My Experience of Udayan

MY EXPERIENCE OF UDAYAN

This was my first visit to an orphanage in India and I had no idea of what to expect. To my pleasant surprise, I didn’t find an orphanage so much as I found a family, a very large family at that!

What impressed me most about Udayan, was the way this family operates. There is much discipline, but there is equally much love. There is structure, and equally there is free-time for the children to express themselves. Life is not necessarily easy for the children. They have homework, chores and responsibilities and the climate is certainly a challenge for anyone. But they accept their daily routines always with a smile.

I was also impressed by the way Udayan seeks to grow into a totally self-sustainable operation. Wherever possible, the food is grown on the property, tended and nurtured by the children. The food is exceptional at Udayan, compliments to the chef! There is no plastic in sight and rubbish is minimal. That hot cup of chai served to us in the chill of the early morning was a treat!

I was only at Udayan for 10 days, and I, along with my friends, spent much of the time painting the library walls and decorating them with bright designs. This was something my fellow friends and I wanted to do – to brighten up the place. We were never lonely however, as there was always a little face poking round the door to see what “Bela Didi” was up to and how the progress of Ganesha was going. “Sundar Didi”, they would exclaim every time looking at what we created!

I miss the children dearly and I will definitely be returning to see how they are all getting on. It is amazing how in such a small space of time you really begin to see the individual personalities shining through. I do hope to contribute something more substantial to this project in the future, as I have seen this concept first hand and it works. It is my pleasure to sponsor one of the children of Udayan because I believe there is a direct benefit to the children. I believe with determination and vision of its founders, not to mention of their love for children, there is no reason why Udayan (Vatsalya) cannot develop and grow to accommodate more of the homeless and destitute children of India and provide them with a loving family, shelter, education, food and most importantly, the possibility of a bright future.

Thankyou so much to the beautiful children and wonderful staff members that made my brief stay at Udayan so memorable!

Thankyou Vatsalya!

Belinda Clayton