What Volunteering in Rural Sunderban taught me! – Mohanee Dammu

The journey started, almost everyone unknown to each other. The Volunteers varied from a 60 yr old aged woman to 10 yr old small kid, everyone enthusiastic enough to meet those children and try their best to help them with their daily lives.

Being unknown to this charity world, I never knew that behind each social cause, there involves so many hands and different views. These social workers, I thought, just spend their free time to volunteer and some does to publicize their identity. But later spending almost a full day with them I learnt that I was absolutely wrong, that they do have deep knowledge in how to change the society and there never comes a thought of pride and showing off. Each social cause, apart from the investment of government, also requires initiations and human effort in terms of thoughts and lots of courage to spend their leisure time.

This trip made me totally change my mind, and thus I also developed an interest to join them as much as possible in every cause they do.

Skipping directly to meeting the children and their teachers, once we reached the main gate of the school, no one was ready to agree that this beautiful house like structure with plantation surrounded to it, can also act as a temple of knowledge. But these children, although with the limited resources, were and have always been ready to absorb all the knowledge provided to them. And trust me, I’ve never met such an enthusiastic bunch of kids, ever in my life, those smiling faces with so much of innocence and talent.

They danced, sang and read number of self written poems in front of us. Not only the kids, the talent in the teachers was also appreciable.

Even the ever- absorbing and enthusiastically learning nature of the kids, is a gift which the teachers taught. None of them complained about the lack of resources and facilities to them. Each and everyone was busy in showing their talents to us and our hospitality. This is what moved me, we, being gifted by all the resources and facilities, still cries for what we don’t have. But these small little souls are more than happy with the limited stuff they have.

We, being the volunteers, did our tasks to motivate them to study harder and never give up. One of the volunteer taught them about self cleanliness and hygiene and the other one made them laugh harder with fun and games. The best part which inspired us, was their readiness to let the knowledge in and the way they interacted with us, which is a must for the one who teaches and gives the lecture.

At the end we distributed the snacks, even there also, they showed so much of discipline. This level of talent and skills was never expected from such small primary school kids.

On the way back to Kolkata, each and every volunteer had only one say about the kids, that they were so talented and enthusiastic. Everyone promised to come back to meet them again and do as much as possible to make their lives better and provide a better education. We all discussed about the opportunities and ways to give them the facilities they deserve. Soon we reached our stop and everyone headed to their places with the images of those Adorable kids still into their minds. Thanks to iVolunteer for this amazing Volunteering platform to experience the rural.

By Mohanee Dammu

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