Train Ride to Everywhere

This week I needed a gentle reminder on why I'm here 

And yesterday, I got it.

Me, Lindsey, Lexie, and Ashlee took a train out to Shankarpalli 

It was our first train ride in India

and to be completely honest it was the dirtiest train I've ever seen

Lets just say that people never ride their bikes under train bridges because sewage falls straight to the tracks 

Along the way we saw parts of the city

Some people got some shut-eye

And then we arrived to this:

It's so nice to get out of the city

We went to the MVF office to meet with volunteers and teachers who have dedicated their lives to getting kids out of work environments and into schools.

We needed to interview them for the manuel we are writing for MVF.

The manuel will outline the processes and techniques volunteers use in villages to get parents motivated to educate their children.

Eventually, the manuel will be used by other nonprofit organizations to get kids in schools in other countries as well.

This is one of the first signs they used to raise awareness about the child workforce issue

After meeting with the volunteers we traveled out to a government school in the district

School just started this week here so we got to see a one actually in session.

All the kids were 1st through 6th graders

They sit all day on a stone floor and do their school work on their school bags

They wanted to sing a song for us...but they were pretty nervous

So, we sang a song for them first

We sang a rip-roaring version of "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree"

Actions and all

That got them laughing at us...so they sang a song and even danced for us as well.

 

These boys kept looking through the window at us...and thought we were pretty funny

After visiting the classroom we talked to the headmaster

and the boys could not help but watch...it was pretty cute

Then we headed back to the bus station 

It wasn't easy fitting into that auto

I think we had a total of 8 people in that one little car

The kids sent us off with a great goodbye

They didn't speak English but they copied our accents to say goodbye and shake hands

They were just so happy to meet us and it's amazing to see how dedicated they are to school.

As a kid I think I would have had a hard time going to school and sitting on a hard, dirty floor all day to learn.

They need it though...this is the first step in having a generation of people educated.

As the generations grow up educated, not only does their quality of life have the potential to go up, but they will also teach their kids to go to school and get an education.

I needed to remember that.

With love,

A