Frankie O’Reilly, Clongowes Wood College, Kildare.

On the 3rd of March we embarked on our journey to Kolkata, India. It was one of the best weeks of my life. I met some amazing people, both Indian and Irish alike. The Hope Foundation volunteers and staff took us to many areas of Kolkata where we experienced extreme poverty like I had never witnessed before. We saw families living in slums and we also visited a dump site where families live and feed off the rubbish there. Everyone seemed friendly and one of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Chitpur crèche and meeting the kids there. It was good to see how the money we raised was being used. Another great moment had to be the Sari night where we all dressed up in Indian gear and had a party. It was a really enjoyable night. I gained so much from the trip but mostly, that despite the poverty in Kolkata, everyone seemed friendly and happy. I also learned that I should take nothing for granted in my own life.