Saturday, November 3, 2012

A Toyful Moment saved me


I realized today that when we complain about not having time to do anything good, we actually waste ourselves away. Normally, on any other given Saturdays I spend time with my family and friends - by the time Sunday kicks in I let it somehow slip away doing chores that I ignore during the busy weekdays or as we say, unwind doing nothing really worth mentioning. However, something invaluable happened this Saturday!
Recently, I volunteered to do some activity for kids with a NGO called Toybank - an organization that believes in "giving back the right to childhood" to kids who deserve so much more in their lives. Along with my friend Shalini, we visited one of the India Literacy Centers, located inside the rural suburbs of old Gurgaon, Haryana. We went around the classroom and were stunned to find a group of 35 smiling, beautiful children greeting us with a warm, "Good Morning Maam".
The next few hours that I got to spend with them were magical and experiential for me. As volunteers we got split in groups - each of us handled a group of 3-4 enthusiastic kids. As we picked a board game to play with the children my initial thoughts hovered mostly with anxiety - "Can I break the ice and make this a fun moment for them?" Oh yes, you bet I did - every single minute I spent with the curious Saraswati, observant Manoj, super intelligent Vidhan and smiling Bittoo! I was surprised to see how quickly they trained their eyes and mind to pick the sharp cues of the game, that we so popularly know as Chinese Checkers.
For most of us who have enjoyed the privileges of playing these popular games, perhaps don't realize that most of them are still waiting to be discovered by kids who do not live in conditions like you and me. However, what if you get a chance to spend sometime with them? Would you not love to creatively learn with these sharp minds? What better way than to indulge in simple board games with these kids who will amaze you with questions and observations that otherwise go unnoticed?
Yes we concluded our day with shutterbugs and memories captured in frames but what is most essential that I carried back today is priceless! A Saturday that has energized me to do more, create more and live more!


5 comments:

Suddhasattwa Bandyopadhyay said...

Awesome job! Keep it up ! Shine on!

Ipsi said...

Thanks Shudhdho...let me know if you would like to contribute to this drive any time!

ashima said...

Beautifully captured Ipsita ... i am sure it wil inspire many .. i am gonna share it on my FB :)

Ipsi said...

Thanks Sahiba...let's do this again! Am looking forward to the next workshop. And also looking forward to meet & talk to you.

Raka said...

Loved the blog but probably what struck the most was the invaluable experience you gained. I could almost visualize the bright eyes of those children you mentioned. Keep doing the good work!