Teach For India. Part II. The After.

So the earlier post was the Before.

This is the After.

(Like those cosmetic surgery ads. Not that I'm comparing the talk to cosmetic surgery. Just saying, you know).

Anyway,

SO I walked into the talk, thinking it'd be this big inspirational thing. Something that made you want to roll up your sleeves right then and there, march into a village and start teaching a group of kids whatever you know.

But.

It wasn't.

It was more of a, umm, how to be the saying..

well it was more like, oh we teach kids, we do this, we have people from all these cool places, and you can go on to these other places after 2 years and you ALSO get aid this much.

And it focussed on fellowships, nothing about internships or volunteer work.

So yes, a leetel, itsy bitsy bit disappointing. But no issues, the spirit of the whole movement is what I like, and the spirit it stays true to.

So, anyway, the guy asked us how we though education helped in social change. And the first thing that came to my mind was, it'll reduce the number of beggars in India. By a LOT.

You see, this is of great importance to me. I'm the one friend everyone has who usually empties whatever chillad she has in her pocket and gives it to the beggars. Especially old people and kids. Today too, we were having dinner, and this old lady came and was standing there looking at us. And something in my heart just twisted.

Nobody, I repeat NOBODY should have to forgo their dignity and beg to survive. Its just not done. No sir, not done at all. Its not right. And I know I sound like a bit of an idealist, okay, like one humongous idealist, but I really want the world to be the kind of place where people didn't have to beg.

And its not just about giving. Its about changing the situations which force them to mendicancy. People usually say 'ignore them. don't pay them any attention'. And I usually don't

I can't. How can you ignore them?

It may send them away from me. But it won't solve their problems.

They have a story. Stop and listen. More often than not, they never got the right education.

And THAT is where teach for India comes in. Its not about making leaders etc. and all the other jazz they use to get their corporate sponsorship.

Its about making sure these kids don't grow up to never know what its like to live with dignity.

Its about making sure that nobody ever is ignored again.

That they're heard.

Because this time when they raise their voice,

they won;t just be the 'undeserving poor', they'll be equals. Human beings living with equal dignity.

People we treat at par with ourselves.

And THAT is why I'm going to play my part in this movement.

<Just a thought>