Kids Rule!

I’m falling in love with all these children. At Shanti-Bhavan they do not only learn about math and science and spelling and social studies…they learn about solidarity, about wanting the best for the other and about serving those who need help. In my math class, I do contests up on the board in which they race to answer a problem; whoever is quickest wins a candy…CANDY is like GOLD to these children. Anyways, I make sure that those who don’t win, go up to the board twice or three times so that eventually everyone ends up with a candy…they encourage that. Instead of doing the usual “haha, look I got a candy, and its red”, these children say “Miss Blue Jay, (Oh yeah side note: they switched my nickname from JayJay to Blue Jay, because “I’m pretty like a bird”…random I know, BUT SO SWEET, and they say Genvi occasionally) “Miss blue Jay, let Nithya go to the board again so she can get a candy too!!” It’s nice to be surrounded by a harmony among so many people, and young people in their formative years. I have never experienced such harmony.

I have had the best time teaching dance here! These kids can SHAKE IT! I have proposed the principle to do a show sometime in the next couple months and then another one in December before I leave in which all my dance kids (KG through 8th) perform for the school. Currently I’m choreographing dances for them to JT’s Lovestoned, Bob Sinclair’s Rock this Party, Christina Aguilera’s Candyman, and Letter to Cleo’s I Want You To Want Me. =)

For the 6th 7th and 8th though, Francesca and I are co-teaching an “artistic expression” class in which we are dealing with the idea of “opportunity”. We share our stories, they share their stories…and we create non-verbal expressions of our stories, either through dance, acting, or Improvisation. The students this week were really cooperative and seem to be enjoying the class even though its not that conventional.

So there are 5 volunteers here right now. Two of them are recent high school grads that are just helping out for a month in the “physical education” arena, then there is Frannie and I and then there is Suparna (Indian origin, hence the name). She is really, really cool, native Bostonian, lives in New York and is currently applying to grad school. New great friend, and she is here till December too, which is awesome! Then in the next couple weeks, 3 more arrive, Derek, Nicole, and Nick. Suparna knows them and she says they are really great, so I’m excited to have more people here.

Then there are the resident teachers, 11 of them. The school, which is privately funded by The George Foundation, is going through an financial crisis and so there have been cuts in pay in the last couple of years, forcing teachers to leave. From 22 teachers there are now 11 doing the same amount of work. They are selfless and loving and the most inspiring people I’ve met. They have left lives behind in the cities and have dedicated themselves to teaching these children so that they have a future. Their answer for why they haven’t left is most often: “I wouldn’t leave these children for the world.” We often see Dr. George walking around who is currently working relentlessly ot find sponsors and partners. This man who was born and raised in India then went to the US for college and basically conquered the software industry becoming one of the top 15 business entrepreneurs in the US according to Forbes Magazine and Business week. After he made his millions, he founded The George Foundation and has since dedicated himself alleviating poverty in this area of Tamilnadu.

I miss all of you and I hope life is beautiful for all of you right now. Thank you for reading this! See you in a week.

Shanti,
Genevieve