Wednesday:
Sorry I missed last week because I was busy with school work as it’s exam time. Missed being in the slum.
As soon as I got there the children were complaining, ‘why didn’t you come last week?’, but I was not able to explain everything to them.
With in 15 minutes we had got around 30 kids around but then we had to wait because Shanker had left the sheets at the shop where we get photocopies made. Shanker went to get the sheets which gave me time to talk with the kids.
It was so nice to talk with the kids and let them share about their lives, what they did all day and most important why they don’t go to school?
( I am praying for the kids to go to school.)
Mean while Shanker came and distributed the sheets and asked them to draw what they like.
The things I observed:
Shubhas had finished his sheet earlier so he was talking with me. I asked him to show me his house so went with him to his house which was locked. He didn’t have keys with him.I guess most of the time kids don’t know where their parents are and parents don’t know where their kids are, what they are doing etc.
Merga, a girl who is very different in her ways in talking with me. She is the one who said, ‘ I will not come to study today’. She does not go to school in the day time and in the evening she goes to pick up trash etc. I asked her if she would like to study regularly. She was so happy, I could see it in her face I. don’t know where this idea came from in my mind, but I asked her if there was any shop nearby where she could get a copy (notebook) and pencil .She said yes so I went with her to the shop and we got her copy and pencil. I asked her to write in hindi all the alphabet that she knows.
Seenkeys mother said hello to me and she asked me,’ bhiya (brother) ji please give her a beating or spanking, she does not go to school’. I asked her mother why she does not go? She said she tries to send her but her teacher beats her that’s why she doesn’t go to school in day time. She helps her mother and also goes picking trash with Merga.
The most difficult part was when I was talking with Beguns mother (the deaf and dumb little boy). She was worried because her elder daughter had not come home from picking up trash with one of the neighbours’ girls. I told herI would look after Begun and she should go and look for her daughter. She went to Sailaqui to the shop where they sell all the trash they collect.
In the end the kids asked me to pay kho-kho with them so I started the game and left them playing.I went and asked Beguns aunty to look after him till his mother came back.
Thursday :
Jungle Book part 2
Its was the time to show them a movie. I thought would be a good time to see how much they are interested in watching movies. It was not easy to find a place where I could show them movie but thanks to one of the kids parents were able to use his house even though it was not enough space there, and most hard, they all don’t have electricity.
I think we were around 30 to 35 kids watching Jungle book in the small house and they all enjoyed it.
After this I went with my little friends Shubhash and Minto to the place where they sell their trash which they collect all day .They both don’t go to school. It was so interesting to see them separating iron, plastic, paper etc and them measuring the weight and getting paid. Now the next task is to guide them how to use the money correctly. I did have to tell them to give money to their parents but as I was talking with the shopkeeper who buys things from them, he was telling me that they never give money to their parents but they just misuse it in tobacco or eat what ever they feel like.I am going back tomorrow to show them this movie again as they were not there today..Went to talk with Beguns mother she told me her daughter went to her relatives in the other slum yesterday and came late from there.
Please keep us in your prayers
When movie time was over I gave some home work to write alphabets in hindi and English. I wrote a few alphabets for them and they have to copy it merga, pinkey, preeti and other kids got their copies.I had asked them to get themselves a copy which they have to show me and do work when they come to me. I was so happy to see how they want to learn more and more.
