A Journey to Remember

In October this year we seized the opportunity to trek across the Thar Desert in India with a newly founded, small charity organisation; Fulcrum. The objective was to work within a team of 24 selected teenagers from East London schools in building a primary school from scratch in the poor remote village of Khanga Sar.

In the early hours of Wednesday 20th October, team Fulcrum set off with anticipation to complete our project work in Northwest India. We all met at Heathrow airport, checked in and as we waited for our flight we tried to contain our excitement. By the time we reached our transfer flight to Amsterdam we had been awake for nearly 24 hours, so we relied on a greasy yet satisfying burger from Mc Donald’s to rejuvenate us. During the ten-hour flight to India, the Fulcrum team chatted endlessly, which we regretted later when the jet lag set in!

At Delhi airport, the minute we steeped off the plane, the heat stifled us and the bustling crowds engulfed our group. We met with our experienced guides who were to assist us in our travels within the Desert and were warmly welcomed with an individual flower wreath necklace. Immediately we travelled by coach west, for eight sleepy hours, heading towards the first overnight stop. Our arrival at the Desert resort in Mandawa was celebrated with a traditional ceremony. Here we relaxed and caught up with our sleep. In the night we were fortunate enough to experience a traditional Indian puppet show.

The following day we left the luxurious resort in Mandawa and headed towards the desert, which would be our home for the following ten days. We prepared ourselves for living with the bare essential, no toilet, shower or running water, all the necessities we had taken for granted. When we arrived at the outskirts of the Thar Desert, we met our forty camels and camel drivers, who were to be our mode of transport for the following four days. We each choose our own camels and we taught the commands needed to ride them. For the next four days we travelled 60 kilometres by camel through the barren desert and made camp each night. Each day was a new experience as we passed many villages and met the local people. The team spirit was raised each day as we developed relationships within the group.

On the fifth day we reached the isolated village of Khanga Sar in the heart of the Desert – this is where our project work of building the primary school began. The ext five days were intense as we had the task of erecting to classrooms within a period timescale of four days. First we planned the dimensions of the classrooms. Then each individual within team Fulcrum was given the task of either laying the foundations of the walls, thatching the roof or plastering and decorating the classrooms. The work was physically demanding but emotionally rewarding. Throughout the project we entertained the children and were taken back by their content and happiness with what little they had. We danced, played with the children and taught them songs; it was a humbling and amazing experience. On the final day we handed out gifts to the children and took a step back to look at what we as a team had achieved. At the start of the project there stood one classroom hut, at the end there stood a primary school; three classrooms for the children of nearby villages. The organisation Fulcrum has further plans to travel back to the village of Khanga Sar with another group of teenagers to expand the school by building more classrooms and dormitories.

Once we had completed our project work at the village of Khanga Sar and said our goodbyes it was time for team Fulcrum to leave the Desert. We travelled 43 kilometres by camel over a period of two days to the village Jamba were we met with our coach. It was a sad saying goodbye to the camel men whom the group had formed a relationship with. We then travelled eight hours by coach to Pushkar and stayed overnight. The following day, yes you’ve guessed it; we had a further eight-hour drive to Ranthambore. Here we experienced the wealth of Indian wildlife on a game Safari. We were fortunate enough to see five wild tigers and other species of animals within the 150 sq. miles safari park.

From Pushkar we travelled straight to Delhi airport. The whole trip was a culture shock and we have taken away unforgettable memories. We would like to extend our gratitude and thanks to all of you for your prayers and support.

Thank You.

Tara Godin and Charlotte Corboy.