The Award changed the way I perceived nature and helped me connect with it better

Saumya Rai, Bronze Award participant from Uttam School for Girls, Ghaziabad, participated in her first ever Adventurous Journey for the Bronze Level. Saumya is sharing her experience here.

Childhood, more than being about education, is a wholesome period, laden with opportunities to enhance the good in oneself. The aim of the Award Programme is to inspire young people; charging them with energy and the motivation to grow and bring about advancements in society. As part of the Award Programme, young people perform Voluntary Service, develop Skills, commit themselves to a particular Physical Recreation activity and undertake an Adventurous Journey. All these, collectively, rouse their concealed potential.

This year I participated in the Bronze Level of the Programme. As part of the Adventurous Journey, I travelled to Camp Hornbill, Jim Corbett Park. Away from the murky environment of the cities, I got the chance to explore the fairy-like land of Camp Hornbill. Right from the crack of dawn, I was pumped up with energy and positivity. What was overwhelming, though, was the thought of learning something new with every passing day. Losing my inhibitions and vanquishing my fears, I took part in many adventurous activities like ladder climbing, zip lining, body surfing, bird watching, painting and trekking. However, the cherry on the cake was the fascinating stories about the relations between nature and humans that I got to hear on many nights.

This was a learning experience for me. It changed the way I perceived nature and helped me connect with it better than I ever could. Interacting with the people of Kyari village and spending time on the banks of Khichadi River was utter bliss. However, this experience would remain incomplete if I don’t acknowledge the contribution of my school, teachers and IAYP, who guided me in not only exploring the world but myself too.