It's unusually warm and humid today, Saturday 5th August, as the Just One team drive towards Shiva Ji Mission school in Laxmanpur, Varanasi for a fruit distribution. When we arrive today everything is quiet. All the students have returned to the classrooms except for the youngest ones. These 3 and 4 year olds now have the small play area to themselves and are using this time to full advantage. They are an amazing sight as they dance and twirl and laugh and play, completely oblivious to everything else, including our arrival at the school.
After the young children have had some time to enjoy themselves and just ‘be’ children in the play area, they too are ushered into their classroom for their next lesson. At the same time the team of senior students delegated to distribute the fruits gathers together to begin their seva. The fruit today is very large and perfectly ripened bananas. Each student receives 2 of the bananas and they are thrilled with this gift. They show their bananas proudly and every one wishes to individually have their photo taken.
As the team enters each of the classrooms to distribute the bananas, it seems as though more of the older students are now back at the school as well. As the summer season comes to a close, they are returning from their summer responsibilities to attend to their education – a fine balance and big demand on the children whose families are reliant on them for income to survive. There are now approximately 290 students at the school - a noticeable increase on the average of 250 students we have been serving since school returned in July and it rebalances the ratio of young to older students at the school. Their return gladdens my heart and I am so happy to see these familiar faces again – familiar faces who seem utterly happy and content to be back.
As the team enters each of the classrooms to distribute the bananas, it seems as though more of the older students are now back at the school as well. As the summer season comes to a close, they are returning from their summer responsibilities to attend to their education – a fine balance and big demand on the children whose families are reliant on them for income to survive. There are now approximately 290 students at the school - a noticeable increase on the average of 250 students we have been serving since school returned in July and it rebalances the ratio of young to older students at the school. Their return gladdens my heart and I am so happy to see these familiar faces again – familiar faces who seem utterly happy and content to be back.
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