March 2006

Light showers overnight meant a cooler morning, a welcome change to the previous evening.  I was grateful; we had a busy day ahead. 

We set off to the Kusum Pahari district, one of Delhi’s most disadvantaged areas, home to some 130,000 people. As we moved through the narrow alleyways, I was greeted with the brightest smiles and most graceful namastes. Between the industriousness of the street barbers, the shopkeepers stacking their shelves and women hanging out washing, there was a real sense of purpose and vibrancy in this little community.  

Recently, I was fortunate to visit India, Delhi specifically, for the first time.  I would like to share my first impressions of this amazing and expansive city with you. 

With 25 million babies born annually in India, ensuring they all have a safe and healthy start to life is a considerable challenge. This morning, I visited the Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital, one of India’s oldest and most prolific vaccination strongholds.