The evening of 3rd October saw the village of Aine, Dahanu in great bustle and activity. In the midst of the usually-quiet courtyard gathered a large group of children – singing, dancing and having fun! This group was an amalgamation of students of SVKM International School and children of the Warli tribe from the village – sharing the courtyard, the evening and the culture. While our students put up a small entertainment show of rollicking songs and tunes, the Warli children delighted us with a performance of their native form of dance and songs. Soon the disparities vanished as each group tried the other’s style and merged into one large group of joyous people bringing exhilarated life to the village.
This tempo did not fall the next morning as everyone set up for the day ahead. If one group of students set up tables for a medical camp, another group put up the charts on health awareness and hygiene all over the classes in the village. Some students gathered around the old structure that required painting, while others found themselves at the farm understanding and helping in the various farming activities. The proceeds from the week-long collection drive held in Mumbai prior to the trip were then arranged according to the plan of distribution. Soon the doctors arrived and the camp began in full swing! The Warli children went from one section to another – getting diagnosed, learning about day-to-day hygiene and receiving water bottles, medicines, insect repellents, art material, tools for oral and dental care etc. Subsequently, our students rotated between the different activities periodically and the day passed away in this busy stir…
All this buzz was part of a student-organized CAS project by the students of SVKM International School who have formed the Alpha Leo Club. Everything from the travel bookings to the allocation of time was planned by us students. It really challenged all our team work and organization capabilities, pushing us to the edge. Meeting and spending time with the Warli children gave us a taste of their lives. Living the way they lived right from bathing, sleeping to eating really helped us learn and grow as individuals. It sensitized us to the conditions around us that we may usually be shielded from and also, augmented our appreciation of the great gifts that we have been endowed with. Each one of us was touched by this trip, by the warmth and humility of the Warli people and the keenness of the children to learn. And, I do believe, that in our own small way, each one of us touched their lives as well…
-Mithila Saraf
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