An Indian Encounter

INDIA | Friday, 5 July 2013 | Views [592] | View Smaller Image

In the middle of Hazamat Nizamuddin, a neighbourhood in Delhi, there is a community outreach centre called The Hope Project. We were given a tour of the facilities from the classrooms to the beauty school to the sewing classes. In one of the more dangerous neighbourhoods, where my teacher had her wallet stolen, it was a bastion for hope.

Tags: #india #delhi #the hope project #community

In the background of this picture, there is a little community centre situated atop a sari shop. There is a pink cement widing staircase that leads up to a verandah where two women had been pounding little pieces of dough into chapati. Every night after the puja, the community centre gives out food to the poor and homeless. We were there to help distribute the food. While waiting for everyone, I turned back and saw this group of policemen. There were non-functional metal detectors located all along the entrances to the ghats. There were policemen watching the puja from higher up with their big big guns. I snapped a picture when I finally saw one of them smile.

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The little boy in the orange beanie had been drawing a yellow school bus when we walked into his classroom at The Hope Project. There were fifteen of us Canadians crowded into their small classroom. He looked around at us nervously but continued to draw glancing at us from time to time. I asked him what he was drawing but his English was not very good. I took a video of his drawing and showed it to him. A small smile crept over his face and his two neighbours jumped to get a better look. They all showed me their pictures and watched in awe as they saw their own drawings on my little viewscreen.

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An Indian Encounter

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