Calcutta Day 7 - August 3, 2010

Today we went to EMC’s project at the New Market slum community where they provide a variety of services, including medical care for soon-to-be and new mothers, food and feeding programs for babies and young children, social work and counseling within this community, microfinancing, and the NFE program for the children of this community.  We focused again on the NFE, spending the morning observing the children and teachers, and the afternoon meeting with the teachers of this program.

Sharing pics/videos of
the children in 2008.

I had the opportunity to visit this project 2 years ago and meet these beautiful and talented children – very good dancers – and it was so great to be able to see some of the same faces.  Faces of children who have grown, who have become better dancers, and are more educated than they were then.  The older children asked me to share the videos and pictures I had taken on my last trip, which I’m thankful I carry my laptop everywhere because they really enjoyed that.  I captured another video of the kids dancing and singing so I look forward to showing that to them the next time I come, hopefully in the near future.

Youngest class - 3-5 year olds inching
forward, eagerly wanting to learn!

So in this small community center that comprises of 2 small rooms joined by a doorway, these teachers are able to hold non formal school for 4 separate levels.  The youngest children, age 3-5 occupied the small room that was also full of crates of supplies and other items.  When it’s not being used as a classroom, it’s also used as the microfinance repayment center, health clinic, and focus group room among other things.

3 separate classes in this room.

In the other small room, 3 separate classes were taking place at the same time.  In one corner was class 1 for ages 7-9, another class 2 for ages 10-13, and another corner were the kids who were the kids who EMC had helped prepare and enroll in formal schools and had come to do homework and such.  The school that they attended goes from 6AM to 10AM!  So they joined us after they were done.  To give you a sense for how large this room was – imagine the length of an average twin bed – 5 lengths by 2 lengths – that’s my approximation.  I’m bad at estimating but that’s what I’ve got in my mind.  Anyhow these students were just so thirsty for knowledge.  They were inching forward to answer questions and learn, and even asking for homework! 

The truly inspiring teachers
performing a skit to start the day

After school ended, one of the teachers took us to go purchase some Indian spices which was around the corner from the community center.  Not sure how we will use them just yet but we are eager to try!  Then we auto rickshawed it to EMC office to meet with the teachers we were observing this morning.  We had a great discussion and conversation.  We are learning by trial how to best guide these discussions, but at the end we have gotten quite a lot of invaluable insights.  Despite some language barriers, we are inspired by these teachers that we are meeting, who have dedicated their lives to this community.  We are learning about their lives and their commitment to this community.  Each of the 5 teachers we met today had been working in that community for 10-20 years. They’ve seen so much positive change over the years.  One teacher was sharing that when they first started in that community 18 years ago, the stench was so rancid and the sight such an eyesore that they found it difficult to bear.  They shared that the community has changed so much since then. Honestly that thought they had 18 years ago was not all too different from the our reaction when we first visited it last week.  I cannot even imagine, and I am so inspired by these women who despite that, continued to love this community and serve them.  I have so much to learn from them.

After our meeting, we saw one of the girls from the rehab center step out of their door (which is in the room next to ours), and Grace and I happily jumped at the opportunity to say hello.  They invited us in and we had a little dance party with them.  Twas a nice work break.

We’re back at our place now.  Had a delicious Indian dinner, ice cream cone at McD’s, and then back to our place for our nightly ritual of searching for water to fill our buckets with.  We go from shower to shower, faucet to faucet, turning nobs hoping something will drip, but usually to limited success.  Thankfully we were able to fill up a bucket and a half and we are now clean!

Alright, we have a very early day tomorrow visiting another NFE for the older children.