Today I slept a little late because I was very tired from being in Rourkela with all the work we did , and also the long train trip yesterday.

 

Being back In Kolkata, I have to visit my last few places and wrap up the 2024 India trip this year in a few short days. I have a lot to do so I have to make every minute of my time count..

 

I call Dibyendu on the telephone and tell him that I plan to walk to his house around noon to meet with Sumaiya, a Children are Angels from Heaven sponsored student. I will meet Sumaiya and her Mother with Dibyendu and his wife Priti.

 

Dibyendu has looked after this particular sponsorship for us in every detail for many years now and done a great job with it. I know the sponsoring person here in the USA is very Happy with the sponsorship and very very proud of Sumaiya.

 

As I have said, many times schooling in India is not easy, it is very serious. Lots of hard work by the student is expected everyday by the school.

 

When I arrived at Dibyendu house , Symaiya and her Mother had already arrived. We had a very nice meeting. Dibyendu translated every word that I said to Sumaiya and her Mother.

 

I told her that we are very proud of her and want the very best for her. I also told her that I expect her to go to school every day with very limited absent days. She understood everything very well.

 

Sumaiya is a very smart girl and she along with her family understands how important schooling is. I wanted to buy her something small, maybe a watch or a bicycle.

 

I then asked her what she would like. Sumaiya’s Mother said not a bicycle as we are afraid she might get hurt with all the cars on the street. Then came the idea of a watch..

 

Sumaiya then talked to Dibyendu and he told me what she really wants and needs is help paying for the cell phone service , to a telephone I have lent her for her homework at school.

 

So Sumaiya now has a telephone but the service will run out soon. Dibyendu said to me Symaiya wants to know, can you pre pay for the local service for 1 year for her? This way she has a clock on the phone to tell time and she can look up things for her school work.

 

I said to Dibyendu to tell her yes that can be arranged for her, and it was the next day..

 

Sumaiya and her Mother were very happy and so was Dibyendu and his wife Priti.

 

After our meeting I asked Dibyendu to get me an Uber to go to St Vincent’s convent and to Howrah to visit Don Bosco.

 

When I arrived at St Vincent’s Sister Sini answered the door with Sister Catherine. I had an envelope that I wanted to leave for Sister Shanti who lives in Nepal who will visit St Vincent’s in Late December. St Vincent’s is the Mother House for West Bengal and Nepal and Sister Catherine is the Provincial Sister of the area.

 

After a nice visit with Sister Sini and talking about old times I made my way down the street to the sewing machine man.

 

For every trip that I have made to Kolkata (26) he has been in the same spot. He would often sew the small holes in my duffle bags for me. It has become a custom for me to bring him a Hershey Chocolate bar every year and give it to him. After a handshake and a wave goodbye I’m back in the car and on my way to Don Bosco in Howrah.

 

Howrah is a very densely populated area on the other side of the Hooghly River with lots of shops and very small streets. The driver finds his way perfectly.

When I walked through the front gate of Don Bosco many of the boys came to me and said Hello Uncle. These children are very poor, their only home is Don Bosco.

 

I went to the office first and met with Father George. We had a nice chat together. I told him that I have visited here many times and know all about the children being abandoned and how the staff at Don Bosco helps all of them. I said that I was very proud to revisit here again to see everyone.

 

It was then that Father George called staff member Frank Louis into the room. I have known Frank for many years and was Happy to see him again.

I said goodbye to Father George and asked Frank to take me for a short tour of the small shops to meet some of the children.

 

We went to the print shop, card shop and a new shop, a girls hair salon where young girls learn how to cut women’s hair.

 

It was very interesting to see the students and the teachers in the hair salon. The girls first start out with basic classes and work their way up. I was very Happy to meet everyone in all the shops.

 

I had some balls and frisbees to give the kids in the school yard and it only took one minute after a photo was taken for them to start playing with everything…

 

After a nice goodbye Frank walked me to the street to get another Uber to go to New Market. Because this area of Howrah is so congested the Uber drivers would cancel the rides. This went on for 45 minutes. Finally Frank saw a car drop someone off close by. He went over to talk to the driver then pointed to me to get in. I waved goodbye to him as the car started to drive away.

 

Because of very heavy traffic it takes about 30 – 40 minutes or more to get to New Market. When we arrive at Lindsay St in the New Market area I get out of the car and pay the driver 300 Rupees. That’s $3.50 USD

 

Today is the last time I will visit my friends at Curio Cottage.

 

If you have followed all my mails, this is the shop where I buy all my very small gifts to send with my Thank You mails to all of you when a donation is made to Children are Angels from Heaven.

 

The gifts are always very small and Jeet the owner knows the charity work that we do, and charges us very little for everything. I always like sending something small from India , to the people who reach out to help me do this work. I consider it special.

 

Just for the record I am not the kind of person who takes in donations and mails you a form letter to say thank you and then the next week you find a solicitation in your mailbox from me asking for another donation..

 

That’s how many charity’s work nowadays….

 

I take a very different approach with Angels and NEVER ask anyone for anything. I feel our work has to speak for itself and you have to want to donate, not be asked to donate.

 

After a really nice visit at Curio Cottage I have my goods to bring back home to the USA and make my way back to my Guest House in New Alipore.

Below, in the last 2 photos, you will find a story about Don Bosco and the work that they do to help children.

 

It was another nice day in India, this time Kolkata

 

Ray O