Accordingly, when the students arrived Fr Lancy Pinto acquainted them with the history of Mumbai – how the city developed and how various issues like unemployment, growth of slums, and environmental degradation slowly caught up with the city.

 

Then they moved out to St. John the Baptist parish, Thane, where Fr Allwyn D’Silva and his parish team had organised their home stay of two days. Nine families accepted them into their homes for a cultural and spiritual exchange. They were also given an opportunity to interact with the indigenous community that borders the parish. The group found the whole experience “unforgettable” and they wished they had more time to spend with the families. While some exchanged knowledge about their arts, others shared cuisines, but amidst all this they had built lasting friendships.

 

Next on the agenda was a visit to a slum. Before walking through the slum community the coordinator told them that this survey would teach them a lot and so they should focus on observing and ask questions later. During the slum walk they noted the common taps and common toilets, the tiny double-decker tenements and dingy approaches. They were also invited into the homes of the women to talk about the self-help groups and its impact on their lives. Commenting later on this visit Gan Amy Jiaxin rightly stated, “Being born poor is not a problem, but staying poor with no will to fight for a better life is a problem.”

 

The visit to an NGO working to uplift economically disadvantaged women was an eye-opener for the students. They were impressed by the women’s efforts to change their life situation. The group was also familiarized with the endeavours of Our Lady of Nazareth, Bhayander, school and parish in environmental conservation. This exposure prompted their resolve to act responsibly. Angel vowed “to use less plastic bags and refrain from turning on the aircon in summer”. Brian said, “Teaching the children to be environment friendly will inculcate in them a practice of protecting the environment their whole life. I too will try to recycle paper and other stuff to sustain the earth.” 

 

During the evaluation on the last day the students shared some memorable moments. They cherished the time spent with their host families and appreciated that they still did a lot of stuff together unlike Hong Kong where children are showered with many expensive gifts but hardly share any family togetherness. An interesting observation was that they did not miss their computers and video games, and preferred to shop at local markets and at the women’s cooperative.

 

Recounting their visit to the slums, they were moved by the disposition of the people of opening their doors to them, sharing a meal of tea and biscuits, maintaining an upbeat attitude despite the disadvantages they suffered, and living in harmony with people of different faiths. As Kathy exclaimed, “I have learnt to treasure the things I have in Hong Kong.” All of them said they felt enriched by this exposure programme and have drawn valuable life lessons from their experience.