22. Changing Lives

Source: www.worldlyadventurer.com

For a long time now, the society has believed that games are the best way to learn something new. The Child Rights and Education group of SCoRe, Mumbai, believes in the same idea. Since the last four Sundays, the team members have been visiting the local municipality school at Nadkarni, Wadala. The school is unlike any other government school that you often read about, such as a dilapidated building with poorly maintained classrooms that lacks basic infrastructure. The school is well maintained with all the required amenities, thanks to all the sponsors and NGOs.

Every Sunday, the students of SCORE enthusiastically visit Wadala from various parts of Mumbai to spend a little time with the children at Nadkarni Municipality School. We are also accompanied by the volunteers of the Red Riding Hood Academy of Mumbai. The children belong to various age groups, ranging from 9 to 15 years. With time, the students of SCORE have formed a very close tie with each of these children. My favorite, definitely Kamlesh!

Since the beginning, we were told that child right, as a field is very diverse. After 4 weeks at Nadkarni, we believe that child right is not only a broad and diverse field but is also an area that requires serious attention. For this reason, we decided to combine education with a larger and broader subject each week. We tried to inculcate the principles of team building, confidence building, hygiene and sanitation along with the regular classes. The way we did this was through fun activities and games.

The result of this experiment has been great so far. Not only do these children wait for us every Sunday, they believe in us. We are not just their mentors, we are their friends. The fun and creative games such as musical chair, follow the leader and others have changed not just the lives of these wonderful children, but also our lives in different ways.