Daily Deacon

Wake Forest students follow the footsteps of Mother Teresa in Kolkata, India

December 28th is normally a day of rest after the flurry of Christmas activities. But while the majority of her classmates spent the day relaxing and eating leftovers, sophomore Hannah Hulshult boarded a plane to the slums of Kolkata, India.

Hulshult, joined by 10 other Wake Forest students and two faculty members, forewent vacation time and decided to participate in City of Joy, WFU’s longest running international service trip. From December 28th to January 10th, the team volunteered with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata. This year marks City of Joy’s 21st anniversary since being pioneered by a University undergrad in 1994.

“I heard about the trip through my sorority, ADPi,” said Hulshult. “I had never been out of the country before, and it seemed like a really cool opportunity to serve.”

“Cool” would later turn into “culture shock.” A typical day began with a 6 AM walk from the Lytton Hotel to the Charity headquarters. Here, the team gathered for breakfast and connected with volunteers from across the globe, hailing from Spain, Argentina, Australia, China, South Korea, and England among numerous other countries. After breakfast, the students were split into groups and stationed at various Charity houses throughout Kolkata.

Among the seven total houses, the WFU team was assigned to Shishu Bhuvan, a home for sick and homeless children; Prem Dan, a home for the mentally and physically disabled; Daya Dan, a home for disabled children; and Kalighat, a home for the dying and destitute. Duties ranged from tending children and doing laundry to simply comforting the elderly, most of whom would die within a week.

Hulshult’s primary station was Shishu Bhuvan in the mornings and Kalighat in the evenings.
Although faced with a language barrier (Kolkatans speak Hindi and Bengali) and sickness due to the city’s highly toxic level of pollution, Hulshult adapted quickly to each houses’ needs and was touched by the compassion of the Charity workers.

“Whether learning how best to feed a child or understanding the hand signals a woman gives me when she wants company, I eventually felt more of a help than hindrance,” said Hulshult. “The love that fills the different homes, even when the people within are dying, is incredible.”

Chaplain Timothy Auman led the trip along with senior Mike Thomas. For Auman, who also attended the trip in 2005, the team’s service efforts were less significant than the wisdom gathered from the experience.

“We spent a lot of time feeling out of place,” said Auman. “But we’re there to learn and be open to feeling uncomfortable – that’s what’s key about this trip.”

The student team was selected based on reflective essays explaining why they wanted to go and their expectations of the trip. After learning of their acceptance in the spring, the group met in Campus Kitchen each week throughout the fall to prepare via discussions, lectures, and training sessions. However, according to junior Adeline Ding (who attended the trip in 2015) most of the preparation was futile. Like many Wake Forest team members, the trip was her first intimate encounter with poverty.

“Upon arrival, we realized that no amount of preparation could allow us to deal with what we would see,” Ding posted on the City of Joy blog. “To set the scene, Kolkata’s streets are filled with homeless people and dogs, sleeping among trash night after night. The best word to describe our feelings is confusion.”

Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) might be India’s 3rd largest city and economic frontrunner of West Bengal, but the city also faces extreme levels of poverty. A 2011 census estimated that there are 70,000 homeless living in Kolkata, meaning the homeless population has grown nearly 30% in the past decade. For Chaplain Auman, the city alone forces a jolting recognition of Western entitlement.

“As privileged Wake Forest people, we choose not to see this poverty regularly,” Chaplain Auman said. “But in Kolkata, it’s in your face everywhere. The mass of humanity in the streets is overwhelming.”

Yet within the chaos of Kolkata’s overcrowded slums and dense pollution clouds, both Auman and Hulshult found inspiration in the human resilience at the Charity houses.

“The more time I spent volunteering, the more I began to see the beauty within the work of Missionaries of Charity,” said Hulshult. “It inspires me to continue working toward my goal of becoming a medical missionary one day so I’m able to share that love and kindness to people who need it the most.”

Hulshult plans on returning to Kolkata next winter and recommends all interested Wake Forest students look into City of Joy. Auman, does not see himself returning in the future, but recommends the experience for its learning opportunities, deep introspection, and self-realization.

“In our organized Western world, there are so few opportunities for spontaneity and adventure,” Auman said in conclusion. “The trip really makes you think – ‘Am I following my heart or am I following my degree?'”

Photo courtesy of City of Joy blog