4th Report

Suryapet Orphanage - Fourth Report

Sunday –  I was not expecting a day like today; we went to Pastor Samson Mamidi’s church. He is the founder and Head Man at the Orphanage. We drove a few miles to a building resembling a warehouse, but definitely not. (It is not easy to judge distances when on the Indian blustering roads, lot of sounding the horn and completely crazy, but strangely forgiving driving). In the 4X4 were his extended family; his wife Grace Amar, his sons John and Ranjit and two boys Robinson 16 and Ladu 13. Ladu has become my dedicated assistant and cameraman. He is a shy lad, extremely helpful, whose face just lights up when I give him the camera.

As you know I question religion, but the sense of community is clear and individual members of the congregation lead the singing and the men and ladies, most sitting on the floor and separate from each other, casually join in. Samson formally welcomes me and continues to preach in English and Hindi.

Then six boys from the Orphanage arrive in a tuk-tuk known in India as an Auto, actually the ones I had spent some time with the day before. They headed straight for me; hand outstretched and smiles that could be no bigger. I was not expected to see them today and I had no time to prepare myself; it was hard, I have to say. Their names are Vasun, Kumas, Thanya, Javid, Ramu and Shiva. I will not be forgetting them for a while …