Over the course of my two-year fellowship in Satkondi, I witnessed something extraordinary transformation not only in the children I worked with but also within myself. In a village where voices were once hesitant and dreams often unspoken, I saw courage slowly take root through every session, drawing, and conversation. Together, we built more than a career room or a curriculum we built confidence, community, and a quiet revolution of self-belief. What began as a project became a deeply personal journey, shaped by the resilience of the students and the warmth of a place that treated me like its own. The following poem is a reflection of that journey, a tribute to every hesitant step that turned into a confident stride.
In the shade of a village tree,
I planted questions tenderly
“Where do you see yourself one day?”
In soft replies, dreams found their way.
They once sat quiet, heads held low,
Now raise their hands, their voices grow.
A name once whispered shy and small,
Now echoes bold through every hall.
With crayons, poems, simple play,
We stitched our hopes through each new day.
A poster here, a race once run,
A vision drawn beneath the sun.
A room we built not made of stone,
But of belief, now fully grown.
A space where silence dared to speak,
And timid eyes turned bright, not meek.
I walked through fears, both theirs and mine,
Learned not all change comes by design.
Sometimes, just sitting through the storm,
Can shape a soul, can keep it warm.
No grand applause, no stage in lights,
Just stars above our quiet nights.
And in those stars, I came to see,
They weren’t just growing, so was me.
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