A Journey to Remember- CRY Internship

“Children have real understanding only of that which they invent themselves.’’                                       ~Jean Piaget

I glow with contentment while writing this write-up about the extraordinary journey that I experienced in the month of May 2017. Before that I had only heard how special and how talented every child is, but the journey with the kids at Project Swati at Tigri helped me realize how true these hearsays are.

I got the opportunity to be a dance mentor for a month and it was during that period that I realized how curious and enthusiastic these kids are to learn. The most mesmerizing part was the warm welcome I received. To make me feel comfortable they greeted me with cheerful faces and warm hugs and introduced themselves in a manner which portrayed their love and affection for me. During my tenure, I hardly found any absentees. Always on time, they accosted me every time they had a doubt in their mind. Sounds like a strict class? It wasn’t! At the end of every class, the kids shared how tactful they were in managing their house chores along with their classes.

Talk about kids and no sign of naughtiness? Impossible! Even after my repeated NOs, they still managed to pop a few toffees in between classes. Sometimes they even escaped my classes to climb the trees and play with others. What I most liked about the kids was the way they involved themselves completely in this learning process. Whether it was about suggesting the song or the steps, they were way ahead than anybody could think of. Not only did they know that this was their opportunity but they knew how to avail it properly; and thereby invented methodologies for its betterment. Why only speak about dance, whether it was acting or singing or painting, they knew how to brush the right strokes. The fire to achieve new heights was so strong that they never allowed me to take even a small break. It was only while marking the attendance that I got few minutes to catch my breath. I loved every moment of it!

But was this journey possible without our CRY mentors? Absolutely not! And thereby my sincere gratitude to all the mentors and fellow interns of CRY, who, with their constant guidance and support helped me realize my dream of working with the kids and trying to bring a change in some lives.

If we dream of a developed nation, we have to come together to do so; with every single child realizing their own potential.

Did I only teach? No! I also learnt how to be an individual and learn instead from these kids. Even though all cannot be put in words through this write-up, my journey will continue with these kids as long as I grow.

- Poulami Banerjee

Student at NDIM (New Delhi Institution of Management)