The people are the light

Aaron

In all honesty Kolkata was a dump. Rubbish was piled high everywhere, the air was thick with smoke, the pungent smell of urine and faeces lingered on every street corner, we never saw the sun, poverty and beggars were the norm, there was never a moment of peace, and almost constant rain over the last two days only added to the apparent misery.

Contrary to what you might expect however, the people here do not reflect the darkness of the harrowing reality they live in. The people are the light.

It has not been the rickshaw rides, food nor sights seen so far, but the interactions and conversations with the people of Kolkata that have been the highlights of the trip to date. Whether it be yarning for hours with some of the Jungle Crows of similar age, being approached by a stranger in the street wanting to know your life's story, or playing with the crazy and energetic kids from Future Hope, such as Asif and Laxman. They are all so positive, enthusiastic, friendly and kind. 

Even in Brooklyn, one of the worst slums in Kolkata, the children were happy. Brooklyn was surreal, hundreds of people crammed into old, abandoned concrete buildings, blackened from all the rubbish, dirt and excrement that had built up around them. It was tough to see. How could anyone possibly be content to live like this, let alone seem so joyous? Perhaps this apparent joy and happiness was just merely our strange appearance brightening up their day, or just that poverty is all they know. Or maybe they truely are happy, despite their harsh lifestyle, and it is through their relationships and sense of community where they find there true happiness, not through material possessions and other comforts we have grown so accustomed to?