6/27/13
Imagine a typical day of elementary school. For me, it started with waking up in my own
bed, eating breakfast that my parents prepared for me, and then getting driven
to my school. When I got there, I went
to my class, which consisted of kids my own age, and sat at my own desk which
was filled with an abundance of crayons, markers, paper, and other school
supplies. If a classmate couldn't keep
up with what we were learning, they would get some extra help, maybe in the form
of a tutor or an after-school program. I
would eat the lunch my parents packed me and play handball or on the playground
during recess. After school, my mom
would be waiting for me and would ask me about my day and what I learned. She would drive me to soccer practice and
then to art class or a play-date with a friend.
I would end the day with dinner with my whole family.
Now, back to India. I’m
teaching 2 classes of elementary school-aged children. While I had all of the tools I needed to be
successful, these kids lack most if not all of those tools. They wake up in the morning, usually in a
one-room shack with their entire extended family and walk up to an hour through
trash and fecal matter (often barefoot) to get to their classroom, which is a
small, dark tin shack filled with kids ages 3-14. There are no desks, and the only school
supplies they have are little chalk boards or a small notebook. Most of them are malnourished and will not
get much to eat that day. After class,
they either work or they wander the slums looking for some entertainment, even
in something as simple as a stick. I had
people who believed in me, but many of these kids, especially the girls, don’t
have that kind of support system.
This is the reality here.
Some photos from our walk to and from the classroom:
A lot of people have been asking me, “How can you handle all
of that?” “Isn’t it just too sad?” “How do you not cry?” etc. But believe me, when you walk into the
classroom and are greeted by a chorus of “Gooood morning, teacha!” and these
huge, adorable smiles, it’s impossible to feel sad.
I also feel fortunate to be able to not just see and be made
aware of these issues, but I have been given an opportunity to do something
about it. I’m thankful every time I see
a student’s face light up because they got the answer to a question correct or
when we successfully teach the class an English song. You can tell that they love every minute of
it and are so eager to learn, and that inspires me.
You come to quickly accept the reality of life in the slums
when you see how the people living there don’t dwell on the hand they've been
dealt. They go about their lives and work
hard to provide for their families. And
for the parents who agree to send their kids to school, they work hard to
provide an opportunity for a better life for their children through education. It’s admirable and provides a flicker of hope
for the future of India.
Some photos of the classes:
These are from an activity we did to teach the kids the difference between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food: