3 days in business

I have spent the last 3 days at a trust (F) learning about how they are trying to do business and why it's different from the conventional business models because of it's focus on people

I helped make a few screen prints for bags and managed to do a fix on their network to get the internet working on each PC rather than one at a time which in many ways is probably the highlight of the trip

next week I'll go back for one more day and add some security to their wireless setup because it's unsecured. It'll be cool to have done just those few things

To help an organisation that I have heard so much about and that has done so much to help others was a real privilege.

I met a number of the young women who work there and took a harrowing walk thru 2 nearby redlight districts where they had been working until they came to (F) with S.P. one night

The contrast in the faces from the street to (F) is striking. So much hope at the latter so little in the former.

Today we're visiting a shopping mall to see how the upper half live

We've had some western food while here but it's really awful. Chocolate is watery and sugary, there's no fresh milk - all UHT, it's filthy - and that's no exaggeration - and SO noisy all the time.

I'm considering wearing ear plugs while I move around the town

We have a trip to another group I'll call (S) to go - it's actually based in the slums and will be the hardest bit to face. We are also going to Mother Theresas to tend to some very sick people

These will be truly heart breaking experiences I am sure. So I'm not sure whether to steel myself for them or see what comes

we have even more ill people at the moment - colds and flus mostly - but strangely I am well. I think we're all low on energy and spirit. Only because it's been such a powerful trip

It's difficult to convey in writing what it is like here - it is like nowhere I have been

If you're still reading this I won't blame you if you don't really get what I'm on about - I'm not sure I'll understand it for some time to come