4th and final update...

Well....our time here is fast coming to a close, as we leave tomorrow.  Since our last post, we have been invited to the home of one of the teachers, where we were so warmly welcomed. Pranita's mother performed   a Maharashtrian welcome ritual in which she put "tilak" on our forehead (red paste with rice grains).  A diva was lit and the flame was wafted to bless us.  She and her sister freshly prepared "bhel" - a mixture of corriander, onions, tomatoes, peanuts and ":chevdo" (cornflake/rice crispie type thing)...all in all totally DELICIOUS!!  They took us to visit her aunt and uncle who also warmly received and fed us a South Indian dish.  This was a fantastic afternoon and a real peek at Indian family life.
We have been on 2 school trips....both experiences never to be forgotten...and that's just the bus journey!!!!!  We visited the bank, which was a short trip, and the children were really excited to see how a bank works and they also saw the safe, where lots of money is kept.  We also had a day trip out to visit a famous monument...The Chandbibi Mahal - a tower, high up on a hill overlooking Ahmednagar and surrounding area.  Apparently the queen wanted 7 storeys to see all the way to Delhi...it only has 3 storeys.  The children loved climbing the dark steps and the view from the top.  We had a picnic prepared by the female staff...bhel and bananas....delicious!!!
Yesterday was "Happy Gurupurnima"...a celebration to thank anyone who is a guru in your life.  We were guests of honour and were presented with gifts and cards in a small ceremony where students made speeches,  Later in the day we went to the Snehankur adoption centre, a Snehalaya project.  We helped the ladies with the 17 babies.  Next door was the newborn room where there was a one-day old baby!  Gabriel, the man who runs the centre, explained that mothers who give up their babies for adoption have 90 days to claim them back.  They aim to home 7-8 babies a month.  Some of the circumstances in which babies arrive are totally shocking.  We spent a few hours playing, cuddling and feeding.  A team of 28 women work in shifts 24/7 to look after approximately 20 babies.
Today, we have spent our last few hours in lessons and had a lovely discussion with the teachers about what we have all gained from each other.
We can all see a strong connection between Snehalaya and Welland Park in terms of sustained contact and future teacher visits.