I Start Work Today At My NGO!

My third grade students

I started my placement yesterday. It is much more challenging then I had expected. Joggi (the CCS staff manager) and Vickie (the little sikh who met me at the airport) walked me up a narrow and steep rock path for 10 minutes or so, passing by rickety rock huts with straw thatched roofs. As we walked up the pather children began to materialize out of the huts and orchards to either side of us and follwed us yelling "Halo, Halo!". We soon came upon the school. It is amazingly simple. A two-room cement building in the center of a small quart yard. The instant we entered the schoolyard a cheer resounded through the village and the children rushed to greet us. It is the genuine thing-100% pure rural India- and it is wonderful. The teacher, Leela, arrived about 20 minutes after we did. The children immediately left their seats on the floor around us and stood in three straight lines of around 10 kids each-youngest to oldest. The three oldest children would box the younger children on their ears if the slouched or shuffled to much. The kids put their left arm straight in front of them so (Nazi style) so that their finger tips were just touching the child’s shoulder in front of them and stood straight as rods. After stamping their feet in unison at the orders of Leela, and they all completed a recitation of the national anthem together. The children then marched in a circle twice and proceeded to sit in rows while one child recited home work ( a new child did it every day). Leela, who seems very stern yet kind in her own way, didn't act over joyed at my presents. At least she was not openly hostile I guess. With a sharp command the 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders ran into one of the two classrooms. lLeela jerked her head toward the door and as soon as I had entered, slammed the door shut behind me. No experience and zero training and her I was with 15 young, expectant children starring wide eyed at my every move. As I looked about I realized I did not have a whole lot to work with. No paper, no pens, and no books accept three 10-page pamphlet’s that had been given to me by Leela. All I had to work with was a box of chalk, a board, several small wooden desks and my imagination. Well, the day passed alright-the children pretty much just repeated every word that came out of my mouth. They know their ABC's and numbers up to100 but colors were not very easy for most of the children and my lack of Hindi knowledge was a huge barrier. I was picked up at 1pm but my schedule for the next few weeks is 10-3pm at the Gov. Primary School, 4 days per week. I will also spend 2 days at a peach orchard that I have not seen yet.