If yesterday’s post ended on a slightly negative note then it was merely the fatigue taking hold. For Saturday, despite my initial misgivings – fostered in no small degree by a 5.15 alarm, a cold shower, and yet more bananas – turned out to be one of the most engaging day’s I’ve ever spent in India. Ramu had briefed me the day before: three residential schools, a total of 700 children, ages ranging from 4-16. Unfortunately, Suby couldn’t make the journey due to temple commitments. In his absence we were joined by Ramakant Chaudhary. Ramu, Ramakant, and Milind Patil, who would join us later, are all current or ex-employees of the Tarapur based company Galaxy Surfactants Ltd. It is their Corporate Social Responsibility program – Galaxy having previously funded projects at all three schools – that we would dovetail into today. A day that began in earnest around 9 o’clock as we transferred ourselves and the three bags into an SUV for the relatively short journey to the village of Padgae and the Shree T. L. Patil School. The cratered cart track, victim of the recent monsoon, made for slow progress. The buffeting was worth it, however, as the scene that greeted our arrival was of 300 children patiently sitting cross-legged under the shade of nearby trees. While Ramakant sorted the kit, Ramu and I took a tour of the school kitchen and dormitories. The children at this, and the other schools on our itinerary, are from under-privileged backgrounds whose parents are, in the main, migratory workers. They live-in for the two four-month terms and are expected to both clean their dormitories and do their own washing. The party assembled: Ramakant gave an introductory speech detailing the purpose of our visit. A teacher then offered a small speech after which I said a few words with Ramakant translating. We then had the official handover of kit to various children with Ramu all the while snapping away madly. Amid much waving and goodbyes we set out on the hazardous return to the main road and our driver, Chand. Next stop Tarapur to meet up with Milind. Out of the city the roads again turned tricky. Indeed, in parts it was as if we had inadvertently entered the Paris-Dakar Rally. With no little skill and a keen eye for a pothole, Chand delivered us safely to the village of Shigaon and the Jivan Vikas Sikshan Sanstha School. Again, there was time to look around. I even managed to have a brief hit out in a nearby paddock using what appeared to be an ancient tree branch. With much the same format as in Padgae, although far less formal, we handed over the kit and said our goodbyes. Back in rally mode Chand was again the star of the show as we traversed some decidedly lunar terrain. It was worth the effort as our journey brought us out under a sprawling Banyan tree by far the biggest I’d ever seen. Here we met Prathap Gaikwad founder of the Bal Nandanvan Nisarg School in Jamshet. Over lunch, in this most idyllic of settings, he explained the various school programs, introduced his two sports coaches, and took us on a tour of an adjoining orchard to view a vegetable garden tended by the children. In my honour there was a demonstration of Kho-Kho a kind of refined tag. After which we distributed the kit. The main event over, the children resumed their Saturday afternoon free time aided and abetted by newly acquired bats and tennis balls. In many respects – the setting, the children, the smiles – this made for the perfect end to a hugely rewarding day. All thoughts of fatigue and end of trip blues had long since disappeared: swept away on a tidal wave of good will and good karma. And yes, there was still time for Chand to move from rally into Formula One mode as he used all lanes available to weave in, out and sometimes between the traffic on the journey back. A remarkable day and one that would live long in the memory.