Giving Back (by Sunjay and Sangeeta)

For my birthday this year, I decided that I would like to raise money to take and donate in India because I felt like we have so much and they have so little. My sister and I also brought stuffed animals to give away.

When we got to India, we found out that one of our aunts volunteered in a school in Dharavi, the biggest slum area in Bombay. Families live in shacks one on top of the other, with an "outhouse" that drains into a creek. Parents have very little time to supervise their children because they are often out working when the kids come home from school. School is free until grade 7 and for only three kids per family. If you have a fourth child, you have to pay for their education.

We decided to donate the money and our stuffed animals to this school. We wondered what the school might need...should we buy pencils or books? Our aunt spoke to one teacher who said she wanted the kids to do some writing, so we took the money and bought writing notebooks for the students.

That day at the school was eye-opening. The kids were curious to see 4 foreigners walking in the school. Some of the kids were friendly, but most were shy. They were wearing school uniforms, yet some did not have shoes.

The classroom looked so different from what we are used to...there were 3 kids to one desk, paint peeling off the walls, and no visible school supplies. The noise level when we entered was very high and the teacher was trying to control the class, by pulling some kids apart who were fighting.

We were introduced and we handed out the notebooks and the stuffed animals one by one. The expressions on their faces made us feel good. We could see they were happy and excited and we felt great to be donating to such a needy school.

At the door stood more kids from other classes. How can we do more? Having someone from our family helping us is a huge advantage because now we have a connection to this school. When we can donate in the future, we know the money is going to kids that need it.