Going to the school was an eye-opening and quite humbling experience.
We met the non-teaching staff and spent a lot of time with Rohini.
Hearing how passionate she is about the children and the values of the
school was wonderful, and the presentation she showed us made me almost
cry. As somebody coming from a developed country where education is
expected by all, it's so difficult to accept that some children just
don't have those opportunities. Their mission, on a board outside each
centre, is to "Unleash the potential of under-served children". I think
it encompasses the school's aims perfectly, as it understands that these
children are the same as their richer peers but because of their
families' circumstances aren't being recognised. It really upsets me
when the children are told off for not doing their homework because I
know that they might not have homes where they have an environment
conducive to learning, and I wish I could do more to help them.
I made posters about how humans breathe and how fish get oxygen. It was really tiring but very rewarding.
I ask their teacher at the time of art session, so I asked if I could
use the materials I brought from England to make masks with them. Nearly
all of them resembled the examples I drew on the blackboard or were
linked to what I talked to them about before they started. It will be
satisfying to see something tangible as a result of mine and the
children's work.