Trip Itinerary

My final Itinerary has been confirmed and we've changed some things:

Depart Austin Oct 10th 10:30am

Arrive Delhi Oct 11th 8:15pm (14 hour flight from Newark to Delhi)
Spend the night in Delhi

Oct 12th - Domestic flight from Delhi to Ranchi. From Ranchi, I will take a train through rural India 3.5 hours to Rourkela.

Oct 13th through 15th - 30 Miles north of Rourkela in the small town of Birmitrapur is the Rourkela Home for Children which houses 100 children.

Oct 16th - train back to Ranchi and Scooch Village - home to 95 children, many under 6. Scooch is made of up 20 cottages set up family style each with their own kitchens and bathrooms. Many of the children here come from the nearby tribal villages. Scooch Village has a large cricket field so I hope to learn the sport.

At Scooch, we will be getting ready for one of the biggest Hindu festivals, Diwali. This festival is celebrated for five continuous days, with the third day being celebrated as the main Diwali or 'Festival of Lights'. The day is filled with candles (called diyas), fireworks and celebrations. This is going to be such a treat to be a part of!

Oct 17th - Diwali celebrations!

Oct 18th - I leave Sooch in the afternoon to fly back to Delhi

Oct 19th - Spend the day in the Delhi area with a late night flight back to Austin

Oct 20th - Arrive back in Austin for rest and reflection.

The Convention on the Rights of a Child

In 1990, The United Nations ratified The Convention on the Rights of a Child.  The Convention acknowledges that every child has certain basic rights including the right to education, health care, and protection from abuse.  In 2000, two additional protocols were adopted prohibiting the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography.  193 countries have ratified the Convention including every member of the United Nations except Somalia and, believe it or not, the United States.   The Obama administration is said to be reviving efforts to advocate that the U.S. sign on the the global children rights treaty.
The rights of the child is one of the primary principles that the Miracle Foundation seeks to achieve for the children in their care.

India accounts for 21% of wordwide deaths of children under five

As indicated in this article from today's Times of India, the under five mortality rate is improving but over 1.8 million children under five still die each year in India.   Another nearly 1.7 million children over five die annually.  Most lose their lives from preventable or treatable illnesses.    There is still a lot to be done.