Samgahan

This small village is located in the district of Dang. There are different interpretations of the meaning of Dang such as Hills or Bambus. Dangi people are mostly Adivasis (literally "originals inhabitants"). They have their own language and tribal culture... their hills and forest are their refuge... uneducated people working hard to eat today, in communion with nature but fighting against monsoons and droughts.
As any other Adivasis, Dangi children spend their childhood in hills and fields, helping their parents in the best of the cases.

Jesuits and sisters run the mission of Samgahan, where 350 boys and girls live and study with joy and enthusiasm. The mission counts with one hostel for the girls, another one for the boys and a common school with a recently leveled playground. These children receive a complete formation both academically and personally. They are the future generation among Dangi people... in their hands remain the power of the change.

And this mission is their hope of a better life!!

The mission and the children...




Children taking bath...



Time for lunch...


Visiting villages...

For my brother...

Today is your birthday and I'm not there to celebrate it with you...

But I have a special present for you!!! I hope you will like it!!!
From the mission of Samgahan (south Gujarat)...

MUCHAS FELICIDADES!!!

Work Camp in Poshina

Poshina, one village in the north of Gujarat. As in any other Indian village, many religions and cultures must coexist with each other. It makes India be very rich, but conflicts may appear easily. One of these cultures is based on tribal ideologies. These people are known by the name of "Adivasis". They work in the field and they live in houses that they construct by themselves far from any facility. Without education, these people cannot afford dreaming about a better life.

Father Peter had a dream... and he opened his heart to these villagers. Many difficulties were found at the beginning, but he is managing very well: winning their trust, creating guest houses for children and preparing the way to the construction of a school.

In that context, the purpose of our work camp was to prepare the fields of the mission. Just a small grain of sand in such a big beautiful project... but I really felt myself like part of it. It was a very enriching experience to visit some families, see where they live, how they live and take tea with them. I did not speak "Gujerati", but I could learn so many things just by being there...
As usual, let me show you some pictures... they may transmit my feelings better than my words.

The team and the work...

Villagers...

Visits...

"The monk who sold his Ferrari"

That is the title of one of the last books that I've read... I just wanted to share with you those extracts that I liked the most. If you liked them as much as me... it might mean that you should read the whole book!!

“Real generosity toward the future consists in giving all to what is present”

“The best time to plant a tree was forty years ago. The second best time is today. Don’t waste even one minute of your day”

“Never put off happiness for the sake of achievement. Never put off the things that are important for your well-being and satisfaction to a later time. Today is the day to live fully, not when you win the lottery or when you retire. Never put off living”

“Failure is not having the courage to try, nothing more and nothing less. The only thing standing between most people and their dreams is the fear of failure. Yet failure is essential to success in any endeavor. Failure tests us and allows us to grow. It offers us lesson and guides us along the path of enlightenment. Never fear failure.”

“The boundaries of your life are merely creations of the self”

“Courage allows you to run your own race. Courage allows you to do whatever you want to do because you know that it is right. Courage gives you the self-control to persist where others have failed. Ultimately, the degree of courage you live with determines the amount of fulfillment you receive. It allows you to truly realize all the exquisite wonders of the epic that is your life. And those who master themselves have an abundance of courage”

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person than you ever dreamed yourself to be”

My landscapes...

There are plenty of beautiful places on the Earth...
look at these ones!!

From far away, thank you to these people... this video brought good memories to my mind of my home... sweet home!!

Do not ever forget that your home contributes to make the Earth marvelous!!

Here I am... GUJARAT

It's time to experience, time to reflection, time to share, time to help, time to live...

That's why I came to Gujarat where my jesuit friend Alpesh is. Below, a picture with him and his team: students between 18 and 22 years old. Last days I've been living with them in Ahmedabad, capital of Gujarat.

Madre Teresa house-hospital...

They help the sisters to shave men and to do haircut and nail-cut. People staying in that house-hospital are unable to live by their own... disable people, sick people, mentally insane people are all most welcome. Some of them are picked up from the garbage where they were abandoned.

"Today it is very fashionable to talk about the poor.
Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them"

Mother Teresa de Calcuta

Ghandi Ashram...

Gujarat is the land of Ghandi... he was born here, he lived here after coming back from South Africa and he started the non-violent strikes in this region.

"My life is my message"

"I have nothing new to teach the world.
Truth and non-violence are as old as the hills."

Tomorrow I go to a work camp for two weeks... I'll let you know my feelings!!