My experience with the Prakash Deep School began when I asked my parents about volunteering in India over Spring Break. After much convincing, I was able to fly to Faridabad, India, and began working with several orphanages and street schools. Prakash Deep had something that the others lacked. It was structured and had a sense of community unlike others. For the first time since I arrived, I felt a connection with the students and faculty. I visited the school as often as I could and fostered friendships with the children there, many of whom I am still in contact with.
I wanted to go on an adventure where I could have the opportunity to make an impact on a new community. That was my plan when I originally set out, but soon after arriving, I realized that the kids I was working with were more important that their environment. Many of them were extremely intelligent, curious, and filled with excitement. The compassion the children showed was almost offset the terrible conditions they were living in, but there was always a presence of poverty.
I did all that I could to expose myself to the culture and learn as much as I could from my environment. From getting into the habit of bowing while exploring the market, to introducing myself in Hindi, it all contributed to the experience of trying to fit in to a completely different environment. Visiting the schools was nerve-wracking at first, but after a couple of introductions, it became much easier to work with them. The language barrier was another issue that I had to deal with during my work there, but with a bit of patience, it was easy to overcome.
The Prakash Deep School isn't supported by the government or charity organizations. The only income they have is through donations and the kindness of others. Seeing the unbelievable opportunities they are providing for an entire community of children drove me to do as much as possible for them. For example, £800 can provide a full year's salary for three teachers, and we have raised over £2000 in the last year-and-a-half, with the intent of raising much more.
If you would like to make a donation, to volunteer your time, or learn more information about the Prakash Deep - Schooling for Underprivileged Children, please visit www.prakashdeep.com. Also, you can follow Colin's blog at http://theadventuresofcolin.blogspot.co.uk/.
This article first appeared in the TASIS England Alumni eNews, Winter 2012 issue.