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In September 2022, I participated in an event called Race to embrace. The school organized this event intending to foster peer-to-peer discussion of life’s big issues so that we can all learn from one another’s experiences and support one another in completely accepting life’s paradoxes and mysteries. Nimesh Patel, also known as “Nimo,” was the guest speaker for the first session. Nimo has worked for Manav Sadhna for 12 years, a nonprofit organization that aims to strengthen the lives of those living in slum areas in Ahmedabad. By sharing his experience with these communities, he greatly motivated and inspired us to volunteer with the organization to learn more about it and the people it works with.

LO5: Demonstrate the skills and benefits of working collaboratively
In this experience, collaboration was essential. Together, we came up with various enjoyable activities that encouraged cooperation, critical thinking, and decision-making. We also learned a group dance to perform for the kids there. In addition to working with each other, we also collaborated with the kids there. when we sat down to help them with their craftwork, we thought that we would be teaching them new skills but in turn, we were the ones that learned from them. Together, we achieved their goal for the day and learned new craft skills like working with threads. We were able to learn from one another, share our viewpoints and experiences, and form a new connection with the children there thanks to our cooperation.

LO6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
Inequalities in access to high-quality education are the issue that I showed engagement with through my experience. An excellent education is something that every kid is entitled to. But many children around the world don’t get to experience that owing to several reasons, including a lack of finances and other resources. As a result, they lose out on the chance to increase their knowledge and skills. Manav Sadhna has started a number of initiatives like “earn and learn” and even community centres like Manav Jatan with the goal of giving the kids a good education as well as holistic skills and skill-development activities. Also, they run a programme called Paryavaran Mitra for sisters who pick up trash to help combat the problem of No Poverty and make sure that their efforts don’t go in vain. On the second day, we went early in the morning to collect trash from Ahmedabad’s streets.

LO7: Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
After a successful day of fun and games at the Gandhi Ashram, we were asked to visit the homes of some of the children at manav Sadhna in the slum areas to interact with their families, understand their experiences and viewpoints. We were anxious about coming across as well-dressed, superior, and “better than them,” which put us in an ethical dilemma. But when we heard the kids themselves inviting us, we caved in. The thing that most surprised us, though, was how hospitably their families welcomed us in, made sure that none of us left with an empty stomach and shared their experiences over tea and snacks. Yet, in order to avoid coming across as disrespectful, condescending, or dismissive of them and their responses were mindful of the kind of questions we asked in order to not come off as rude, arrogant or dismissive to their experiences.

In conclusion, this experience was a fun and enlightening one. It taught me the value of helping those in need, no matter how tiny the contribution, since their smiles are worth it. It also made me recognise the advantages of working cooperatively with both friends and strangers. In addition, interacting with children forced me out of my comfort zone because I had always felt awkward around children of any age.

I went to Manav Sadhna, expecting to impart my knowledge to the children there but unexpectedly, I came back with more knowledge about the institution, how it works, the life in slums, the positive outlook towards life and how I should find happiness in what I have.