The Verve To Serve
The world around us comprises of people and elements, which though intrinsic to our existence, are often invisible to the naked eye. This happens not out of callousness, but because of the fact that our hearts are seldom sensitized to acknowledging and appreciating silent workers who toil to make our lives liveable. We are also rarely conscious of the multitudes relegated to the margins, languishing in sub-human conditions.
At Shiv Nadar School, we think it is important to have our children become sensitive to the yawning gaps which exist in the privileges accorded to different sections of the society. Empathy, respect and values cannot be cultivated without making children understand the worth of sharing love and happiness. To attain this precise goal, the Joy of Sharing Week was celebrated from 7th to 12th July, 2014, in both our schools.
Keeping in mind the spirit of volunteerism and awareness of social responsibilities, a week long event, called 'Joy of Sharing' week was organized, comprising of a cornucopia of activities via which kids could engage with their environment. It was an endearing site to observe little hands dole out breakfast to the bhaiyas and didis, who otherwise ran errands to make the students comfortable in school premises. The spirit of service was infectious, and it went beyond the school premises to organizations like Goonj and The Earth Saviours. While on a visit to The Earth Saviour foundation, few faces came back coloured with sadness. It were the same faces which, with time, acquired a determined look focussed in the direction of bringing about positive shifts in the lives of the lesser fortunate.
Children serving breakfast to bhaiyas and didis
Joy multiplies when shared with our grandparents, and kids experienced the same when they played board games and heard stories rich with wisdom from their grandmas and grandpas. Since we understand and appreciate the value of reading, efforts were made to build an entire library for children at Chaprauli village. Above 3000 books became a part of this library, collected by kids as gifts of knowledge for those whose circumstances prevented access to quality reading material. Our little responsible citizens from the Noida school also camped at a petrol station next to GIP, to raise awareness against ‘tailgating’ and motivated commuters to follow lane driving norms.
Our tiny tots gave vent to their creativity and innovation by fashioning board games out of raw material collected over the week. These board games were the result of collaborative thinking, and the kids are excited to share the same with neighbouring village school children.
Sharing the gift of knowledge
The excitement of the entire week culminated into a bright, cheerful day at the Gurgaon school, which organized a fundraiser, nudging the entrepreneurial vein in young brains. The zeal to serve was met with a high spirits of our parents, who happily guzzled drinks and packed away little curios made by our kids. An affable air was generated around the karaoke and games stalls, and people of all ages mingled with each other to unite for a good cause. The collections during the sale went up to a whooping Rs. 1,59,000, surpassing any pre-set expectations. This display of generosity will go a long in improving the living conditions of inmates at Earth Saviours foundation.
Our kids looked like purposeful individuals, as they moved around selling both, the goods, and the concept of Joy of Sharing to parents. A quick dialogue with them could convince anyone of their belief in the larger purpose of their actions. Nothing gives us more satisfaction than translating our vision into actionable reality. In the form of love, skills, empathy, materials and smiles, we all got together to give back to our world, making it a slightly more joyful place to live in.
Infectious Joy of Sharing!
Jul 18, 2014 by Shiv Nadar School Noida