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August 15, 2007:
Several weeks ago I saw these kids as a sea of faces, but as I’ve spent the last three weeks helping out a bit in the school, names are beginning to match with faces. More than that though, their faces are beginning to match with homes, with families, with stories. Once a week medical camps go out of the various slum areas nearby. Although I go to these places in the mornings more regularly to help, these camps take place in the afternoon when the school children are home. We get to talk with them, meet their families, see their homes. Without fail, the next day we will be greeted by these students dressed smartly in their school uniforms, actively engages in their chance for a future. Grasping the hope handed to them through school. Coming from a society where as I child I would be glad to be sick because I could avoid going to school, I am blown away by their devotion and enthusiasm for their studies. Speaking as a girl who pretty much has sold my life away to my education, I’m realizing how much I have taken it for granted. At the medical camp yesterday, Elise and I talked to a group of Muslim girls from the wealthy family whose home abutted the slum area we were spending time in. I could tell each girl was quite intelligent—particularly Nazine. She was outgoing, spoke English extraordinarily well, and was composed and self-assured. I had been learning that here wealth leads to education, as it does most of the time in the states. Nazine calmly informed us that her and her female cousins would be finished with school after the tenth grade. She commented rather indignantly that although the girls studied and worked much harder at their schoolwork than the boys, they would not be allowed by their families to go further than the 10th grade in their education. What does one say to this? All I could do is to encourage them to continue studying and learning on their own. It shook me up, but really reminded me all that an education stands for--no matter what part of the world one is in.
So today was India’s independence day. It has been such an amazing day thusfar! This morning was a program at the school. The students were dressed so smartly and sang and dance with such pride. They were dressed beautifully and radiated joy and pride in their country. The speeches told of their thankfulness and hope for continued progress in India as it presses on in its journey of freedom. It was powerful and really just so cute! The kids did a wonderful job and had worked so hard and performed so energetically! I loved it :)
The rest of Independence Day was just fun! There was a youth gathering--just a bunch of teenagers hanging out, playing games and watching a movie. It was refreshing! Its very cool to me that India has a sense of national pride that appears to be fast fading in the life of the average American.
Several weeks ago I saw these kids as a sea of faces, but as I’ve spent the last three weeks helping out a bit in the school, names are beginning to match with faces. More than that though, their faces are beginning to match with homes, with families, with stories. Once a week medical camps go out of the various slum areas nearby. Although I go to these places in the mornings more regularly to help, these camps take place in the afternoon when the school children are home. We get to talk with them, meet their families, see their homes. Without fail, the next day we will be greeted by these students dressed smartly in their school uniforms, actively engages in their chance for a future. Grasping the hope handed to them through school. Coming from a society where as I child I would be glad to be sick because I could avoid going to school, I am blown away by their devotion and enthusiasm for their studies. Speaking as a girl who pretty much has sold my life away to my education, I’m realizing how much I have taken it for granted. At the medical camp yesterday, Elise and I talked to a group of Muslim girls from the wealthy family whose home abutted the slum area we were spending time in. I could tell each girl was quite intelligent—particularly Nazine. She was outgoing, spoke English extraordinarily well, and was composed and self-assured. I had been learning that here wealth leads to education, as it does most of the time in the states. Nazine calmly informed us that her and her female cousins would be finished with school after the tenth grade. She commented rather indignantly that although the girls studied and worked much harder at their schoolwork than the boys, they would not be allowed by their families to go further than the 10th grade in their education. What does one say to this? All I could do is to encourage them to continue studying and learning on their own. It shook me up, but really reminded me all that an education stands for--no matter what part of the world one is in.
So today was India’s independence day. It has been such an amazing day thusfar! This morning was a program at the school. The students were dressed so smartly and sang and dance with such pride. They were dressed beautifully and radiated joy and pride in their country. The speeches told of their thankfulness and hope for continued progress in India as it presses on in its journey of freedom. It was powerful and really just so cute! The kids did a wonderful job and had worked so hard and performed so energetically! I loved it :)
The rest of Independence Day was just fun! There was a youth gathering--just a bunch of teenagers hanging out, playing games and watching a movie. It was refreshing! Its very cool to me that India has a sense of national pride that appears to be fast fading in the life of the average American.
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