Venues:

Pratham Shelter Home for Boys/Pratham Shelter Home for Girls and Barns High School and Junior College, New Panvel, Mumbai; D.Y. Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai

Children Participating:

41 girls, 70 boys; ages 6-15

Program:

Classroom (hygiene, literacy), Sport (basketball, soccer, rugby and cricket) and Music (song and video)

Report:

It is often said that when travelling, getting there is half the fun; this adage holds true for most Red Dust tours, and this, our first of 2009 to India, was no exception to the rule. The team was large and diverse, ranging in age from 20 to 50 years, but none of these factors stood in the way of the team building that took place during those initial hours of travel. Long-haul flights can be a true test for any relationship, but by the time the team touched down in steamy Mumbai, they were already laughing and playing jokes on one another, ready to work together to give the Pratham kids a fantastic week.

And what a week!

Jet lag had not yet set in on Monday morning as the team took to the mad Mumbai roads, en route to the shelter homes to meet the children. As others have aptly described, the sights along the way are simultaneously an assault and a feast to the senses. Fortunately the team was in the capable hands of seasoned Mumbai drivers who expertly navigated streets, roads and freeways that seemed to have no rules and no lines, for a drive so full-on that one was hardly aware that it took almost two hours.

After introductions were made and tours of the homes completed, the team braved the roads again and headed to the school, where both sport and music programs were to be delivered. Like a well-oiled machine the whole team hit the ground running, setting up various activity stations for the sport as well as quickly transforming the school's staff room into a music studio.

With the help of Pratham staff to ease the language barriers, the children - boys and girls ranging from age 6 to 15 - divided into groups for rotation through the sport activities. They tried everything, with many learning skills that they had never even heard of...basketball, rugby, soccer and, of course, cricket. Anyone who didn't already know quickly caught on to the fact that cricket is not just a sport in India - it is a religion.

Meanwhile, a select group of 23 girls and boys gathered in the staff-room-now-music-studio to create what would later be dubbed 'the Pratham anthem' - otherwise known as 'Meri Aawaaz Suno' ('Hear My Voice'). Pratham staff member Uma quickly caught on to the song writing activities and were able to facilitate a rapid fire of translations back and forth, so that within record time, and after much consultation with the children, a song with the strong themes of 'education' and 'happiness' was being created in full force.

By the end of Day One, the team had achieved a great deal; 80 children experienced hands-on activities that saw them learn new skills, refine existing ones and have some fun, while 23 others created and recorded the song that would speak for Pratham children all over Mumbai and India. More than that, though, the greatest achievement was the bonds beginning to form amongst the children and role models...ones that would stand to drive home the positive messages reinforced throughout the week.

With jet lag well and truly starting to set in, the team nevertheless greeted Day Two with much enthusiasm, looking forward to another great day with the Pratham children. The excitement at reaching the destination did much to waylay any fears that the two-hour drive may have prompted, with the team fully absorbed with the sights, sounds and smells that the journey offered. Upon arriving at the school, the teams took to their respective areas and began the day's activities. The sport team divided their day between more skills-based activities and classroom activities, with the classroom work focussing on hygiene. The children were led through hand washing and teeth cleaning techniques that were complemented with word-find and literacy activities using English words relating to health and hygiene. Eager to learn as always, the kids took to all of the  program activities with great enthusiasm, thrilled with the opportunity to show what they had learned.

Meanwhile, the music group heard the beginnings of their new song, complete with the guide vocals by their own Farookh (a star in the making) and started planning their scenes for the music video. Guided by the music team and working with the Pratham staff - Uma and Rajesh (dance teacher) - the children learned a Bollywood-style dance routine and created scenes that depicted the lyrics of their song. All in less than one day!

Day Three had all of the children participate in creating their own CD cover for the Pratham song, while the team prepared for the big event to follow on Thursday. Upon arrival at the D.Y. Patil Stadium, the entire team was greeted as if they were royalty; each member was greeted warmly and presented with a scarf placed around their neck, a bouquet of colourful flowers and a coconut. Cameras flashed and hands were firmly shaken as the team made their way around the stadium for a grand tour. Of course, much of the fanfare surrounded Red Dust's International Ambassador, Allan Border, and cricket legend Damien Fleming; however, the rest of the team were received with as much enthusiasm (though fewer cameras) and greetings just as sincere as those for the stars of the show.

After the fanfare, introductions and event briefings were complete, most of the team headed over to the largest of the three shelter homes, where all of the children were patiently waiting to catch up with their new friends. The evening that followed was one that everyone present will remember forever. With no set agenda other than to spend time with each other, and to view the finished video clip, the group had a ball - singing, dancing (with a few of the team demonstrating hidden talents at Bollywood dancing), hand painting (check out MJ's mindi) and infinite laughter and smiles. When the music clip arrived it was greeted with thunderous applause and over a hundred voices singing at the top of their lungs - over and over again. The joy was contagious and many in the adjoining houses peered through the fences and over the walls to share in what was a magic night.

Day Four - the Big Event!

The buses crammed with children arrived at D.Y. Patil stadium from near and far, with some arriving two hours before the event was to begin. Soon the stadium grounds were filled with a seemingly endless sea of red hats that streamed steadily throughout the day from station to station.

As per the program throughout the week, the stations consisted of cricket, rugby, basketball, soccer and music - except this time, on a mass scale. Volunteers helped transfer the groups as they rotated through the stations, and assisted with translations and instructions. Many kids were touching basketballs and rugby balls for the first time, but all approached the activities with unbridled enthusiasm and effort. At the music station, each group learned the new song written by the Pratham kids earlier in the week, and they picked up a few Bollywood moves to go along with it.

D.Y. Patil Stadium, which hosted the event and provided its world-class facilities, also generously provided lunch for the 1500 participants.

The action-packed day culminated with a 'Celebrity Cricket Match', with a formidable Red Dust team facing students from the D.Y. Patil Sports Academy. The excitement of the day overshadowed the result of the match, with no one recalling which team won. One thing is certain, though - no one will forget the day, the week...and most importantly, the kids.