CRY Volunteers North

A foul stench invaded my nostrils, as I barely dodged the towering pile of garbage which blocked the narrow road, obscured behind the blaring red “Prince ki Rasoi” board. I stopped to observe its contents, carefully holding in my breath, and was unpleasantly alarmed by the diverse variety it proffered- rotting vegetable waste, polythene bags fluttering aimlessly, a rodent carcass or two, a hint of excreta. I instantly averted my gaze, a knot tightening in my weak gut. The miniature garbage dump stood haughtily in front of a cluster of jhuggis (temporary establishments) which were abuzz with activity. Two little kids emerged from the tiny houses, clad in the magnanimous entirety of pink and purple underpants, solely shielding them from the 8 degree harrowing Delhi winter. The biting cold was visibly the least of their concerns, as they whizzed past me and disappeared down the meandering lane- their wide grins stretching all the way up to their tiny ears. They left loud amus

‘CRY is a family to me.’ Shubham’s journey at CRY has been an amazing one. CRY provided him a platform to fulfill his desires of educating the children. Shubham joined CRY in 2013 as a volunteer. His dedication led him to become the volunteer head of the North Region. He incorporated certain rules pertai ning to strictness for the volunteers and with the application of those regulations; he made a benchmark for others to be like him. He said- ‘I don’t want others to be like me. I want them to be themselves by doing something extraordinary and creative, apart from what I have done.’ He suggested the volunteers to come up and engage children in fun activities. Doing this enhanced their morale to learn more. Shubham’s experiences in CRY made him a responsible and optimistic person. He was able to understand the emotions of the children. As a person, CRY helped him develop in all aspects. His work injected motivation for other volunteers to do something inn