Chickens wander about, unknowingly stalked by orange kittens. Pots smoke and steam over open flames. Men in undershirts eye us suspiciously from doorsteps and flies stir with every step like angry dust clouds.  The slums of India are a spider web of alleyways studded with doors that open to small rooms expected to house a family.

Jessica, a staff member visiting from our UK base, and I are here to record a video interview with the parents of one of our students.

He was making friends with the gangs when we found him. In three days he'll graduate from our Photoshop and digital design program having cast off his old life, criminal aspirations and all. Two of his teachers, Rohit and Gita, lead us to his parent's home. 

Ten minutes into our trek and Rohit stops suddenly to look around. He takes in the neighborhood.

"Okay let's go different ways now. Gita, take Jessica and I'll take Daniel. We'll meet at the house."

As we take a quick left turn I ask why we're splitting up.

"I don't want people noticing us. Sometimes when they see a group of foreigners walking around they think something is happening and start gathering. That can turn bad very quickly."

As we continue through the narrow streets a group of young boys run up to Rohit, shouting to him in Tamil. He laughs and grabs one by the cheek, giving him a quick shake before letting him go. The boy reorients himself as his friends hit their knees in laughter.

"Those kids are in one of my classes," he says, walking away. "They're great."

 Rohit tells me that he himself was once a student in Oasis' program.

"I was considering suicide for a long time before I started," he says as casually as if he were talking about the weather.

And it's no wonder. Suicide amongst the youth is a massive and common problem in the city. During Jessica's first week here an 18 year old girl living in her building hung herself. She left the water running in the shower. Her husband found her.

Rohit tells me more about his life and upbringing, ending with: "But through Oasis I've found Christ and now I'm married and I have a daughter."

He smiles and looks down the road ahead of us. I feel a hope that is often hard to find out here. It's easy to compare the number of victims against the number of people reached by Oasis. It's an ocean filled with statistics waiting for you to slip in and drown. But here, now, a history has been changed. Altered forever. That has to count for something.

We finally arrive at a bright blue door and wait for Jessica and Gita to catch up.

It's been getting warmer lately as India enters its summer season. The sun beats down without humility.  A stray dog trots past us covered in yellow and pink paint; a reluctant participant of today's Holi Day celebrations.

Once reunited we make our way up a flight of cement stairs so narrow they would effectively keep a fat burglar out and barely squeeze into the single-room house. To give some perspective, the entirety of the space would maybe fill half of an American bedroom. As we sit on whatever make-shift chairs we can find one of the daughters materializes holding a tray with metal cups full of Coke. Her sister follows with spiced cookies. Their father smiles proudly. He took the day off of work just to talk with us today; no small sacrifice for him and his family.

"Eat! Drink!," our host declares. This isn't the first time I've witnessed such hospitality. No matter how little a family has they will eagerly place it in front of any random guest who walks through their door. I'm beginning to think that being inconvenienced by another person is purely a Western concept.  

After much discourse we finally begin the interview. As the parents speak about the changes they've seen in their son's life, the youngest daughter climbs onto a stool in the background and starts vigorously picking her nose. The mother is speaking so passionately and I don't want to interrupt so I just decide to move the girl for the second take. My camera battery dies before we get the chance so I hope our audience has a sense of humor.

As we leave, the entire family comes out to wave us goodbye. The sun is setting and the slums are quickly becoming unsafe for outsiders. We hurry through the dusty roads and catch the first rickshaw we see.