Visiting India for the first time. Started with two weeks in Rajasthan; I’ve encountered vibrant colours, bright smiles, helpful people and noisy traffic including animals as well as vehicles. I’ve visited rural areas where people survive against all odds, always with a smile. They face so many obstacles; poverty, social exclusion, little or no education or healthcare however strong hierarchical family structures prevail. Most young people, who are usually the fittest in the community, do not attend school as they are needed to work at home or do manual labour for little reward. Those who do attend school are usually supported by NGO’s or charities that persuade parents and grandparents to release children for a few hours a day. The image is of such a girl, aged 15, who has attended school on and off for 4 years; she is bright, intelligent and happy despite a very difficult home life. Already my interest has been drawn away from ancient monuments to the lives and culture around me.