Summer 2017 Student Trip to India

Our trip started off with a weekend spent in Mammalapuram (formerly Mahabalipuram) where our students were able to tour the Shore Temples which were built in the seventh and eighth centuries. The small town has become a little bit of a backpackers haven and we were able to purchase some traditional and touristy clothing for the rest of our stay.

After Mammalapuram, we travelled to Podanur and arrived at the guesthouse. Global Pathways School (GPS) was where we spent the next two weeks, travelling by bus to and from school. The Greenwood students spent time at GPS in the classroom with students of all ages, helping to support their learning in a variety of different subjects; all in English, of course. The students at GPS live in settlements surrounding the school and most do not have running water or electricity in their one-room homes. All families have been displaced from nearby towns where the government had allowed condominiums or overpasses to be built, resulting in the displacement of a large population.

The work at the school was divided by a trip to the Province of Kerala in the town of Fort Kochi. There, students learned about the local traditions of fishing (brought by the Chinese in the 14 century) as well as the history of the Hindu, Christian and Jewish religions in the region.

Through our fundraising efforts during the 2016-2017 school year, we were able to build a bike cover for GPS that will hold 80 bicycles and 40 mopeds. We were also able to purchase 30 lunchbox tins, 50 shoe polish repair kits, many bags of fresh vegetables for families in need and five brand new bikes, and we were also able to fix solar-powered lights in the settlements surrounding the school. With the help of the Greenwood families, we were also able to provide five duffle bags of clothing for younger children, which was given out in the last day of our trip.

What an amazing trip for our students to build their perspective and development as global citizens.