On a weekday morning, volunteers from the Motorola corporation come in identical yellow company polo shirts to tell the kids about the environment—this involves a drawing contest with a green theme, a short cartoon film, some talk about why trees and forests should be preserved and, best of all, pizza for lunch.
It is after the pizza that I sit with five girls selected by Rai and try and converse with them in English. Husna is in class VI, Heena and Ritu are in class V, Aarti in class VIII and Yashi in class II—their ability to speak English is limited. “There are things we can write,” says Husna in Hindi. “But it is harder to talk in English.” She is 13 and says she wants to be an astronaut like Kalpana Chawla. I am curious about how much the girls will understand if I read something out and ask Husna for her English textbook.
Continuing with the green theme, I decide to read out The Giant Stone of Tears, a story adapted from a Tajik folk tale. It traces the friendship between a giant rock and a peepal tree that ended with the tree being felled by thoughtless humans. The girls understand only a little but listen attentively and follow the story as I explain it in Hindi.
As I read to the girls, I can’t help but think that they are easier to handle than their more affluent peers. Unfailingly courteous, they are careful not to betray any signs of impatience even when their attention is straying. This could be for a number of reasons— maybe I am a naturally gifted teacher or, more likely, they are hungrier than other children to learn and want to make the best of the cards life has dealt them.
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If you want to volunteer
“We look for long-term volunteers,” says Sanjoy Roy, a founder trustee of SBT. “Anything less than six weeks is a waste of time for both—the children and volunteers.” Roy says volunteers who can teach are always welcome—it could be English, science, math or how to use computers. SBT has full-time tutors on its rolls, but Roy points out that the sheer number of children and their vastly varying levels of education require all the extra help they can get. “If someone wants to just play with the kids or tell them stories, they are welcome too,” he says. Doctors and specialists willing to treat the children are always welcome.
011-23584164
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Rs5,000 for this charity can
Provide food for five children for a month
Provide educational aid such as books and stationery and fees for 10 children in a private school for one month
Provide health and hygiene products for 50 children for one month
A donation of Rs6,000 will educate a child in a private school for one year
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People like us
Parikrma, Bangalore
Money: Parikrma runs four schools which give underprivileged kids quality English-medium school education. A donation can go to their “invest in a child” programme, which focuses on the requirements of one child. Half a day’s salary as part of their Change Your World initiative can also be paid for.
Time: People can help children with remedial classes or engage with them in outdoor activities such as basketball and swimming, read stories to them, or take them to the planetarium.
Contact: ‘www.parikrmafoundation.org’ or call 080-26572065
Nanhi Kali, Mumbai