Working with CRY:
A life changing experience
So it was summer 2012. My first year in my engineering course was over and I was home on a two month long vacation. Two months is a very long time and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do during my break. However, my father had told me about this internship programme at CRY that he had read about in the newspaper and I was looking forward to joining it. I had always wanted to do something like that, to be a part of a NGO and understand how they go about tackling all the societal issues. So on the morning of June 3, 2012 I headed for the CRY office in Saket, Delhi. They have their volunteers meeting on Sundays. And there began my journey with CRY.
I took up their theatre workshop programme. My thoughts on the workshop were something like this: so they’ll give us all a script, make us recite the parts and then decide on the part we played best. But it was nothing like that. We were a group of thirty people. We came from all over the city and so mostly none of us knew each other. Our guide made us do all sorts of activities. We also discussed and shared our own experiences and opinions on child abuse, child labour, the RTE Act etc. It was through these activities and discussions that we got to know each other’s strengths and slowly a group of 30 strangers became a team. So within a span of six days we all became great friends and were able to prepare a beautiful script for our street play. We were all highly motivated, felt great pride in what we were doing and were all set to move the hearts of the people watching us; to make a difference in our own little way. Our first performance at the Indian Habitat Centre was a great success and there after we performed the play all over Delhi.
Throughout this journey with CRY, the thing that fascinated me the most was the power that lies in human emotions. A little hope, a little encouragement, a smile, a shoulder to cry upon or some time to share; these “little” things have the power to change someone’s life; millions of lives. To be able to make or change someone else’s life is a great responsibility to take on; for making one’s own life isn’t any easy business either. But people have done this. They have fought for the rights of their fellow humans; some have even laid down their lives. But change has been brought about. CRY helped me to realise that however slow the process of change may be, if our efforts are honest the aim will be accomplished.
Encouraged by my experience at CRY, I decided to start a small group in my college, with the help of CRY. So after getting a few friends as volunteers and all the permission work settled, the group began its journey. We often talked to children and their families around our college campus. We also went to a government school in a village, on the outskirts of our city. Believe me, the joy and contentment we felt after interacting with those children is something that is not easy to put into words. Every time that we visited them, on our way back, most of us had happy tears and in our minds millions of questions and thoughts. Thoughts like how we have had such a comfortable childhood and yet so much to complain about. And how these children have not had an easy life and the moment they see a little hope somewhere, they are thrilled. They are always eager to learn and grasp whatever life has to offer to them. And they are not just energetic but intelligent and quick at learning too. They are just as lovely as any child could be and yet life has not been as sweet for them as it has been for so many of us! Isn’t it ironical that we have so many opportunities and facilities and yet so much to complain about and these children have hardly any opportunities and they hardly complain? In fact, they try to make the most out of the opportunity at their hand.
It was through interactions with these children that my friends and I got to learn so many things; looking at life from their eyes helped us broaden our perspective on life. They made us realise the value of a smile, of time, of the gifts life had given us, of the pampering we received from our family and most importantly of our responsibility towards society. I believe that there is no one else but us to blame for what these children have suffered and are continuing to suffer; each one of us in the society is equally responsible. Sadly though for various reasons our group has not really been able to help these children much besides listening to them, playing with them and putting a smile to their face. But what I know for sure is that in the near future, in our own little ways each one of us will surely do something about this.
Well, I always knew that there is life beyond us and there are difficulties much greater than the ones we face. But through CRY I got to experience it. It has helped me add a new meaning and dimension to the way I looked at and understood life. And from what I have learnt I would like to share a thought with you: ‘Take a little time out of your busy schedules and add a new dimension to your life; there is much we can do to make this world a better place to be in for one and all’. I know you must have heard it often but it is true. We can make a difference. Think about it!
Cheers to CRY and all the other NGOs and people who work for the society.
Cheers to Sanya and Ramon! You guys made it all the more special in Delhi. Both of you are such amazing people and I am glad that we still keep in touch!
Cheers to all my friends who volunteered to be a part of the college group.
