Day 2 on project was a tough start: with exactly one week until we got home we were all wistfully thinking of pizza and chips the whole day. To add to the general sense of achievement and joy, the first room we’d painted all peeled off and with the help of the girls at the centre we had to scrape it right back.  The gloss and terracotta was added to the outside which made the building look shiny and new on the street. Children came to watch  us painting outside where they asked us lots of questions like “what is your name” and “what is your country”. Nobody ever knows what a ‘Scotland’ is. Other than little victories like patterns over the doors, it was a long and hot and excessively sweaty day. The women noticed our desperately sweaty appearances,  and pulled us outside to try and teach us Indian dancing which was embarrassing but hilarious fun. We enjoyed learning their culture through their dance and looking like potatoes having a wee boogie.

We got back at 4 and freshened up, then had our spirits significantly lifted by a visit to the Sambhali trust boarding house for young girls. The girls at the house were either orphans or had been taken from their villages for their own safety to save them from human trafficking. Many of them had spent most of their lives dressed as boys with short hair to keep them safe. Despite their previous circumstances the girls were very welcoming and in high spirits.

When we arrived we were met with such joy and kindness it was almost overwhelming, we sat down with the girls and they sang us songs, we sang Caledonia for them (it was the only Scottish song we could think of at the time) and taught them ceilidh dancing. They cooked us dinner (which was really good, 5 star service, highly recommend)

One of the girls we met, Bianca, was 14. She had been at the boarding house since 2012 when it was founded. In her village she would have been forced into a child marriage by now. Sambhali trust helps prevent many similar cases, the visit was a real tear jerker and we were gutted to leave, many of us silently crying in the car on the way back. We are continually amazed by the Sambhali trust.

Day 3 had us all feeling inspired to make a difference but we arrived to find – yep, you’ve guessed it – the other room had peeled. This was extremely frustrating, as it seemed we were working backwards. However, we did manage to complete the emulsion in the courtyard and get the first designs on the walls. Grace finally got her much-needed doctors appointment at a real terrifying Indian hospital, and her fingers definitely aren’t broken!

At 4 we returned to the guesthouse again and took a speedy shower and snack break before heading to the Sambhali boutique in central Jodhpur. We got tuk tuks into the town and it was one of the most terrifying experiences of our lives. It made the Alleppey tuk tuks look like monorails. The boutique itself was gorgeous, full of gifts and clothing made by the women of Sambhali. We ventured down into the market briefly, which was exactly like the India we were expecting when we first touched down in Kochi 2 weeks ago – chaotic and overwhelming, and full of cows.

It was a tough few days, but we were keen to keep working to make sure we made the best of the project and worked with what we could. The trip to the girls home was a welcome burst of motivation and it allowed us to look at not only the work we were doing but the impact it could have on these young women’s lives.

Lots of love from your latest leaders,

Lauren and Caitlin xoxox