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A little taste of paradise

MSC archived stories - November 5, 2023

Both Neha and Trisha wrote me (letters in media) talking about their recent visits to places around Kolkata in the Bay of Bengal in eastern India. It took my breath away to learn the places the two families have taken them – the Sundarbans nature reserve, home to majestic Bengal tiger, coastal city of Puri famous for the holiest Jagannath Temple to worship Lord Vishnu (or may have gone there for the annual Hindu chariot festival of Ratha Yatra in July) and a boat trip on beautiful Chilika lake, the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent.

 

As Buddhists we believe God Vishnu is the last of the Buddhas yet to be born on this earth. And according to Hindu mythology, they also celebrate festivals of Durga Puja (2 weeks ago) and Kali Puja (or Diwali on next Sunday), both of which are symbolising the spiritual 'victory of good over evil'. How wonderful to live and experience your own cultural heritage, which of course goes without saying the exquisite south-Indian food.

 

I was thinking in a way sponsorship is door opening to tourism in countries you've never visited but love to, yet more importantly able to visit a child you care for on the same trip. If there was such an opportunity, I'm sure they will make every effort to welcome you into their homeland.

 

But, imagine you want to send the family away on a visit to their favourite place, and they suggest travelling by plane (local flight)… what would you say? (I'm just being asked this question by Sandy, Estephaine's cousin in Guatemala – just a brief background to Sandy, she's now 17yo and the family lives outside of CI catchment area, so she could not be enrolled on the program. When Estephanie was sponsored, Sandy used to appear in my EG follow-up photos!)

Comments

  1. chelaka29 March 2025 at 14:37

    Wouldn’t that be something, to give a child what might be their first flight on a plane. I can almost feel their excitement! I will have to ask my Sabra and see what holiday she likes most, and see if she is ever able to travel outside Delhi. I hope so, because the air quality there is terrible.Thank you for sharing about the holidays and beliefs, as well as a bit about the culture. I hope to learn much more and your posts are very informative!

    November 10, 2023

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  2. chelaka29 March 2025 at 14:37

    Thanks Lisa! I don't know if CI organise trips, but know that other local NGO in SL I support take children away on outings each year. I value the fact that sponsorship encourages families to take them away on holidays and share the experience with sponsor. For a child not much, if at all had a chance to see their country in own eyes, my immediate reaction to Sandy was that "In my opinion, taking a flight won't give you surrounding view of the journey, so don't you find Luxury coach travel better value for money?" Among many natural and historic beauties to sightseeing along the way, Guatemala is home to 38 volcanoes. To live in the backyard of one of earth's wondrous geological formations is a gift the country has given her. She said.."you are very right. In relation to the trip, to be able to observe everything".

    November 10, 2023

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  3. chelaka29 March 2025 at 14:37

    I love your perspective and thoughts- I find that I am learning much more about the wider world as a sponsor- I look up strange small places, food, migration patterns, animal habitats, dancing, so many things… I like to look on Windy and see what the weather is where my sponsor children are at, in real time… I think this is something people don’t necessarily understand about sponsorship, is how much it gives the sponsor, too!

    November 12, 2023

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  4. chelaka29 March 2025 at 14:37

    I wouldn’t have had the same interests in learning about those places two girls visited if I hadn't known them. One scholar from India I met in London years ago told me how different each state in India is from languages they speak, religious beliefs to styles of cooking. He was telling me you don't have to go anywhere else but travelling within India will give you a diverse experience. Children we sponsor may not have the luxury to travel outside their home state but exploring neighbourhood is yet a worthwhile adventure. I too use BBC weather app to keep track of live status in their countries.

    November 13, 2023

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