When
my mom said we will be visiting Ekal during our trip to India – I
was very excited. We were finally getting to see an Ekal School after
serving as volunteers for Ekal over 4 years from Dallas.
Meeting
the kids of the village Sillan Kuppam, Cuddalore, in Tamilnadu, made
us so happy, after our anxious ride. We settled down and the students
engaged us by singing, dancing, and two girls even gave speeches on a
Mathematician and an Indian lady freedom fighter. They did all of
these with a great smile on their faces. When one of the kids forgot
her lines, her classmates asked her to finish up with Namaste – but
she hung on despite her embarrassment, recollected and finished her
speech. It was wonderful to see such determination.
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How
hard life must be for these kids? Upon talking to a few of the kids,
I found out that despite all the challenges, these kids were highly
motivated to have a good education. As our time was limited and it
was getting dark, we started distributing pencil bags, sweets and
chocolates. The kids were ecstatic and eager on receiving them.
Their
sense of gratitude, openness to strangers and cheerfulness amazed me.
My friends and I take our privileges for granted. But after seeing
these kids made me see my everyday life through a different light.
Going
to the Ekal School was the most heart changing experience I have ever
had – it has taught me that hope always exists where there is
motivation and positive thinking. It has made me want to see if I
can do more to spread the word of service to others also. I am happy
to be a part of Ekal Vidyalaya volunteer group, making a difference,
at least in the life of one small village at a time.
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