KINDNESS HAS CHANGED MY LIFE

American author and storyteller, Garrison Keillor once said “Nothing you do for children is ever wasted” and rightly so.

When I volunteered to teach at Angel Xpress Foundation, I was not really sure what to expect and what was expected of me. I knew a gist of the wonderful work that Angel Xpress did and was eager to participate. I volunteered to teach English to underprivileged children who came to the Goregaon East Centre. What started off as my contribution towards a better society turned into a wonderful experience that has changed my life! I am richer emotionally, mentally and feel contented like I have lived a useful life.

To be able to make a difference even in one child’s life, is a job well done. I have been able to interact with so many children and each one of them has left an impression in my heart. To see the young children grow into confident, mature and informed individuals makes the hours I put in there worthwhile. I see myself as a mentor to these less privileged children who have the ambition and the will to succeed despite the lives they live. Some come from broken families, some from poor homes and many from less fortunate backgrounds. Despite their backgrounds, they each come to the centre to learn and improve their circumstances. They know and understand that education and qualification is the ticket to a brighter future. To be able to aid in their quest for this bright future is indeed a wonderful feeling.

The children’s enthusiasm and excitement is truly infectious. In the one year that I have taught at Angel Xpress’s Goregaon East Centre, the children have somewhere ceased to be students and become an extended part of my life. Their curiosity, attention to detail and small gestures make my hours with them so wonderful. On one or two occasions when I missed a class, the children got upset and angry because they missed me. They are observant and don’t forget to compliment me when I make an extra effort to dress up and look good. I strongly believe that children are like wet cement, and I hope to make the right impression on them.

My time at Angel Xpress Foundation is even more special because of the interest my son has shown in attending the sessions with me. During his holidays he accompanies me to the centre and I get to see the empathetic and humane side of my child. The kind of interaction he has with the children tells me that I have done well as a mother.

I would recommend volunteering at Angel Xpress Foundation to all the educated and privileged people out there as a form of catharsis. This act of educating and giving these children the gift of knowledge beats any monetary contributions by more than a mile.

Angel Xpress Foundation was started with a dream and determination to provide every underprivileged child with an opportunity to grow, to succeed. So let’s all join in and volunteer to spread light in the underprivileged children’s lives.

 

Moushumi Pal

Owner and Founder at Woodpeckermedia

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