India Trip
In late-August 2014, a team of eight students and three teachers travelled from Merchant Taylors' to India. Their aim was to support the Purkal Youth Development Scheme and the Raphael Centre and to see what the money raised by Merchant Taylors' Charity Drive and the Asian Cultural Society had helped fund. Anish Kerjriwal, Dom Grant, Ankit Chadha, Luke Chouhan, Ben Seabrook, Samay Shah, Joe Oakton and Fynn Levy were truly excellent ambassadors for the school, and the trip for them was life-changing.
The boys spent several days in Delhi; acclimatising to the climate and the culture of the subcontinent. They were able to visit the rambling streets of Old Delhi, Safdarjung's Tomb, Qutub Minar and Jama Masjid. The boys threw themselves into the experience, revelling in the bustle of the streets and metro stations and eating copiously.
After spending time in Delhi, the trip moved towards Dehradun, the military and educational capital of India, their main destination. The boys split into two groups - one lead by Ms Balnaves, who went to the Raphael centre, and the other led by Joe Tyler who were based at PYDS. Mr Howell divided his time between the two groups.
PYDS is an inspirational rural youth and women's empowerment charity in the village of Purkal, 15km outside of Doon. Our boys taught younger students, delivered talks to their peers, visited local families, engaged in structured debates, tried out pottery making and even ran a Model united Nations summit. The last days at PYDS were marked by two spectacular cultural shows run by both our boys and PYDS students.
The Raphael Centre is a multi-faceted charity for disabled people in Dehradun. Our boys worked directly with young people with a range of physical and mental disabilities, forming strong bonds and winning friendships with everyone they met. The highlights of their time there were undoubtedly the completion of a colourful mural and the games activities day run by our students. The MTS boys organised an entire day of games, painting and music for the students, which culminated in the completion of a giant banner commemorating the trip and the Centre's hospitality.
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