I have had a wonderful experience. The project is so worth while. We were made so welcome by the girls and the Didis and teachers. Sunita cooked for us so well. Didi Vratiisha is lovely, as are all the Didis. I was treated to a ride on the back of Didi's scooter into the village to meet some of the families and the children. It was safe to go with her and it's lovely the way everyone respects her. It was fascinating to go into some of the houses to see how simply things are done and I found the cooking fascinating. One of the stories I read to them and left with them was the Gingerbread Man and so I will send a photo of me making gingerbread men.


They loved the soft toys that we took with us and we shall send some so that Class 4 can have one each. Didi said that was OK. We bought a printer and scanner, you probably know that, for them which we hope will prove very useful.


We also had another fascinating experience when Didi took her homeopathic medicines out to one of the far villages and saw over 90 people. It would be good to try to raise some funds for a mobile ambulance and doctor. That is a very big project.


  Things for future volunteers to take with them:


 •Candles and matches.
 •Wet wipes and toilet tissue plus bags to put dirty ones in (so that they can be taken to be burnt outside the enclosure).
 •Lots of paper and colouring pencils, crayons and watercolour paints. The children love to colour and paint. (I
 •took the story of the Hungry Caterpillar and we did lots of work from that).
 •Also, some English reading books. I wish I had taken more of them which I have belonging to my daughter when she was little. She is now 18.


We tried to provide lots of opportunity for speaking English with games and role play. Please and Thank you and sorry featured in one cafe scene which we devised and the older girls enjoyed that.


The girls were so affectionate and I have some lovely cards. They all seem to say: Don't forget us.” How could I ever, after such an experience? Maybe one day I shall be able to go back.


Didi Taparoti was great fun when we were taken by jeep to see the Dadas place and the hospital and the memorial. We had a burst tyre and she led us across the fields on a short cut. I followed her and we did laugh because we were climbing banks and getting tangled in branches. The others seemed to find a much easier route!


Didi Schsismata (wrong spelling, I know) was lovely and gracious and always smiling.


Thank you for the opportunity. We are in Darjeeling, leaving here tomorrow and then from Calcutta to England. I don't know how I shall adjust.


Very best wishes and I shall be in touch soon.,


Denise Goodson