For details see Saphara student team 2012 or contact Christine on 07747611156 or at christine.burnett@gmail.com

Here are a few final comments from the team which sum up their Saphara experience:
Brilliant experience; loved every second of it. I’ve done things I never thought I would do and have memories that will last a lifetime. Jonathan – Rainey

This trip has been amazing! So many great experiences that I will never forget from working with the children in Kaplani and Donk to visiting the slums and listening to Dr Reeta’s inspirational talk in SNEHA. Getting to share them with all the other fantastic team members made it all the better. Rebecca – St Mary’s

What a shock and yet an incredible experience for my eyes, nose and heart. I will never forget my time in India, and am still in awe of the things I have seen, and the memories with the inspirational children that I now treasure. Alice – St Mary’s

The trip has been really attitude adjusting. It’s been tough physically, emotionally and mentally, but absolutely worth it. One of the best experiences of my life and I don’t think I’ll ever forget the people I met and spent this time with. Paóirse – St Mary’s

I will never forget all the smiles that I was greeted with and how enthusiastic and amazing each and every child was! I was also inspired by the love that Dr Suzanna showed towards the children in SNEHA School as she referred to them as her own children who she loved! Amy – Dominican

This trip has been the most amazing experience which I will treasure for the rest of my life. The people I’ve met, the things I’ve done and the sights I’ve seen will never be forgotten. It’s something you have to experience for yourself, not even a great photographer with a great camera can capture the true beauty or the memories that we will keep in our hearts forever. Chloe – Dominican

I don’t usually use very emotional language, but I can honestly say that I have had the time of my life. The sights, sounds and smells have been totally engrossing. Andrew – Rainey

This experience has been truly life changing. The people who we had the fortune to meet have been so inspirational and made us feel so welcome. Never will I forget the hundreds of beautiful, beaming smiles from all the children. Anna – St Mary’s

Can’t put into words how amazing this entire experience has been, couldn’t ask for a better group team members, teachers and leaders. Saphara really does change lives in India, I’ve met new friends and made some amazing memories I won’t forget throughout my life. Ross – Rainey

I cannot believe how influential both the people I’ve met and the places I’ve seen have been to me. There is no doubt in mind that I have been changed for good, changed for the better. I will never forget the journey we as a team have been on, we have become closer than I’d ever imagined. Richard – St Mary’s

Really I can only use one word to sum up this experience….. Indescribable! I have learnt a lot from this trip, may it be from the teaching in the schools, to the culture of India or from the many amazing individuals I have met. The friendships and memories that have been made on this adventure has been unbelievable, which I will cherish forever. Rachel M – St Mary’s

If the heart is longing for an experience that is both eye opening and life changing, look no further than a Saphara journey. Our plan was to help and empower some of the most underprivileged yet brightest children in the world; however, the most radical changes came from within each team member! To the students of Kaplani, Donk and SNEHA schools, thank you for all the love which has made this journey truly unforgettable. Sean – Rainey

I’ll never forget my journey in India, the inspirational things I’ve seen and the amazing team members I shared it with. I really have had the time of my life. Orlagh – St Mary’s

This trip has truly been the most eye-opening experience of my life; the poverty was terrible and it was everywhere but the children we met in those places were so amazing you forgot that they lived in a slum or that they lived with little food or in many cases without parents. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and I will never forget the smiles of the people I met there.  Ben – Rainey

I cannot possibly begin to describe the past two weeks. I will never forget the affection, generosity and love that all the children have shown me. They have inspired twice as much as I could ever inspire them. I also am amazed by how close the team have become – thank you. Ellen – Dominican

To say the trip was eye-opening would be an understatement. To see such poverty and yet happiness go together is incomprehensible but heartwarming. I’m truly thrilled to have been part of a great team to make even a little difference. Rachel C – Rainey

The trip was magical and thought provoking – how those kids could be so happy when they had absolutely nothing was impossible to explain. I would recommend this to everyone. Peter – Dominican

Our Indian adventure has been amazing and eye-opening experience. It was a privilege to work with the kids in the school so eager to learn each day. The poignant moment for me would have to be the slums which was beyond my imagination yet the children were so happy. I’m so grateful to Saphara for this opportunity. Niamh – St Mary’s

After drying out over lunch we were treated to a journey back in time through Agra fort.

We all had a superb day! More will follow tomorrow.

Big Hugs to all at home, Catherine, Linda and Ruth x

We were yet again treated like celebrities with our photos being taken left, right and centre. Afterwards we travelled to a market where we spent only a short time as the heat was overwhelming. A final McDonalds set us up for an afternoon of last minute shopping in the Cottage Emporium. With a few rupees set aside we headed to The Imperial Hotel. This luxurious 5-star hotel allowed us to observe the contrast between poverty and riches in India, although we fully enjoyed living like the upper class, even if it was only for a little while!

We are looking forward to a night of entertainment which will be followed by an all-nighter, though we suspect that Christine and the other teachers have other plans for us given our 5 am start tomorrow to visit the Taj Mahal!

Love Room 402 crew (Sir Edmund Hillary Suite): Niamh, Rachel M, Orlagh and Rachel C xx

It was a really successful day of teaching all round, everyone giving their all for our very last day of teaching in India, especially in the conversation classes with Class 12, our peers, who we really enjoyed talking to about each other’s culture, socialising and dancing! We also had great fun trying on the woolly hats knitted at home on the tiniest children (thanks everyone who knitted esp Catherine’s mum!)

Then we got a chance to see the new classrooms built by Saphara fundraising – it’s great to know that the kindergarten class of over 70 is going to be able to split soon into 2 much more manageable classes.

After lessons we all gathered in the staff room to listen to Dr Reeta’s inspirational story about how she founded SNEHA. The story was amazing, and by the end of it, we were all assured even more, that what we have been doing, and will continue to do, is really making the difference to the many children. Dr Reeta and Dr Susanna’s love for the pupils of SNEHA and the dedication of all the teaching staff has strengthened our commitment to the cause and made us feel even more proud of the good work we have done.  A small concert in the school library, including traditional Indian dance, tin whistling and cheer leading, was the perfect way to end the day.

We said our final goodbyes, before being dragged into the Vikrams by Christine after a few too many “just one more” photos! For a change, we went to McDonalds for lunch followed by a drenching in the monsoon rain whilst running to a shop for some snacks for the train.

We then made our final visit to Hotel Relax to get changed out of our soaking clothes and grab our rucksacks. The train station in Dehradun was far less chaotic than Delhi – the world’s largest train station!! We are currently on the train, on the 6 hour journey back to Delhi. We are sad that the teaching part of our Indian adventure is over, but we are very excited for our weekend of being tourists! We are all extremely tired and are very much looking forward to our beds at the Legend Inn tonight!

Lots of love, Anna and Alice xx

Apparently they really like stickers as Paoirse and Chloe discovered when they were attacked by a mob of children from multiple classes wanting stickers! It’s also become a mission to cross the playground in under 5 minutes (and under 10 minutes for the girls) as the children gather to shake hands and introduce themselves. It definitely makes us feel like celebs!

Music class with 70+ nursery children gave Ross and Richard the chance to turn some innocent little Indian children into gangsta rappers – thanks boys!

The girls were treated to Mahndi on their arms and hands by some Year 12 girls which looks amazing.

After some investigating during the conversation classes by Jonathan and Paoirse, the boys were finally allowed to get their name written on their arms in Hindi. For the classes that had to teach maths after, attempting to fold shapes with one hand (to avoid smudging the henna) proved to be quite difficult and challenging!

After yet another McDonalds… we returned to our favourite place, Barrista’s cafe whilst some of us went to Fabindia to buy some gifts. Enjoying one of our final journeys in the TukTuks we returned to the hotel for some chill out time and to plan our last day’s lessons.

As much as planning lessons is not our favourite thing, it saddens us that tomorrow will be our last day of teaching with Saphara. We all loved teaching the children, even the mischievous ones, and in one way we feel like it will be our last day of our Saphara journey.

Love from Peter, Chloe and Jonathan xxx

Our classes today ranged from the usual Maths and Geography, and for the first time, 2/3 of our group took part in Conversation classes with the Upper Sixth students whilst the others had the challenge of controlling a class of about 50 kindergarten children, trying to teach them music!

The conversation classes went extremely well, with all topics from marriage and Indian traditions to henna tattoos and modern Bollywood being discussed. Anna and Amy felt that by the end of the session they had really connected with the girls, hearing from one girl about how her parents are dead and so she has to look after her younger brothers and sisters – we are so impressed that she still manages to come to school! We also realised one conversation group had 3 head boys –Paoirse, Suresh and Andrew – so photos had to be taken. We are all really looking forward to getting to chat to them again tomorrow.

Whilst most of us enjoyed the calm of 17 year olds, the rest of the group were teaching over 50 hyper 4 year olds, and amazingly enough, had them hanging on their every word and being fully involved in the many renditions of “The Wheels on The Bus” and “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”.  We finished our teaching day with a Geography lesson, with the task of explaining the formation of a cyclone to 40 13-14 year olds after recess!

We were all more than ready for our daily lunch at McDonalds and after we were all fed and watered we made our way quickly across the road to a cafe. While the girls visited a Sari shop where we saw the most beautiful materials and Orlagh, Amy, Rachel, Chloe and even Linda tried one on, the boys headed to the Tommy Hilfiger shop to search out some bargains.  “You can trust me, my name is Hari” was parked up ready with his friends ready to take us back to our Hotel in true Indian style; TukTuks!

Now we are off to Pizza Hut to enjoy some more nutritious fast food….

Lots of love Orlagh, Rachel M, Anna, Amy, Ellen and Andrew xx

After our highly spirited music lessons, we made the short journey (some of the boys braving the back of the motorcycles) to the marginalised community (the more usual term – slum probably gives you a better idea of what we saw).  We witnessed indescribable levels of poverty, and found the journey extremely emotional, seeing young children in terrible conditions being so overjoyed to see our group.

Whilst an exceptionally tough thing to witness, our tour of the slums was also inspirational as the people living in such poor conditions are so full of joy and happiness when they see us. It really motivated us to make the most of our time here teaching and trying to help give these children the skills to improve their style of life.

We had our second encounter with the large blue Tuk-tuks or Vikrams today and apparently we are to be getting them to and from school every day, and we couldn’t be happier! Everyday our journey is full of excitement and exhilaration and we get to see more of the real India and its people and culture. After another McDonalds, we are back at Hotel Relax, waiting for dinner and dreading another early start tomorrow. It’s incredible that we only have one week left in India and then we will be home with all of you.

Love Alice, Richard and Sean x

‘This has been the most worthwhile and inspiring trip I will probably ever take and the friends I have made will be friends for life’. Kathryn McC – Methody.

‘This journey has been the most inspiring and life changing experience of my life. I will always remember the friends that I have made and the time I spent in India- it was amazing’. Kathy K – Sullivan.

‘The Saphara journey is one I will never forget. The sights, the lessons and the people have all been inspirational and thought provoking. I thank both the leaders here and in India who made this opportunity possible’. Moya- Aquinas.

‘Teaching the kids in India has been amazing, but getting to know them has been even better. They have changed my life and made me appreciate the opportunities we are given. I will always remember this journey and the friends I have made’. Robin – Methody.

‘I did not think that this trip would have such an impact on me and I definitely underestimated how much I would learn from the pupils. It has been a fantastic opportunity’. Kate – Sullivan.

‘I knew that I was coming to India to teach, but what I had not anticipated were the lessons I would learn myself. I learned that even the smallest good deeds can make a massive difference. While India is filled with those in need of help, they have an uplifting spirit which never failed to touch and inspire me’. Joseph – Aquinas.

‘The people I have met on this journey; those we have taught, the teachers we met or those on the Saphara Team, have been truly inspiring. It has made me appreciate the opportunities we have and will be an experience I will never forget’. Tara – Methody.

‘This trip has truly been such an amazing experience. I have met so many inspirational people and made what I hope to be lifelong friendships. Seeing just how proud the children were to show us their finished work and how hard they worked on everything they did really made me realise how much we take for granted. It has been a unique and completely life changing experience which I will never forget’. Irma – Sullivan.

‘The poverty was emotional but this journey has taught me that the people we have met do not need sympathy but support. I met inspirational people and I will never forget the friends I have made and the children who have impacted my life for the better’. Katie – Aquinas.

‘This journey will be one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I know that I’ll probably never have another experience like it. The things I saw, the kids I taught and the people I have met will be memories I will always treasure.’ Chris G – Methody.

‘A new place with new people is always nerve wrecking – but life changing is something different. We came to teach English but I have left India having been taught life lessons. Every person can make a difference, no matter how small; its impact on others is overwhelming. This opportunity has given me more than I could ever dream; new friends, treasured memories and a feeling that I have done something worthwhile. This has been a life changing sixteen days that will never be forgotten’. Chris J – Sullivan.

‘This trip has been an amazing journey. I have met many inspirational people, none more so than the pupils I was teaching. They face many challenges in their lives, yet show great strength and dedication to their studies. India has been a truly amazing, humbling and inspiring experience. One that has pushed us all to look at our lives and decide what is really important. I will always remember this trip, the friends I have made, the pupils I taught and the opportunities I have been given’. Alyssia – Methody.

‘You cannot truly comprehend what the Saphara project means for the children and their families until you witness it first hand. Their spirited and charismatic zest for life, their willingness to learn new things and their overwhelming drive to succeed in all aspects of their lives is totally inspirational. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to meet them with a phenomenal team to support me all the way. It is an unforgettable experience which has planted seeds that will develop into lifelong friendships’. Rachel – Aquinas.

‘I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, but it definitely was a culture shock on arrival. It would be an understatement to say that India is a chaotic country but it certainly is an eye-opening one. I hope that I will always remember the things that I have seen and the inspirational people I have met. I have been truly challenged to look at my life in a different way… to be more grateful about what I have and less negative about my problems. I feel blessed to have been given this opportunity’. Kirsten – Sullivan.

‘This trip to India has given me opportunities to meet great people, from the children we taught and the Indian teachers to the people I got to know on the Belfast Team. I’ve made new friends and will take home great memories’. Joel – Methody.

‘I feel so privileged to have had this experience. It has opened my eyes to the extent of poverty around the world and to the value of education. It has been a genuinely inspirational journey which I will never forget’. Peter McK – Aquinas.

‘I was a bit apprehensive about the trip before I left, but after a couple of hours the nerves had disappeared. Without a shadow of a doubt this has been the most amazing, inspiring and humbling two weeks of my life. The smiles on the faces of the children we met and taught made it all worthwhile. I want to say thank you so much to Saphara for this unforgettable experience’. Peter E – Methody.

‘It has been a truly eye opening experience and has been so worthwhile. I was nervous at first about teaching but I found that I loved it and had an amazing team with me. As part of this journey I have learned how privileged I am, how much a difference education makes and its value. I have made so many friends’.  Shane – Aquinas.

We spent our last morning in the Mussoorie Gateway hotel gathered together for ‘The Happening’. This was an opportunity for each of us to share a little about what the Saphara trip has meant to us so far through the medium of quotes, songs, poems and scripture readings. It was a very spiritual and moving event during which everyone gave a little of themselves in sharing their thoughts and feelings about their Indian experiences.

After ‘The Happening’ we began our journey back down the mountain side towards Dehradun, feeling the gradual increase in temperature as we went. With plenty of monkey sightings en route, we were soon back in the crazy city traffic. Lunch at McDonalds, followed by a little shopping, after which we were soon settled in our new base – ‘Hotel Relax’. Aptly named, we all feel right at home with lovely rooms and even lovelier staff! Planning complete tomorrow we’re off to bed for a good night’s sleep before our first day in SNEHA.

We are both exceptionally proud of the work of our young people, how they are supporting each other (and us… Donk mountain…). They are superb ambassadors for their schools and of course for Saphara.

Big Hugs to all at home, Catherine and Linda x