Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has said that he has a greater appreciation for India and its people after a nine-day trip to the country that took him to several Indian cities including Delhi, Agra and Varanasi.
"What a blessing for me, my sons, and for my grandchildren to witness another great and free people building a better future for themselves, drawing on the strength of the human spirit," Romney wrote in a blog post after the nine-day visit.
"We return home with greater appreciation, both for India and for America."
Romney, who lost to incumbent Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election, travelled to India with his two sons and four grandchildren with Charity Vision, a Utah-based non-profit organisation.
His trip took him to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi among other Indian cities.
"Together, we hosted 14 people who had generously donated to the charity. We saw the sights in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Varanasi," he wrote.
"We also performed vision screenings for school children and for the elderly; we lifted spirits at an orphanage; and we witnessed the miracle of restored vision for individuals who had long suffered from cataract blindness."
Romney said his son Josh, who is the part-time and volunteer president of Charity Vision, is the one who got the entire family involved.
"India is sensory overload: the horns, the press of people, the pollution, the heartbreaking poverty, and yes, the beauty of its landscape and edifices are overwhelming.
Charity Vision provides surgery for the very poor in twenty-five of the poorest countries in the world, including India. Last year, it carried out almost 40,000 surgeries.
