Day 1

For years I have heard about Athidiya, been involved with projects, seen photos from previous trips, but walking through, seeing it, being there, is startlingly different. Photos cannot prepare you; you can put photos down. What struck me about Athidiya is that this is people's lives. We were able to return to comfy hotels after a short while, yet for the people who live there, there is nothing else.

There is often a set view of poverty, a stereotyical image of ramshackled housing, dirt paths and children playing that has become a caption in people's minds when poverty is mentioned. We hear about it, read about it, it's perpetually in the public eye yet, for me, it wasn't truely real until now. My view of poverty was two-dimensional, but stepping into Athidiya changed that.

When we arrived at the new Asha community centre we were met with one of the warmest receptions I have ever received. Garlanded, blessed and fed, we sat down and watched a show put on by the children at the centre that had been organised by Sister Concepta and Mrs Vellupullai. The children looked amazing, bedecked in their finest clothes - ruffles and bows galore - and made us very welcome. Several wondeful dances, a few lovely songs and one indecipherable story later I was amazed by the enthusiam and excited energy that every one of the children had. There was no sense of unwillingness to get involved, no embarrassment that would have been very present if the idea of putting on a show had been raised in England. It was humbling to see how those with so little didn't simply 'just get on', but did so with an eager grin.

Later, walking through Athidiya, we saw the children again- this time out of their clothes, with siblings or parents, outside their houses. The difference between seeing them, who we'd learnt the names of twenty minutes before, now in their houses, was very prominent to us and yet they were playing happily. It reinforced how real it is.

Back at the hotel, I thought again how easy it for us- able to leave when we want, return to comfy beds and warm showers. But as Radhika has said today; we are here, our presence is showing that we care, that people thousands of miles away are thinking and working to help Athidiya and similar places.

Katherine