As many of you already know, Stacey and I travelled to the Siliguri region in northern India in 2024 as volunteers for an Australian charity called Hands On India (HOI). This was one of the most transformational experiences of our lives, testing us physically, mentally and emotionally in ways I could not have anticipated! Those of you who have travelled to India will understand when I say that it was an onslaught of all my senses with extremes of colour, overwhelmingly sounds (especially when driving), tantalising tastes of exotic foods and drinks, smells that were both delightful and repulsive and the touch of humanity like nothing I have ever experienced. The intensity of life here is at times beyond extreme and I quickly learnt to expect the unexpected. But this feeling of relative chaos was at odds with an enviable feeling of calmness and happiness among the people we met, people who greeted us with genuine love and excitement, treating us like royalty wherever we went. Their ability to take pleasure in the simplest things and to deal day to day with a level of poverty we will never know was both inspiring and heartbreaking. It has certainly given me a reality check to keep things in perspective and to appreciate what is really important in my life – people and experiences!
Arrival in Siliguri
After meeting the team in Delhi, we boarded a flight to Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri. I was incredibly lucky to have had a window seat which gave me a clear view of the Himalayas for almost the entire flight. It was one of the most spectacular natural sights I have ever seen. Arriving at Siliguri was a baptism of fire with the chaos of driving the 45 minutes to our base at Seva Kendra both exhilarating and terrifying. The Indians drive the same way they walk, taking any available space even if it’s on the wrong side of the road and using their horns constantly as a friendly gesture to let other car drivers, tuk tuks, trucks, buses, pedestrians and even cows, goats and other animals know their location. No anger, no road rage and although accidents do happen, we did not witness any the entire trip, although there were certainly many close calls, at least from my perspective. However, the adrenaline of the drive was soon replaced by the most amazing reception and welcome ceremony by our hosts at the Catholic Church run Seva Kendra which is a non-government organisation that works in partnership with HOI to administer the projects funded by HOI, namely the rock breaker schools, village health clinics and women’s empowerment programmes.
Our Team
I was one of several senior chiropractors in a team of 12 with 4 support/admin volunteers. We were a diverse group in terms of experience and locations with Australia, New Zealand and Canada represented but we all gelled well together right from the start. It isn’t hard to imagine lifelong friendships among team member’s after sharing this experience. Our leader and trip organiser was Dr Stacey Saunders who was one of only two team members who had been before. She worked tirelessly and confidently to keep everyone on track and dealt with the inevitable last minute plan changes and communication challenges which presented, being ever vigilant of the cultural differences between ourselves and our hosts, as well as the needs of the team members. We also had several local support staff including our drivers and interpreters who played a critical role in helping us deliver the much-needed care to the local villages and schools.
Rock Breaker and Tea Plantation Schools
Most mornings we would separate into two groups of six chiropractors and two admin volunteers and load our equipment onto the two jeeps to head out to local and remote schools supported by HOI. Here we would assess and adjust all the kids in each school, keeping a close eye on children who had more complex health problems and needed medical referral. Without exception, we were either greeted or farewelled with a song and dance ceremony from the children which they would have rehearsed for days or weeks before our arrival. This was a real highlight for both them and us, as were the tennis balls we brought with us to test the children’s hand eye coordination. This led to the occasional game of cricket with the kids. We ended up donating them to each school, hopefully bringing ongoing enjoyment for these amazing children.
Village Clinics
Afternoons would see us head to either town or remote village clinics. The Seva Kendra staff did a great job of letting people know the locations and timing of our clinics and so we always arrived with a long line of grateful people of all ages ready to experience chiropractic care, most for the first time. Our clinical skills were tested multiple times a day, seeing many people with very complex and severe physical and neurological problems. I would easily have seen more cases like these in two weeks here than compared to the last few years in my practice in Narrabeen. Although I was able to really help many people suffering from all sorts of problems, I also had to come to terms with the reality that these more serious cases were beyond the scope of my abilities to help.
Women’s Empowerment Meeting
We were treated to another incredible experience with a meeting of 300 representatives from the various women’s empowerment groups. HOI support over 3000 women to create their own support groups and with targeted micro finance interest free loans they are being given the opportunity to start their own businesses or have further education to reduce their dependence on rock breaking and work in tea plantations, where they usually earn the equivalent of between $3 to $6 per day. Providing targeted funding to create alternative self-employment or education for these people is key to breaking the cycle of poverty and the health and social challenges that go with it.
Darjeeling Weekend
At the end of the first week, we all needed a break to catch our breath and so we headed up to Darjeeling, a famous town in the lower reaches of the Himalayas with spectacular views of some of the highest mountains in the world. Early morning sunrise over Mount Kangchenjunca, the third highest mountain on earth only 260 meters smaller than Everest, was a sight I will never forget, and I cannot find the words in the English language to describe this.
Rock Breakers Schools Sports Carnival
In the second week, we were treated to a special afternoon by attending the rock breakers school’s sports carnival which was scheduled to coincide with our visit. The children were so excited to perform in front of us and I became caught up in the competitive spirit of the event by taking part in the team sack race which did not go well for me when I fell flat on my face soon after the start but managed to still finish well back in the field!
Bollywood Night
Our visit finally ended with a slightly earlier finish on Thursday so we could get ready for the traditional Bollywood night to celebrate as a team! We all got dressed up in authentic Indian outfits, looking all glamorous in full Bollywood style glitz and colour, playing a few games and even a Bollywood dance-off in groups of four. Here I was finally able to make up for my sack race disaster at the sports carnival by being part of the winning team, although there was some controversy surrounding the result!
Conclusion
Although I am known as a good talker and rarely short of words, my biggest challenge is to find the words to describe this experience to family, friends and patients. The hundreds of photos and short videos I took go some way to explain it but a one-dimensional image can never capture the entire multi-dimensional world I have just had the great privilege to visit. Seeing and in a small way sharing their hardship and suffering, as well as witnessing their pleasure in the most basic things we often take for granted was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I doubt this will be my last visit to this incredible place.
If you would like to donate to Hands On India, click here. All donations are tax deductible and 99 cents in every dollar raised gets to the people who need it most as all HOI team and board members are volunteers.
