Nov 2nd: Thank you and Goodbye

Who knew when we boarded the plane 2 weeks ago full of anticipation and excitement of the unknown what a truly rewarding and unforgettable experience we would have. We were welcomed into this amazing community with open arms, friendly greetings, smiling faces, and stares of curiosity. Over the 2 weeks we shared many laughs, communication breakdowns and breakthrough’s, cups of masala tea, rest times, lots and lots of photos, learned from each other, celebrated with each other, shared each others culture and built friendships that will last with us forever. Through everything we were able to work together hauling rocks, passing and lifting cement to build a dam that will help the community of Akola for years to come. We are forever grateful to everyone for making us feel so at home. We started our journey as strangers here and we are parting ways as friends and family looking forward to the next time we meet again. We will carry India in our hearts with us long after we have left this magical country. Thank you to my amazing, compassionate, hard working, funny, patient team. It was an absolute pleasure working with you and sharing this experience with; thank you for your commitment to this project and inspiring me. Thank you to Sahyog, the community of Akola, Mithu, Rajmahal Hotel, Parthvi, Jaiwana Havali, DWC, our friends and family for supporting us and everyone who made our experience in India so memorable.

Jen Baillie
Team Leader

India, October 2013