Saturday Mornings

"Good Morning Teacher!!"

A bunch of kids greeting me in their chorus sing song, and all standing in unison, and that's what Saturday morning brings for me.They are just like the other kids you've come across..some smiling, some shying away from your inquisitive glances, some wanting to come closer and have a tete-a-tete, and then some Einstiens's lost in their own dream world..sounds like just another primary school class setup, right..but may be not.Unlike you and me, they are the kids of those slum dwelling construction workers, who keep changing places because of their changing jobs. As a result, their kids can't have a formal education, and are deprived of this very basic need.

But not always, if you have a SMILE school around:)

SMILE schools are an initiative of Samyukta Foundation, which cater to the educational needs of such children.These schools have permanent faculty, that teaches children six days a week.

And we, a couple of folks, go to these schools every Saturday morning to see, how the children are progressing, and track individual children of their progress.Some of the brighter folks make it to permanent schools as well, and believe me, the sense of introducing a child to the world of knowledge is so fulfilling.

I started doing this only a couple of weeks back, and it wasn't an easy thing for me initially to get out of my bed at 9 on a Saturday morning, when you would instead like to loll cosily, after a hectic week at office, and when you got to sleep only at 2 on the Friday night. Believe me, for the first time, I had to use all my will power to do so..and then there was the dreaded language issue..the kids don't understand Hindi or English, and I have no doubts on my Telugu proficiency.

So I thought, I might not continue this for long...but dunno what kept me motivated, and I am glad, it did:)

I look forward to Saturday mornings now, waiting to be greeted by those smiles. These kids are from a different background. They look different, and some of them don't even take a bath regularly..Most of the time, its rags that make up for their school uniform, and some of them have slates in one hand, and a younger sibling's finger in another. Yet they are as innocent as any other kid..and the pleasant fact is that they love to learn..in fact, more so than their privileged counterparts..probably because when you don't get something easily, you learn to appreciate it more. A shack for a school, with no electricity, and these kids learn there..all motivated, all set to work.

They introduce you to a different world..a world of needs, worries, and uncertainties..and also to a world of hope..one where they would some day be fulfilling others's needs..and one where they would stand up for themselves.

I go there, teach them all using gestures, chalks, and slates,.. and bring back a few smiles in return...and all the effort is worth it!!