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Cows, compassion and coffee
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Appreciable for their manners and attitude, they are strangers at the first sight and friends at the next. Their work is ausgezeichnet, German for excellent, says Mubin Sultan
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TRAVEL IS the newly discovered ingredient that adds spice to the `look-cool' aspect of the youth of the day. But as Thoreau puts it, "it is not worth while to go around the world to count the cats in Zanzibar."
Travelling all the way from the picturesque nations known for their rich history, brilliance and grandeur are Jacob and Philipp from Austria and Christine, a Swiss dame. They are here, in Vijayawada, extending a warm hand to reach out to the street children of the city, only to make them feel blessed, wanted and happy.
In a sprawling hub of the Sunday evening activity with a majority of the crowd belonging to `Gen Next' at the newly emerged Café Coffee Day, this group was apparently different from the rest of the cluster, in their skin and attitude. They are here for a noble cause.
Despite the fact of having lived in countries, far from misery and almost alien to the word poverty, Jacob, Philipp and Christine couldn't be indifferent to what is going on with His children in other parts of the world.
"We have been on some of the most tiring and longest journeys, but it hardly matters as long as we are helping people," says Philipp. Keeping their own future at bay for the moment, these young people are determined to make better the lives of the many kids deprived of even the basic necessities of love, warmth and care besides food, clothing and shelter.
As volunteers for the church, they chose the city of Vijayawada for their work as, "the city is quite vibrant and there are far many kids who need help here."
Understanding the gravity of their mission, they are trying to get to grips with inevitable difficulties such as the soaring temperatures. "It is very easy to overlook these trivial matters by enjoying the vibrancy and hospitality of the city," says the 21-year-old Jacob.
"Helping us a great deal are the kids we deal with. Witty, energetic and unique in their own way, all it takes is a little effort to lighten up their moods," says Christine, who has been staying with Navajeevan for the past eight months.
The cosmopolitan set-up of the place felt a kind of home for the young volunteers as they sipped on their Chococinno and Machiato.
Wondering at the nomenclature of the drinks on the menu, what Philipp chose was Blood orange.
Talking about the city, Jacob is impressed with its street life. "The traffic here throws light on the patience levels of the people, they are hardly in a hurry and any aggression is readily checked by the police," he says.
Christine is particularly amused with the huge variety on the streets. She observes, "though startling initially, it now amuses to find buffaloes, cows and poultry on the roads. It makes a wonderful picture post-card."
Philipp likes the little shops along the roadside, most of which are public corners for the locals to socialize and hold discussions. Talking about the food, the typical Andhra delcicay, pappu is their favourite, the spice doesn't seem to bother them too much as they see it as the taste of the country.
The trio has learnt a good deal about things in India, beginning from the history to culture, and are all praises for the Mahatma. Philipp, however, has problems understanding the westernization of culture.
"How can one afford to lose such exceptional and pure a culture?," he whispers, perplexed at the jeans, skirts, and wacky T-shirts proudly sported by the girls chilling out at the café.
"It feels very comfortable and special to be in Salwar kameez," says Christine, with a smile made more beautiful by the brightness of her attire- a cotton dress `Made in Mangalagiri,' which spoke volumes about her respect for Indian dressing. She lighted up at the sight of a T-shirt with Switzerland in bold letters. Jacob, a lively and sparkling young man, is a huge fan of the game of football and isn't really happy with his country's performance at the `Euro 2004.' He had been to Ireland, Greece, England and many other places of importance. His next plan is to get himself enrolled in a University back in his country.
Christine finds a reason to be proud of, after all, Roger Federer is Swiss. Her participation at the World Social Forum this year has educated her substantially and she is set to put all her experience to practice. As an enthusiastic traveller, she visited South America, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, New Zealand, Australia, etc.
Swimming in the River Krishna with her little friends is her favourite pastime. Philipp is amazed at the diversity of Indian geography and wishes to see more of it.
Ponidcherry, Kerala and Mammallapuram are the best of the places he has visited so far in India.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
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Kochi
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Visakhapatnam
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