india - ROSE

after many stupid o'clock train arrivals, we were finally rewarded with an amazing sunrise at haldwani station.

for the next two weeks we spent our time volunteering for ROSE (rural organisation for social elevation). staying with founder jeevan and his family in the village of kanda, located in the himalayan foothills.

our house.

and straight to work on an irrigation tank that will be used by ten families in the village. here we are mixing cement with sadhu, a local worker.

jenny breaking rock, prison style.

republic day. we were honourable guests at a girls school.

the day is celebrated by dancing, singing and poetry reading.

jeevan, founder of ROSE.

chendra (jeevan's daughter in-law) preparing lunch.

gaotam (jeevan's grandson) enjoying breakfast which was usually dahl (lentils), curry and rice.

the veggie patch (just recently sewn) and the kitchen.

making bricks, not as easy as you might think.

a days work.

kanda market and temple.

view from the market.

jenny's favourite baby calf.

local ladies that help out with daily tasks.

cheeky gaotam.

ruchi (gaotam's sister) enjoying an afternoon snack made with semolina and sugar.

kitty.

some of the older houses in kanda with wood carved window frames and doors.



this is where the magic happens. best indian food we've had.

to celebrate the new calf, hindu tradition dictates a blessing and a feast when its ten days old.

munchin moo.


jenny's first knitted beanie. dedicated to ellie and harry.

renu (jeevan's daughter) dressing gaotam for school.

school is out.

went for a bit of a wander in the hills...

..and met some friendly locals.

the nearby village where gaotam and ruchi's parents live.

bimla crushing chillis.

renu making chapati's.

10 days in, ethan and justin joined the crew.

hema (jeevan's wife), chef extraordinaire.

more brick making...

...for the second story of the community centre.





even only after two weeks, we got very attached to everyone, and were sad to leave. kanda is not nearly as needy as other communities in india, but its a fantastic 'eco tourism' and cultural experience. check out www.rosekanda.org






we did not love our jeep driver, and we did not love his speed. TWO close calls with head on traffic on our way to the train station.