On a rather dull Saturday, some time in 2008, I woke up at 10:00 A.M in the morning to find couple of missed calls from an unknown number. Being the curious myself, I called the number back to find who it was, someone from an NGO called me up to visit their school.
I was planning to go to a movie that day, promising my friends that I will be back in 2 hours, went to the school. As Steve Jobs said, you can only connect the dots backward - perhaps missing that movie was the best decision in my life. Six years and counting, Sahaya has become a part of my life. Without humbly bragging about my achievements and other nonsense I will write why I love to teach at Sahaya !!!
LEARNING!!!!
On the first day of Sahaya, I would have never imagined that I will be writing this post.
I learnt how to take photos: I will never call myself a photographer but to create better memories of our efforts, achievements and appreciate fellow volunteers, somebody has to do it. (Un) Fortunately, I got this chance.
Who is doing this better now: Akhilesh Marathi
I learnt to listen: Whenever we ask volunteers to give some ideas, we get a lot of them - A LOT. Patiently listening to all our volunteers and give feedback to them requires good listening skills. Being the bad listener I am, I took almost four years to learn this skill.
Who always does this better: Eshwar Babu
I learnt how to be a team-player: We all love to be individuals, but sometimes it requires a collective effort to make things happen. The greatest example in Sahaya is setting up our first library. Everyone contributed, everyone helped, everyone succeeded.
Who always does this better: Every volunteer in Sahaya
I learnt how to communicate: Yes, I am a poor communicator even now, but I am far better after Sahaya. Talking to people, expressing your ideas, giving feedback require tremendous communication skills. Sahaya is the place where I learnt this.
Who always does this better: Divya Panjala
I(we) learnt to make things happen: Field trip - never done, Science Fair - never done, setting up a library - never done, using khan academy in classes - never done....All these were before Sahaya, we are making all these things happen. And of course, the satisfaction is immense.
Who always does this better: Sahaya
I learnt to make friends: Sreeram, Srikanth, Dharani, Eshwar, Divya, Phani, pilla Sreeraam, Srinath, Anirudh - if I continue, this list will go on for pages together. Both on and off Sahaya, people who I have met in Sahaya have become "friends forever."
I learnt to learn: All those questions that kids asked, all those issues that we have to resolve, all those initiatives that we have to take - everyday that I am part of Sahaya, I learn something new, something that makes me better than yesterday.
I was planning to go to a movie that day, promising my friends that I will be back in 2 hours, went to the school. As Steve Jobs said, you can only connect the dots backward - perhaps missing that movie was the best decision in my life. Six years and counting, Sahaya has become a part of my life. Without humbly bragging about my achievements and other nonsense I will write why I love to teach at Sahaya !!!
LEARNING!!!!
On the first day of Sahaya, I would have never imagined that I will be writing this post.
I learnt how to take photos: I will never call myself a photographer but to create better memories of our efforts, achievements and appreciate fellow volunteers, somebody has to do it. (Un) Fortunately, I got this chance.
Who is doing this better now: Akhilesh Marathi
I learnt to listen: Whenever we ask volunteers to give some ideas, we get a lot of them - A LOT. Patiently listening to all our volunteers and give feedback to them requires good listening skills. Being the bad listener I am, I took almost four years to learn this skill.
Who always does this better: Eshwar Babu
I learnt how to be a team-player: We all love to be individuals, but sometimes it requires a collective effort to make things happen. The greatest example in Sahaya is setting up our first library. Everyone contributed, everyone helped, everyone succeeded.
Who always does this better: Every volunteer in Sahaya
I learnt how to communicate: Yes, I am a poor communicator even now, but I am far better after Sahaya. Talking to people, expressing your ideas, giving feedback require tremendous communication skills. Sahaya is the place where I learnt this.
Who always does this better: Divya Panjala
I(we) learnt to make things happen: Field trip - never done, Science Fair - never done, setting up a library - never done, using khan academy in classes - never done....All these were before Sahaya, we are making all these things happen. And of course, the satisfaction is immense.
Who always does this better: Sahaya
I learnt to make friends: Sreeram, Srikanth, Dharani, Eshwar, Divya, Phani, pilla Sreeraam, Srinath, Anirudh - if I continue, this list will go on for pages together. Both on and off Sahaya, people who I have met in Sahaya have become "friends forever."
I learnt to learn: All those questions that kids asked, all those issues that we have to resolve, all those initiatives that we have to take - everyday that I am part of Sahaya, I learn something new, something that makes me better than yesterday.
"I teach because I learn and there is no better way."
0 comments :
Post a Comment