I was able to interact with the children a lot more today. First I did an art project with the kindergarten class and it was truly a joy to see their little faces light up. Each one reached out to hold my hand as I would walk around to view their progress. I decided to let them choose what to draw as long as it was something that made them happy. Lots of them drew flowers or birds or fish. Such simple yet beautiful things that make them smile.
After the art project it was lunch time and one of the teachers came over to me, grabbed my hand and lead me to sit down with all the teachers. Once I sat down she placed the top of her food tin in front of me. To my surprise, every teacher gave me a piece of their bread (naan) and a scoop of their lunch to share with me. I felt so accepted, appreciated and loved. Not one of them had a large lunch but they still wanted to share with me no matter how little they had. I even got a chance to try some delicious chai tea made by one of the teachers. They all sat around laughing and talking. Even though I do not speak Hindi, I didn't feel left out. I attempted to understand what they were saying by studying their facial expressions and body language. After lunch I gave each of the women a hug to say thank you. I wish I could have recorded their reactions. It is not common to hug here but they each let me hug them and some even laughed because of it.
My next project was to grade the English work of the 5th grade class. The kids were so excited to have me be part of their class. I put stickers in each of their workbooks to congratulate them on their progress and made notes of corrections where needed.
Aside from my work at the school, I have been getting along really well with my host family. I really admire them because they went against their families to marry for love. My host Rajan said that she knew in her heart that Sukhdev was her true love and she had to be with him. Sukhdev truly loves and respects his wife which I can see each day in how he smiles at her when she speaks. They told me that it was out of their love that this school I volunteer at came into existence. Rajan is fiercely strong woman to be an advocate for women's rights/health and stand up for children regardless of the religious traditions that force them into marriage at a young age. I try to hang onto her every word whether it is about one of the children or the process it takes to run an NGO. One day I hope I can be in position like her to make a difference in a community.
This weekend is also the holiday Rhatki which is to celebrate brothers and sisters. They give each other bracelets and sweets. Since some kids don't have siblings, I had the chance to be their sibling for the day which was really nice.
As a gift from my host family I was also able to get Mehndi (henna) for the first time today. It was a nice bonding experience with their youngest daughter Rosy. Tomorrow we will go to visit some of the nearby Buddhist temples. I hope I can update again soon but since I do not have a reliable internet connection it is sometimes difficult. Oh! and the food here is amazing! I think I gained 5 pounds already. haha
After the art project it was lunch time and one of the teachers came over to me, grabbed my hand and lead me to sit down with all the teachers. Once I sat down she placed the top of her food tin in front of me. To my surprise, every teacher gave me a piece of their bread (naan) and a scoop of their lunch to share with me. I felt so accepted, appreciated and loved. Not one of them had a large lunch but they still wanted to share with me no matter how little they had. I even got a chance to try some delicious chai tea made by one of the teachers. They all sat around laughing and talking. Even though I do not speak Hindi, I didn't feel left out. I attempted to understand what they were saying by studying their facial expressions and body language. After lunch I gave each of the women a hug to say thank you. I wish I could have recorded their reactions. It is not common to hug here but they each let me hug them and some even laughed because of it.
My next project was to grade the English work of the 5th grade class. The kids were so excited to have me be part of their class. I put stickers in each of their workbooks to congratulate them on their progress and made notes of corrections where needed.
Aside from my work at the school, I have been getting along really well with my host family. I really admire them because they went against their families to marry for love. My host Rajan said that she knew in her heart that Sukhdev was her true love and she had to be with him. Sukhdev truly loves and respects his wife which I can see each day in how he smiles at her when she speaks. They told me that it was out of their love that this school I volunteer at came into existence. Rajan is fiercely strong woman to be an advocate for women's rights/health and stand up for children regardless of the religious traditions that force them into marriage at a young age. I try to hang onto her every word whether it is about one of the children or the process it takes to run an NGO. One day I hope I can be in position like her to make a difference in a community.
This weekend is also the holiday Rhatki which is to celebrate brothers and sisters. They give each other bracelets and sweets. Since some kids don't have siblings, I had the chance to be their sibling for the day which was really nice.
As a gift from my host family I was also able to get Mehndi (henna) for the first time today. It was a nice bonding experience with their youngest daughter Rosy. Tomorrow we will go to visit some of the nearby Buddhist temples. I hope I can update again soon but since I do not have a reliable internet connection it is sometimes difficult. Oh! and the food here is amazing! I think I gained 5 pounds already. haha
The kids art is beautiful and I love that you made frames.
ReplyDeleteHow long did the mehendi take?
Take care! Can you believe it, it's been 2 weeks since you left.
The frames were actually donated by Darlene and the kids loved making their own picture to decorate their home. The henna only took about an hour and half and it has left a beautiful dark brown color on my skin.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it's been two weeks already! I am learning so much each day (and eating a lot) so I'm happy.