HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIMON!

So, this time last year I was planning the baby and the book launch.  What a difference a few months makes...

Simon's American birthday party is being held today in Virginia (at 40 degrees C!) with lots of love from all friends and family xxx

(And yes, I've even got a tiny bit more of the novel written in the last couple of weeks...)

A Day in the Life...

Life for the children in Bhola is different to what we see in the UK - that goes without saying - but the intention is always to balance work and play.  On days off from lessons and, for the older students, training in the sewing and carpentry rooms, the children all help with cooking, cleaning, building, and laundry.  And they are often tasks we as adults would find challenging (not to mention worries about safety) but the day will end with a picnic or a trip to the river, sweets or a much-loved Hindi film:

Help with construction...

Then there is the gardening and work in the fields...

But always time to play...

And as the sun sets over the river...

... to take a well earned rest