact the children that I had been working with everyday were the most happiest children I've ever seen or worked with. As soon as you walk into their paper shack homes, you can see into their eyes that they are so happy that you are there to play with them, the love they have for you is amazing!

I learnt so much from my 6 months its hard to put down in words, it was the best thing I've ever done. It has pushed me to continue working in the field of third world development, so therefore you can find me in uni this year studying all about it!

On a selfish note Children Walking Tall also provided me with the best food I had in India, cooked by the gorgeous cook Suroja!!! God I miss her cooking. Working with the local house parent Ali, showed me what real social work is and could be.

I just missed out on the Mango House being open, but from what I can imagine seeing the children clean and well fed every day would be such a positive experience to see before your eyes.

I met some of the worlds most amazing people also volunteering, never a dull moment! Life in Sunny South Wales seems so boring now. But I've just found an Indian Centre teaching Bollywood Dancing! So hopefully I'll be back to shock the children in my dance moves, because my god those children at Crossroads can move!!! '

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I worked with Children Walking Tall for the five most life changing, fun, educational and incredible months of my life. I loved every minute of it and I miss it more than I could ever have predicted. From the moment I arrived, I was immersed in the lives of so many people, the families, the children, the other volunteers and whether they liked it or not, Rob and Shermina's! I met a great group of people, who I can't imagine I would have met in any other situation.

At the Mango House, if you jump in head first and do anything that needs to be done, you will fit in! In my experience, that was everything from mosquito netting all the windows and mosaic-ing the kitchen and outside washing area, to wrapping presents for Christmas, sorting clothes, showing visitors around and organizing lessons and games. In the slums, we taught informal English classes, incorporating arts and crafts, sports, music and dance into our daily timetable and despite the odd outburst of "cheating, cheating!" things went very smoothly! The conditions are not ideal but with our mats and resources, we were invincible! Each mat was a class and with the assistance of imagination, it was perfect. 
 
The children are hilarious! They are full of beans and always laughing. There are some really sad cases but even those children have the most beautiful smiles and hopefully through CWT, things will get easier with time. Education is the key and one of the things that amazed me most was the ability of most of these
children, just given the chance.

The crucial aspect of CWT's work is that they are providing the children in India with what we expect as a human right, a childhood. It would be unrealistic to expect immediate results but Rob and Shermina, who are more aware of this than anyone else, have gained the trust and respect over the last two or three years, of people, who by nature are suspicious of westerners and those offering help. This in itself is a huge achievement. 

One of the incidents that has stuck with me was when one family had an outbreak of scabies. They all came to the house to shower, get medication and have all their clothes and bed linen washed. The eldest girl, who at eight, was never to be seen without one of her younger cousins on her hip, was used to wiping dirty noses or bottoms, when required and did so without hesitation. So, when after her bath and in nice, new clothes she had to clean the baby's nose, she did so as normal with her own hand but then paraded to the sink with her nose turned up and scrubbed her hands! We both fell around the place laughing and it really struck me that it was such a normal reaction to want to wash your hands after touching something not so pleasant.

The children I met have such a good attitude to life, a life that doesn't always treat them fairly. They work, study if they get the opportunity, and care for their brothers and sisters, cousins and elders without even thinking that there should be more to it than that. Without looking for anything in return. Rob and Shermina are the two most influential people I have ever had the honour of knowing. The dedication and absolute love of what they do, through good times and bad, is nothing short of amazing and I really miss them as much as I miss the children! It was in the evenings and on weekends that I saw the tremendous 'extra' work that they do, quietly and without thanks or acknowledgement. The number of times they drove to Panjim to sort out problems for the people in the slums, the numerous hospital visits with sick children, parents, grandparents, mediating between police and families, husbands and wives, and all the paper work and administration that was waiting for them when they finally got back home. Add to this, the umpteen meetings and hearings they have attended in order to get the Mango House up and running and you have two people who have ultimately dedicated their lives to other people. And in turn, they have encouraged so many great volunteers. CWT inspires me because in a world where, a lot of the time, help, justice and equality come at a price, to see the unconditional support, without interference in religious or cultural matters, is moving. I could go on and on about how amazing the children are and how inspiring Rob and Shermina are but there aren't enough words. They have changed my life and that's enough for me! I'm planning my return!

Justine Looney - Cork - Ireland
August - December 2006

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I came to Goa at the beginning of December to volunteer with CWT for 4 weeks.  I brought along my 2 children Marco who is 13 and Oliver 11.

We had been to Goa on holiday before, the boys once, and myself many times, so I decided that I would very much like to do some volunteer work there.  In England I work as a childrens nurse so it was something I had always hoped to do, and I thought it would be a great experience for the boys. Their schools were supportive of them having an extra 3 weeks off over Christmas, and Oliver gave a talk about his experiences in his assembly on our return.

We did not really know what to expect, but I have to say that it was everything we hoped it would be, especially the time spent with the children in the slums, they were a joy to be with, very friendly, affectionate and so eager to learn, the writing in their work books was done with such care and pride, and they would patiently line up for it to be marked and ask for us to write 'well done' and draw a smily face.  There were many moments in our time there that we will always remember, the one for Marco is the excitement when Shemeena arrived with the fruit, he could not believe that children
could be so happy to receive an orange! They have both said they want to come and volunteer themselves for CWT when they are 18.

Mango house is beautiful, and it is obvious the sheer hardwork and dedication by Rob, Shemeena, Ali, and past volunteers, that has gone into doing it up, I just hope it will be open and full of children before too long.

Terri, Marco and Oliver

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Ero in vacanza quando ho incontrato un italiano che faceva volontariato a Children Walking Tall. Incuriosito, ho voluto conoscere il lugo e le persone e subito ho deciso che ci sarei stato anche io. Qualche giorno di adattamento e poi è stato soltanto il piacere di esserci, in mezzo a gente che ammiri e ringrazi per l'entuisamo, la forza e la grazia che ti fa respirare e che dona.

Un'esperienza grossa e profonda. E difficile raccontare in poche righe , quante emozioni e sentimenti si manifestanto. Un momento ti senti inadeguato e quello dopo capace e al posto giusto. Un libro intero andrebbe scritto a parte per dire quanto sia importante l'incontro coi bambini che sprizzano gioia a gratitudine. L'affetto e la tenerezza che nascono da questo rapporto sone un tesoro da conservare per sempre.

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English Translation :I was on holiday in Goa when I met an Italian who was doing volunteer work at Children Walking Tall. I was intrigued and wanted to find out more about the place and the people and I decided straightaway that I wanted to do it too. At first it was a little difficult to fit in but since then it has really been a pleasure to be here, among admirable and giving people and I'd like to thank them for their enthusasm, strength and joy.

It's been a rich and deep experience for me. it's difficult to describe in a few lines the emotions and feelings that I have been through, one moment I felt not up to the job and then a moment later, capable and doing good work.

I would need to write a book to express how important this experience has been for me, working with these children who exude joy and thanks. The affection and the tenderness that these children hae evoled in me are my treasure, to be kept for ever.

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During my time with CWT I was lucky to meet some fantastic children and volunteers from all over the world. It was a great experience and one I will never forget. As it was near to Christmas I spent some time wrapping gifts for the children. I visited the slums to help with lessons and games and also I was fortunate enough to make a little contribution to the fantastic mosiac that was started by a fellow Corkonian Justine. The work that Shermina and Rob do is really amazing as the children get a chance to learn, play and enjoy themselves. I only wish I could have spent more time there. Mango House is a truly wonderful place and I hope going forward that the children will be able to spend many happy days there. I hope to return one day.

Dorothy Buckley Cork, Ireland.

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My time at Children Walking Tall has helped shape my new found career as a homeopath. Graduating in June 2006, the 2 months I spent at the slums has gained me valuable experience in treating a series of acute illnessess and more. Life in the slums is a real eye opener. It is only upon returning to the UK that I am able to realise the extent of how much this experience has impacted on me. The children are a great joy to be around and have contributed to my new found perspective on the things that really matter and how I lead my own life. Thank you to CWT for giving me this experience.

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The bull sighs in frustration as it walks towards us, if it picks up any more speed it will be charging.“Jake, get ready to run” says Ali, picking up his pace. Under the brim of my fluffy hat, I keep an eye on the angry pair of horns stomping our way. Sweat trickles through my white beard as I regret ever eating steak, and wearing a padded red suit. It’s the day before Christmas Eve, and I’m in Goa, on a road towards Old Goa – to be exact. The sun is beating down on a cloudless sunny day and I am walking through a large field dressed in a full Santa outfit with my colleague Ali (also dressed as Santa), followed by a Indian mother, her child, and a bull.

The bull ‘moo’s again and Ali breaks into a run up the scraggy slope where the rest of the team are waiting, me hot on his tail. The rest of the CWT team burst into laughter as we reach them at the top, pointing at the mother, carefully picking her way up the hill, completely ignoring the bull, with all the time in the world.

“Yeah well she isn’t wearing red, me an’ Ali are.”
“Bulls go after red Jake, not cows.” Laughed Shermina
“No that’s a Bu… oh… Shut up”

I have found stories like these only come about through experience, and by far the best experience of my life so far has been my time in India, working voluntarily for Children Walking Tall. I have been asked to write a piece for the newsletter about the Christmas period, when we traveled to slums all around Goa, to deliver more than 1200(!) children’s presents in four days. Two or sometimes three cabs stuffed full of prezzies, volunteers, and a few visitors. One Santa (Ali) leading the convoy driving, the second Santa (myself) on the back of Rob’s bike, turning more heads than, well, Santa on a motorbike

Some of the things I have seen I hope will remain with me for the rest of my life, one young girl peeling back the wrapping to reveal a big white fluffy teddy, she buries her face in the soft fur, with a smile so wide I feel my heart break and join back together again. One young girl around ten, dancing to a song on the Dhoom: 2 soundtrack, better than any Bollywood star. A young girl from Sinquirim and her younger brother demands that I see their home, but not before I take my sandals off outside the door. I step into the one roomed shanti, it is dark, threadbare and smaller than my living room back home.“Nice house, No?” She beams with pride, whilst frustratingly trying to open a bottle of bubbles.

Looking around the room, I realize that it is spotless, with everything (what there was) in its place, my perceptions changed in that second, seeing her house-proud ness.“Beautiful” I said with honesty, and then I showed her how to open the bubbles. We laughed as her little brother jumped around the room giggling, trying to pop the bubbles that we were blowing. I hope I never forget any (and more) of these memories, but I know if I do I will always have it written down, and they will always make me smile.

I hope what I have written down shows the huge positive experience we all gained from those few Christmas days, and I thank everybody that was there to share it with me, I thank everyone for donating the toys, crayons, nail-polish, Frisbee’s and all manner of things that make Christmas, Christmas. And I know I must sound like I’m competing for a miss universe prize, but most of all I thank the children, for scratching up the spirit to smile, no matter how bad the poverty they are living in is, for making me laugh so much my ribs hurt, and for summoning the courage to approach the big scary man in the Santa outfit.

Jake Kennard.