most of these boys sell maps/road maps etc in the 17-sector market and are uneducated. they have become a part of the experiment (mentioned below) and are very eager to learn to read and write.

knowing that most of these boys have never attended school for more than 2 or 3 years, they have amazed me with their mathematical skills!!

an experiment...

whenever i came back to chandigarh, i always felt restless and uncomfortable...reason was simple - i was not doing anything where my heart was. so the other day inspired by the street schools run by manav sadhna, i went to sector 17 (biggest market of chandigarh) with an intention to interact with some street children there...i did not plan as to what i will talk to them or what i will do ...i just walked into the market and kept my eyes open for any street children. i met two street smart boys - Anike (about 10yrs) and Sunny (about7 yrs)...they were carrying a bag on their shoulders...the bag had shoe polish and brush. i approached them and tried breaking the ice by requesting them to polish my "chappals"...they were eager to do the job and thus, our interaction started...

we had lunch together and chatted a little about their life ...they told me that they often have to beg for food because they are not able to find enough customers for polishing shoes (i later found out that most of these young children carry these bags with shoe polish and brush to escape the police...their real work is begging)...i could make out that there were a lot of things that they said were not true (infact, they did not tell me their real name till they thought they could trust me) but my intention of being there was not to judge them....i was there to be with them. they told me that they would love to read and write and that they knew how to write "A,B and C". then they showed me their skills by writing on the cemented floor with a stone. i asked them if they would be meet me the next day to learn to read and write ...they said "yes". and so the experiment started...with no agenda or plans...the only plan is to go out and give love and acceptancce to these children. everything else will hopefully flow from there...

i went again the next day with some notebooks, pencils, sharpners, erasers and a nailcutter...i was not sure if i would be able to find these kids or not...(since sector 17 is a big market) i went to the place where we had decided to meet...they were not there. then i went to the place where they said that they usually worked...talked to a couple of other street children and shoe polish boys and was finally able to locate them. Another boy - Raja joined me. these kids were happy to see me (they probably didn't show up at the place we had decided because they thought i would not come). we had lunch together and then we sat in a corner and i gave them notebooks and pencils...i had not planned as to what was i going to teach them but the sheer joy on holding a pencil and a notebook was such that i really didn't have to do much...they simply enjoyed scribbling on their notebooks. it was quite a wonderful experience to watch their street smart demeanor melting away with each stroke of the pencil...

it has been more than a week now since i started this experiment...so far it is going pretty well. i go there without much agenda. i get the direction from these children - we sit together and do whatever the kids want to do...if they want to learn to write a new letter or a number then they do that...if they want to draw then they are welcome to take a plain sheet of paper and draw whatever they like.

i might teach them how to make carry bags using newspaper. i have discussed the idea with them and they have shown enthusiasm to learn the skill but first i have to learn to make these bags :-) (i did take one lesson from one of the kids at manav sadhna but i do need to practice my skills).

more later...

being on the road...

being on the road...

one of the places amit and i had been really wanted to visit was manav sadhna in ahmedabad...after having read so much about Jayesh Bhai and manav Sadhna on Nipun's website, it was really not possible for us to be in India and not visit them. in February, i decided to head out...amit had some micro-hydel related work in Barot so he decided he would join me whenever he gets a chance.

i started with a visit to my sister in Jamnagar for one week...i got to spend extended period of time with my nephew and brother-in-law...it was great to be with them.


after that i headed to ahmedabad - i reached there in the evening and ShirishBhai from Manav Sadhna showed me the guest house where i was supposed to be staying....it was a beautiful 2 bedroom old house close to the Gandhi Aashram. the entrance had an old-fashioned swing made of iron, which gave it quite a rustic look. the place had a very serene quality to it…with peacocks freely moving around in the backyard….later, I learnt that Gandhiji and Vinobha Bhave had also stayed in this place.

i was a little skeptical on that first evening there...i was not sure what i was going to do at manav sadhna...i knew about their work via their website but i had not come to ahmedabad with any specific project in mind...i was there to volunteer in whatever way i could and in turn be inspired by these wonderful people i had so heard about. And so that night i prayed..for guidance...to get involved in whatever project that could benefit from whatever little i could contribute...with this prayer, i left it to the universe to take care.

believe me, the universe responded - to put it rightly - my first day at manav sadhna was quite effortless - no effort to make friends, no effort to get involved in any project...no effort to feel that I belonged there...the manav sadhna team is so loving and welcomes anybody who comes at their door with open arms. just be there and flow with whatever is happening around.

in the first few hours of my being there, i met Marielle who was volunteering for the Friends without border project and asked me if i could help her with sorting the letters (letters written by Indian children to the Pakistani children…read their website for more details on the project)!! And i got this opportunity to contribute a little to this wonderful effort.

thereafter, i just flowed and was touched in so many numerous ways by these amazing people.

PS: amit also joined me the my last week there and was able to share the beautiful experience.