The Potential of Little Efforts to Create Huge Changes

Ajay Singh, the Award Leader from Yadavindra Public School, Mohali, shares insights about eleven Award participants who visited a government school as a part of the Service section of the Award Programme. Mr Singh provides a new perspective on rural education.

The Award Leaders of Yadavindra Public School, Mohali, staunchly believe in giving back to society and attempt to plant the same thought in the minds of the Award participants. As a part of the Service section of the Award Programme, participants visit different orphanages and government schools time and again to gain insights about the lives of children there. Aiming for the same, a group of eleven Award participants along with two Award Leaders visited a government school situated in a suburban area of the town.

The government school that we visited had five classes, each with tables, chairs and a blackboard, at the least. There were six teachers and the students comprised children from rural areas and other backward areas surrounding the location. Though hesitant initially, many of them gradually expressed their delight when the Award participants interacted with them. The participants interviewed the teachers, who expressed their views on how a lot of parents of the students are not receptive to the idea of schooling. The teachers also highlighted their struggle of getting children, especially from poverty-stricken backgrounds, to study. As reported by them, some of the students did not even have any footwear when they first came to school and had to be bathed in the school itself on more than one occasion. The participants distributed snacks and sweets among the students and teachers and spent time playing games with them while also educating them about personal hygiene.

It was an eye-opening experience for us, confronted by the zeal of rural students to interact with us. Their presence in classes despite being faced with formidable situations on the domestic, economic and social front was an overwhelming aspect of our experience; one that helped us to inculcate sensitivity towards the extreme conditions that those rural children survive in. Our visit was marked by a moment of pride – learning that in rural areas too, people care about their children being educated and make efforts towards the same. Primarily, it made us introspect and question our own selves about the use of the resources provided to us. We acknowledge and are grateful to the Director Major General of Yadavindra Public School, TPS Waraich (Retd.) for allowing some spare chairs and tables from our school to be donated to the government school, which is a prime instance of how little, seemingly insignificant efforts can make a humongous difference. Click here for pictures