My first day as a Volunteer

Today was my first day volunteering for an NGO which works for providing basic education to underprivileged children. I was excited as I am a kid-person & a famous 'didi'(elder sister) for the bachhas(kids)in my society. As I reached the school I was greeted by a warm senior volunteer who after the introductions, briefed me on how to go about things. It was the last Assessment Day & tests (oral & written) were the plan for the day. As the clock struck 3 , AROUND 50 children varying from7-14 years hurried into the classroom with the usual ‘May I come in Teacher’ & wearing the uniforms provided by the NGO along with a mischievous smile on the face. The naughty ones immediately began whispering, making noise & were sent to the last bench.Then after a small prayer the written assessment on their Engish & Maths skills began.

I was in-charge of oral assessment along with 3 other volunteers, I had to assesses & grade their abilities based on their listening, speaking & reading skills. The first child I was assigned was Radhika, a bright 13 year old who aspires to become an athlete, her role-model being PT Usha. She also tells her views on how the main problems facing the world is “garbage, smoking & noise pollution” & confidently suggests the solution to these problems along with their ill-effects, she also teaches her younger siblings to read.She got an excellent grade from me. The other children, each different in their way , a small 10 year old girl aptly named Gudiya(doll) was scared of me & had to coaxed by me to speak out. A boy named Arbaaz answered mostly in monosyllables but when it came to talking about cricket his eyes gleamed & began talking excitedly, Yusuf Pathan is his favorite cricketer. Then there was a girl named Poonam who was couldn’t stop smiling & at the beginning was coyly looking at me but later opened up about how she wanted to become a Doctor when she grew big & how she felt sad when her mother shouted at her for not washing the vessels at home. The one common thread was that they all loved to go to school. Some even wanted to know my name & more about me…sooo cute!

While I am always a bit sisterly & playful, with kids around I was surprised that the other two female volunteers yelled as though they meant serious business…..Anyway I returned with a smile on my face which was quite a rare sight when I returned home from my 9 to 5 job.