Welcome to our travel blog!

This blog is the beginning of Mary Cairns and Mike Mays travel tales covering our upcoming travel to India, (and Nepal) as well as the preparations.  This includes planning our time in India, as well as the preparations for being away for home for nearly 6 months!  The goal of this trip is two fold; 1) to work with a local organization that is helping girls at the very bottom of the worlds' economic rung, providing them with our time, energy and inspiration; and 2) to travel extensively in the Indian subcontinent to experience and learn from what is truly a unique and endlessly different culture and life style than our own here in the U.S.

The Pardada Pardidi girls school in Anupshahar, India is where Mary and I will be teaching at and working on several projects starting in October.  This village is 80 miles from Delhi(4 hour car ride).

Just a few words on the school. Pardada Pardidi provides a wonderful opportunity for the poorest girls from the community to learn academic, vocational and life skills leading to a productive and happy life. The school is very well run and was found 10 years ago by the ex-CEO of Dupont India in his home village. Each girl is provided 10 rupes per day (25 cents) for attending school, amounting to $750 (equivalent to India's per capita income) for perfect attendance, which they can access only after graduating. They also learn textile skills and make products that help fund some of the operating costs for the school. This also provides them with a job after graduating. I encourage you to visit the Website at http://www.education4change.org/