As I finish up packing my bags I start to reflect on this whole adventure. Wow, what a journey I have had! Between the different cultures, new people, and odd foods that I have experienced over the last six weeks, I can't believe it's finally coming to an end.
I had such a joy working with the children at Pordac and am so excited to watch them grow. I plan on staying in touch with my boss Manjir and the organization in general so that I can hear about the children's success! It's a hard thing to realize that down the road they may not even remember me or the times we spent together, but they will always have a special place in my heart. Their amazing hidden talents, positive attitudes when faced with challenges, and perseverance to communicate and live their own lives has truly been inspiring. I hope to have left behind a positive impact at Pordac both with the time spent with the children and the knowledge I helped share with the teachers. It is such a wonderful cause and I hope it grows to reach it's full potential.
Over these six weeks I have survived an out of season dust storm, the hottest temperature on record in over 62 years, and multiple auto rickshaw rides! India has opened my eyes to such a different way of living than what I am use to in the U.S and that is something I will never forget. It has also tested my patience at times and for that I am immensely grateful. The importance of staying calm, cool, and collected in times when I would have rather just turned around, hopped back in an auto, and gone home to my nice air conditioned room is a lesson I learned multiple times being here. When I look back on it now I realize that most of my frustrations were due to either a struggle with communication or just my inability to see how different Indian life works. By remaining calm and working towards a solution rather than becoming frustrated and giving up I learned a great deal about the way other people think and view things. I would never have experienced these problems and learned these valuable lessons if I were to just have interned in the U.S where I am use to the culture, work ethic, and general ways of life.
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My last rickshaw ride!
Someone was excited about the last day of workshops!
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I am excited to come home but will miss the amazing people I have met here in India. I am so thankful for the kindness and help that was given to me along my journey and hope to one day repay it by helping someone of my own! I would like to end my last post with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi that I feel adequately describes the work I have done here in India. I did my best to help these children but I may never get to see the impact I had on them or be able to watch them grow to their full potentials. But just knowing that I made the slightest effect on them, and helped get the ball rolling is good enough for me.
"It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result." -Mahatma Gandhi
Namaste and GO BLUE!
-Olivia
Olivia,
ReplyDeleteThat is an awesome final post. I have truly enjoyed reading about your experience; as a former educator, I totally understand your passion to make a difference in the lives of children. You're right. They may not remember you specifically in a few years, but during the short time you spent with them you made an impact on their lives. I love the quote- very fitting!
You will continue to reflect on your experiences (months and months and even years after you get back). You not only learned about a new culture, you learned a lot about yourself. I'm so happy that this program has impacted your life in a positive way!
Best,
Tammy