"Here's to now." -108 Degrees South

So here I am... sitting on my bed, just having made the last payment to the water filter company. All debts are settled, all filters are installed, and all the schools now have the technology to keep their children healthy. It's been a long road, and it's one I never thought I would walk down in the first place. Thank you to everyone: First Baptist Church Somerset, FBC Richmond, Ward Correll, Maria and Haavard Kirste, Glenn Marshall Elementary and everyone who gave no matter how large or small the amount. I would also like to thank Madhu Sareen, my partner in this whole thing. I literally could not have done this without her and I know she will continue to be a good friend the rest of my life. 

It has been a blessing, a privilege, and a challenge to have undergone this whole thing. God pretty much threw me a curve ball at me back in November when I realized how big the project was going to become. However, the Clean Water Project is something I will remember and hold on to for the rest of my life. This is my final post on this blog. Thank you for keeping up with me and for encouraging me to do more. 

Over $14,000 went into this. 

Thousands of children now have a better chance at being healthy.

I am relieved.

I am thankful.

I am happy. 

I love you all.

Morgan

“All's well that ends better.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

Today we finished up the last five schools, even the one that was about an hour away. We made it! A part of me can't believe that it is all pretty much complete. This project has been in the works for almost 2 years now and to finally sit back and say it's done is very strange and very satisfying at the same time. Like I have said before, exams are right around the corner for these students. As a result, today, all but one school had a "study" day where the children did not have to attend. Although I was not able to see the students, I was able to spend more time with the faculty and they told me a more in-depth story about their schools. Without further a due, here are the last 5:

I was surprised that the Government Girls Secondary School Kothariya is still in the Udaipur school district. After one hour in the car, winding around severe mountain roads (which are terrifying by the way) we reached the school. Even though school had let out an hour previously, the staff stuck around to give us this warm welcome. They placed so many flowers around my neck I joked that I looked like I had a shirt made of yellow flowers. This school, despite begin so far out, was still extremely impressive. I came to learn the students have continuously scored high on all board exams and have also district level awards in both Judo and Table Tennis. The school does not have enough staff to teach all of the subjects, however that had not stopped them. The teachers take turns going around and filling in for the subjects that are missed. I was amazed at their passion for the students!

Government School Neemuch Khera caters to all the children within a one kilometer radius. Most are tribal children with parents in the working or farming class. The teachers tried to describe to me how dedicated they were to their children and because of this they promised to get this filter up and running in two days. Because of the children's backgrounds, they sometimes have problems in attendance. However, the teachers have a good relationship with the community and even make house visits when children have not attended in some time.

The Government Senior Secondary Girl’s School Sunderwas was the third stop on our tour this morning and unfortunately we did not get to spend a lot of time speaking with the faculty. They held a small ceremony for us and placed flowers around our necks to honor us. Their girls were currently on holiday to study for exams so I was unable to meet them. The teachers however, were all dressed up in pretty sari's and kept saying "thank you" over and over until we had to leave. 

I was able to spend quite a bit of time talking to the principal of the Government School Gorrela. He said that the children come from very rough backgrounds and most need a lot of motivation to care about their education. The teachers are their main motivators since many families in the area have some sort of alcohol dependency and the idea of education over work isn't common. During the harvesting season, the school has trouble keeping stable attendance because many of the families require their children to help with the work. The faculty does everything possible to emphasize how important education is and encourages families to motivate their children to go to school.

Government School Dhikali is in a very remote area. Over 70% of all students are from a stricly farming families and 60% of students are also girls. At first I was very proud of this fact, that girl children might be more concerned with their education. However, the principal said that most families send the girls to school because they are safer there than at home while their families are at work. This was quite shocking to me and I can't imagine what kind of environment these children must grow up in. On a happy note, this school does receive quite a bit of government help with things like new bathrooms, supplies, and equipment since they have next to nothing.

So, that completes the list of schools that were involved in this project. Tomorrow I'm sure I will write a post all about my feelings and such, but for now I am just content to see all this hard work be for something. Thank you again everyone who gave money, prayed, and supported me. You are loved and I can rest easy now knowing that your money (and finally ALL of your money) has been put to a wonderful, beautiful use. Until tomorrow....

"My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths." -Eleanor Roosevelt

This morning we were able to visit 4 more schools, leaving only 5 more to go! One school is almost an hour away... a very rural school but still within the Udaipur school district. I hear they were in desperate need of this filter so I am glad they were included in this project. However, that will take a very long time to reach. It was my hope that we would finish school visits on Friday but we will see if that happens. So far we have installed in:

Government Primary School Dakan Kotra: A primary school that feeds into the Secondary school (who also received a RO filter). They got into little lines and were so patient as we took this picture, I was impressed. Their school is very far out from the city and I know for sure that this will have a huge impact on their lives, especially being so young.

Government Secondary School Dakan Kotra is also quite far out from the city and is about a 10 minute drive from its Primary school. I was given a tour of the school and when I entered each classroom, the students stood up and greeted me with an english song asking "How are you? I hope you're well!" It was a lovely visit and the students are getting this filter at a perfect time since exams are only days away! Getting sick would be a terrible thing for them right now because tests are never fun... even more so if you have a tummy ache!

The students from the Government Secondary School Nella lined the roads to show us the way to their small rural school. The principal came out to greet us and said over and over how important this filter is for his students. While waiting on the children to finish their lunch break, the principal brought us all water from the filter. Then, he asked one of the girls to go get a glass of water from the source they had previously used. As she brought the glass back, I saw dirt and black residue floating all around the bottom of the cup. The weather is so hot now, the children had no other choice than to drink lots of this dirty water before the filter was installed. This example and the way the principal was talking assured me that this school definitely appreciates this gift.

The looks on these student's faces from the Gurukul Madyamik School in Sector Fourteen cracks me up! They sat there and listened as the principal told them about their new filter and how it would benefit their health and education. These kids were small, especially the last row on the right (who were also getting hot in the sun) so listening for a long period of time must have been difficult. Hence these grumpy faces. It made me laugh because it reminded me that kids are kids no matter where they grow up. And just like kids back home, the students at Gurukul Madyamik School now won't have to work about the water the drink, they can just be kids.

“Just this once, let it be easy.” -Cynthia Lord

I have heard over and over the saying that hard things are the things worth doing. If you Google this, you will find that Steve Jobs, Theodore Roosevelt, and Tupac have all said (in slightly different syntax) a life spent facing difficult situations is the best kind. This project has challenged me in ways I never thought and to finally see the outcome almost doesn't seem real. 

Finally, I am back in Udaipur to complete this project once and for all. I am so excited that all of the donations that have had to sit in my bank account for 4 weeks are finally being put to a wonderful purpose. This morning I went to the Government Senior Secondary School Bhuwana which had their RO filter installed just this morning. The principal was happy and even though I didn't get to spend much time with the students since they were in the middle of exams, many of them said their "Thank You's" and gave me shy smiles and waves as we took pictures.

I have done the numbers. Granted, I am really bad with anything resembling a math equation but I feel like I have run through these enough that they are accurate. I will be able to install in a grand total of 18 government schools by the end of this project (aka Sunday). That is far more than my original plan of... one. I never thought I could do this. I never thought I would be supported by over $13,000 of donations. I never thought I was capable to make fair business deals with people who didn't speak my language. I never thought any of this could happen in general I guess. But maybe that is why it happened... because I wasn't the one who made this happen anyway. 

So far, 9 schools have received access to clean drinking water. They are:

Government Girl’s Senior Secondary School Ambamata who received a Waterstep M100 back in November. They are wonderful, bright girls who also helped me train the next school on how to use the M100.

Government Senior Secondary School Badgaon who received the other M100 system and went out of their way to show their appreciation with this small ceremony. Their campus is GORGEOUS and in this picture you can see the canopy of pink flowers that provide shade for the children during their lunches or gatherings outside. 

Government Secondary School Devali was quite cute because as I approached the school, the boys were leaning their heads over the 2 story balconies to see us arrive. With this school, I was not able to stay long because there were also exams going on, but they were extremely positive and excited to receive this gift. They also loved my iPad and the fact that I was taking pictures... so I took this picture of them. As you can see, there were quite enthusiastic after I showed them this and I'm about 60% sure I got them in trouble with their principal for being too loud. Oops...

Government Senior Secondary Boy’s School Bedla School is located in the middle of one of the old Forts of Udaipur. Therefore, the campus it literally like a school in the middle of an old Indian castle. Because who wouldn't want to get their education in a castle??? The boys and I got to have a long chat about why it was important to drink clean water and they promised me that they would use this filter every day (aka they promised not to drink out of the tap even though it was a few steps closer than he filter. That may sound dumb, but it's totally a factor in people drinking clean water).

Bal Samiti School near Jain Mandir Devali is the school for Destitute Girls that Glenn Marshal raised the funds for. The girls made cards for the GM children their age who had sold Valentine's Day grams to pay for their filter. Also, I interviewed the girls on what makes a good leader. Mostly, the they told me that a leader told the truth, was responsible, and was good at giving orders and having people listen to her. I was very impressed with the education and care these girls, most completely orphaned, were getting through this government school. Even though they did not have families, you could tell how much their school meant to them and how their classmates had become like sisters. 

I don't play favorites, but the Prayas Sansthan Bhuwana School hit home for me. It is a special needs school that is far from the city. Like the Bal Samiti School, all these children are orphaned. However, unlike Bal Samiti, they are orphaned not because their families are dead, but because their families didn't want to deal with their disabilities. I was shocked to learn that even one was the daughter of an influential government official who just couldn't deal with her daughters condition. It broke my heart because I thought of the special needs boys I work with at Mother Teresa's and how much joy they bring to my life. I couldn't imagine parents not wanting them. Anyway, the school's principal is called Papa because they love him so much and he takes care of them around the clock. The waste water from the RO filter will also be used in their garden that the children are taught how to grow. Pretty cool stuff.

Prayas Sansthan Bhopalpura School is the younger campus of Bhuwana but still serves special needs. I'm pretty sure it feeds into the older school as well. I was able to go in and play a bit with the tiny kids and there was on little girl with down syndrome who grabbed my finger for a full five minutes before I convinced her I had to go. I wasn't mad about it.

Devi Annapurna School in Sector Three was nothing short of an overload of adorable. There were children of all ages seated orderly in little lines waiting on us to arrive. We were not told beforehand, but they had readied a presentation for us in order to thank me for the RO filter. Several of the girls did dances for me and were dressed in traditional indian clothes (and they were SO SO SO good. I tried to show one below so you all could see what I'm talking about). I was able to speak to them through my lovely partner Madhu at the end. I told them how much God loves them and no matter what, no dream they come up with is too great that they cannot accomplish it. The teachers told me at the end that they thought God had sent this to them and I responded with "Well, I think you are right."

Like I said, this morning I was able to go to Government Senior Secondary School Bhuwana school. The principal was told this morning that the filter would be installed and in less than two hours (record time for this place, let me tell you) he was able to get a hole drilled into the wall so that plumbing and pipes would allow the filter to be used immediately. That just goes to show how much this technology is needed and appreciated. If the principal understands how important clean water is for his students, I know the whole school system will take up the efforts to teach the children to take responsibility for their own health.

From now until Sunday I will be installing 9 more filters... basically what I am saying is that I will be running around after the filter company installs these things and I will be meeting the students, listening to the faculty, and seeing the schools that receive filters. I am very excited... and also very anxious to get it all done. I have to be back in Kolkata to teach english orientation at Mother Teresa's on Monday or I could stay longer... but when you make a promise to a nun I hear that it is advised you keep it. Angry nuns are quite terrifying, and that's coming fro a protestant. More to come tomorrow!

"More than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow."

I have never been someone who says "God said this..." Or "Jesus told me this..." I have faith in God's plan yes, but unlike Samuel I have never heard a voice magically call my name from the sky and tell me the plan for my life or what socks I should wear that day. I'd imagine it would sound somewhat like Morgan Freeman in an amphitheater though. However, for me, God speaks in moments, in doors opening, and through other people's actions and words. Things that reassure and timing that couldn't be anything but a work of the divine, have been my guides thus far. Today I have been humbled, amazed, overwhelmed, and heartbreakingly grateful. Today I have been assured that this is where I was supposed to be. Today... I have been donated enough money to install 13 more filters. Yes. That I said 13!!! I don't have a final total, but ball park we are talking $8,000!

I reread the email from First Baptist Somerset twice before I could tell my partner, who was sitting across the dinner table, why I had frozen mid-sentence. We had hoped for maybe 4 more filters... Optimistically. But 13.... Whoa! We needed to start calling people... As soon as we picked ourselves up off the floor.

First of all... This means I will have to return to Udaipur for a third time. I promised to do this and that means I will see it to completion. I would stay an extra week now except something special is happening next week which has been planned for a long time... My mother and my friend Jenny are coming to India!! Therefore, after they leave I will head back over and see this work is done and all donations are used up completely.

But to backtrack... This week:

Today, 5 filters have been installed. I will visit these schools tomorrow and the next day. In addition the company can install 5 more systems by Thursday which I can oversee. All in all, 11 systems (10 Indian RO filters, and 1 Waterstep chlorine generator) will be installed while I have been here. I will visit all of these schools to get their stories and meet the children who will be using these filters before I go. This morning I was able to go to the Dewali school and met the girls there. I will write their full story tomorrow, but it's a good one. Tomorrow I visit them again in the morning because we're gonna color some thank you cards for the students at Glenn Marshall Elementary who raised the money for their filter. It's gonna be so fun!! Coloring is best!!

Everyone, thank you so much. Words can't describe the good that has been done here. Things have fallen into place and I have been connected to people who have made this project bigger than I ever thought possible. One of my biggest saving graces has been Madhu Sareen, my partner in this who has negotiated and coordinated literally everything for me. I know, without a doubt, I could not have done ANY of this if I didn't have her at my side. She has taken care of me when I was really sick (last November), motivated me when I was getting fed up with how hard this work has been, and has shown herself to be one of the most honest and trustworthy individuals I know.

Everyone at home, thank you for believing in me. I'm young. I make mistakes. Sometimes I don't really know what I'm doing. And most recently I have underestimated just how much God can do. When we pray for help, what happens when God answers more than we thought possible? What happens when we want our cup to "overfloweth" but then we get so much it covers the floor and the living room and the basement too? As my dear friend Maria said when she received too many donations from Norway for her Christmas project, "Ya know....This isn't a bad problem to have." She was right, this is the best problem to have.

This is a story about people willing to give their resources to children they haven't even met, living in a place on the other side of the world. It's the best kind of love story. I am truly and completely blessed to be here. More to come tomorrow.

"The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." -Denis Waitley

Today I am pleased to announce that the Badgaon Government Senior Secondary School received and were trained on how to use the M100 chlorine generator made by Waterstep!!  I am super pleased with this, not only because everything worked out perfectly, but because I know this school both deserves it and will be responsible in maintaining it. The school itself is quite beautiful, sitting at the base of a hill and shaded by a canopy of pink and red flowers. The students were just as beautiful, happy, and eager to learn.

One of the best parts was that my girls from Ambamata (the government school I trained back in November) were able to come out for a short time and help me teach. That was truly one of the highlights of my week: seeing these 16 year old girls take on a teaching role that will benefit other students in their community. The training itself was easy and the students caught on quickly. After requiring them to carry out the whole process by themselves, I was satisfied that they could do it from here on out. I will be back on Friday to check on everything one last time and drink a glass of that water with them!

As for installing the Indian filters... Over the past two days we (Yes, I mean Madhu. My miracle worker) have negotiated with the companies and have found one cheaper than we originally thought! Each RO (reverse osmosis) filter and the purchase of a black storage tank will be around $600! Wahoooo! At this current moment, unless I get more donations this week, I will be installing these RO filters in 5 different schools! Super exciting! All of this will be done by Wednsday and I will write the individual story for each school. Some of these schools guys.... they have amazing stories. One school is for destitute children who live in the actual campus. Another is a special needs school (yes, I literally jumped up and down when I received that assignment) and even others are from low income families. I know a source of pure water will make a huge impact on these schools and the children and I cannot wait to go and meet them all individually. More updates to come! Love you all!

Again, if you wish to donate to this project from now until Wedn. please go to http://waterstep.org/donate/ and then say it is for me for the India project! Please and thank you!

"Nobody said it was easy..." -Coldplay

Day Two ladies and gentleman!

Today was a slower day than anticipated, however I have some exciting news! We are (and by we I mean the amazing Madhu) is ensuring we are getting the best RO Indian filter systems for the best price. We have met with two different providers who are currently competing for our affections. Whoever promises us the best service, product, and price will land this project with us. I can already say the price for each filter will already be under $700. The exact amount as of this time, will be finalized tomorrow when we decide On the provider. So, yay! After this, filters should be installed almost daily if not more frequently.

We are looking at Sunday to be the first day of installation and the school which will receive it is amazing. More details on that tomorrow!

So it looks like even more filters will be installed with just the money we have raised so far! How amazing is that?? Keep praying, keep thinking about all of us here in Udaipur, and let's see what tomorrow brings!

Fun fact: Tomorrow is International Water Day!