India: Ambassadors of Hope
Cost: $1995
Throughout this vast planet, you will find no greater diversity of culture than in India. Every region, every village, every corner of India will charge your senses with a rainbow of shades and hues, smells both delicious and arresting, and sounds unidentifiable and melodious. To visit India is to encounter a country and people, who despite all odds, live in a perpetual state of mirth and mystery.
India is monumentally transforming for any who make the journey. This country of over a billion souls has great needs. A Boundless Expedition to India would not be complete unless you experience the people Mother Theresa fell in love with and gave her life for. We will spend ten days exploring solutions for some of India’s toughest social justice issues. Will you visit the high risk girls of Kalipong or the orphanages of Orissa? Would you serve in a leper colony or help with a medical clinic to an unreached tribe? India will give you the opportunity to explore a colossal culture and make a monumental change in lives of those in great need.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Delhi
After our flights from the States we meet in Delhi. After a brief orientation we will have a good meal and find a soft bed to battle jet lag. We have an early flight in the morning so rest is the only thing the agenda.
Day 2 – Foothills of the Himalayas
This morning we fly to the foothills of the Himalayas, Bagdogra West Bengal. We will trek up into the foothills to our hotel, The Himalayan. Sir Edmund Hilary would stay here before his journeys into the mountains. This region of India sits between Nepal, Bhutan and China. We will be visiting the Kalimpong Center which focuses on girls rescued from this region’s notorious criminal activity, human trafficking.
Day 3 – Siliguri
Today, we begin by heading back down the mountain to visit the Siliguri Center, another early intervention home for girls. We will learn about how Good News India, our partner organization, rescues high-risk girls who are about to be sold into slavery. The Siliguri Center offers them a chance for a brighter future. In the afternoon we will catch a flight to Kolkata, where we will overnight.
Day 4 – Mother Theresa
We have a special treat this morning as we visit the mother house of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Theresa’s order. We will visit her grave, contemplate her impact on the world and spend some time with her sisters who serve there. In the afternoon we will head to Balasore to visit the Christopher House, an orphanage that has made a distinct imprint on the founder of Boundless Expeditions. We will spend our evening in the town there.
Day 5 – City of Refuge
In India, lepers are regarded as lower than the Untouchables of Hindu society. Our morning will take us to the City of Refuge, a haven of safety and love for the lowest of the low. There you will tour a school built by Boundless Expeditions. We will also visit the Baligeria orphanage that houses hundreds of excited children. You are in for quite a celebration, India-style.
Day 6 – Tribal Beats
Our morning travels take us into the once-feared Lodha, a tribe of headhunters who gave up their practices only thirty years ago. These tribal folk have been shuffled aside in Indian society and often have no rights. Many became murderers and thieves to survive. A few years ago, a mighty change occurred in the Lodha, which you will hear about when you arrive. In the afternoon, we visit the Sirisboni Center for another celebration with children thankful for a future.
Day 7 – Orissa
We leave West Bengal for Orissa. In 2008, a dangerous persecution broke out against the Christians of Orissa. Over 10,000 were murdered in a few days. Another 100,000 were displaced. We will visit the Tihidi Center, an orphanage that was under siege during the persecution. Hearing their stories will shake you to your core. In the evening, we will stay in Orissa’s capital, Bhubaneshwar.
Day 8 – Dancing with Joy
Heading deeper into Orissa, we’ll drive to Gopalpur where we will spend the night. We will experience the Ganjam Project, and be enthralled by some of the best ethnic dancers in all of Orissa. Their orphanage encourages the arts as a method of helping the children deal with the difficulties they’ve encountered in life.
Day 9 – Kandhmal
The orphanage in Kandhmal felt the effects of the 2008 persecution in a variety of ways. We come today as ambassadors of hope and joy. This will be our last outreach in India. We will return to Gopalpur to spend our evening.
Day 10 – In Transit
We will drive back to the capital and catch an early afternoon flight to Delhi and connect to a late evening flight to the States. Our hope is that in your exposure to the children of India you have put a face to the worldwide issues of human trafficking, orphaned children, societal outcasts and indigenous tribes who are losing their rights. May your BE to India inspire you to be an agent of change in these issues, either in India or your hometown.
