In order to celebrate Dashain differently, a year back I went to Pashupati Old-age home with food packets.Echoing hymns, fragrance from incense sticks and the the tune of tingling bells were lurking around the Pashupati Area.
No sooner had I entered the old- age home, the scenario completely changed. Calm and peaceful,an old women covered by a shawl was basking in the sun. Some old men were walking around sharing stories of their past. Some were constantly looking at the door maybe their eyes were longing for someone.
I assume that's exactly what you do after being abandoned.As the old age home was prepared for our arrival, the donation program commenced. I along with other people who had come for the same purpose, started distributing the food packets. They took it, blessed and smiled .
Their heart melting smiles were way better than that of the miss worlds' till date. I had abundant time so I started talking. Some were left by their children right in front of the old age home never to return. While some were rescued from the road. Some childless old people came there on their own while some were brought by their own children but came to visit regularly. Some shared their anecdotes and experiences while some were teary eyed and there eyes spoke it all.
My hands were definitely empty but I left with happy heart. :)
STORY 2
Today it is not HIV, Ebola, or Encephalitis that kills human being
but it is the feeling of being unwanted.
Physical diseases can be cured but only love can heal loneliness,
despair, and hopelessness.
After the principal showed green signal, I headed towards the
classroom.
"Good morning Missssssss" the class welcomed me.
"Sit down" I said. I noticed all of them for a while.
Some students were busy looking outside the window while some
were busy biting their nails, some were busy curling their hair strands
while some were busy patting their cheeks for no apparent reason.
ल अब सबैजाना ध्यान देउ यता I started my class.
I never thought slapping and thrashing would help because slaps and thrashes never worked on me when I was a child and developing a sense of fear in the young minds was not good option either. I guess that created a strong bond between me and them. The faces
which used to be disappointed before had wonderful and warm smiles.
Talking about my work I taught anything and everything to anyone and
everyone. One day some girls insisted me to stay longer and in the
sun we shared our stories.
Some were rescued from the red light areas of India, Some were about to be sold and were brought from border areas, some had ran away from their houses as their fathers were ready to marry them to unknown person for some cartoons of alcohol, some couldn't bear incest and some couldn't bear physical and mental torture by their step parents.There were many children, many more stories, much more pain and a really dark history.
After they unfolded their past I felt I was lucky and fortunate enough to own such a beautiful life. I had made no big difference but yes the students have raised from X to X+1.
I volunteered and taught there for four months and what did I get in return? I learnt that life has given me a lot and their smiles taught me that problems do not weaken u but makes u tough for the toughest times.
STORY 3
5 minutes of
your time +350 ml of your blood= 1 life saved
From the
above line itself you may have understood yourself what my third activity is,
Gotcha!Exactly what you assumed my third act is related to blood donation.
Almost 12 women stepped out from the Red Cross vehicle with heavy boxes in
Golden Gate International College which was the venue for the blood donation.
Male volunteers were busy taking desks and benches to the ground and simultaneously were looking if the girls were noticing their hard work or not while the girls were busy carrying cartoons of real juice and fruits for the blood donors. After all the tables, desks, food items, bags were set in their respective places the donation formally started. The nurses sent the donors after checking their fitness. The flow of students was very thin in the initial phase which had already disheartened the volunteers but after some board members teachers and founders donated their blood the flow became massive. Regardless of the scorching heat without any hesitation the volunteers did their work with full energy.
Talking about the donors their contribution was a vital one. You could actually see all kind of people there lean, thin, fat, chubby, fair, those with big black plastic framed power spectacles, those who were busy playing candy crush and those who were asking for free juice again. I as a coordinator coordinated the program brought food items when they seemed less handled the guests helped the volunteers to handle the flow and encouraged students to try once. When the clock struck 2:00 the nurses stopped taking donors and that was an official end of the program.
With huge media coverage and smooth work our program had become grand success and after knowing that approximately 400 individuals had donated their blood our happiness knew no bounds.
We also achieved the award of” highest blood donating organization of the year” .Our one initiation had saved approximately 400 lives and we actually felt like saviors. After the program ended I remembered what one of my teachers had said in the class “tears of a mother can’t save a child but your blood can.” J
