Ananya Sinharoy

M.A English (Part II)

Loreto College, Kolkata

 INDEX
1. Day 1- Introduction with the kids.
2. Day 2- Cognitive activities (word and mind games).
3. Day 3- Music, art and dance by the kids.
4. Day 4- Understanding and recognizing sexual
violence.
5. Day 5- Sports Day
6. Day 6- Environmental education.
7. Day 7- Farewell.
Day- 1(Tuesday)

Date- 4. 04. 19

Time- 2 hours

The first day of our visiting the NGO was a memorable experience. Calcutta Social Project (CSP) is an
internationally awarded Social Service Organization, where slum and street children are being
empowered, equipped and educated.

There were children from ages five to fifteen, boys and girls who are inquisitive, questioning and curious.
They greeted us with all their warmth and tenderness. We asked their names separately, delved into their
individual personalities, inquired about their hobbies and interests. The children were very cooperative
and talented. Each one of them showcased their individual talents, some danced to the rhythm of the
songs that were being played, others performed a drama piece, and some recited poetry, while some
narrated stories to all of us. The first day was an enjoyable experience for us as we got to know each one
of them personally. The CSP provides coaching for the underprivileged children, also they are provided
with fresh foods including breakfast and lunch. Girls are being taught how to stitch and tailor clothes,
including crafting designs and handicrafts.

We gave gifts to each one of them, which included chocolates and other food items. We taught them two
poems – 1) William Wordsworth’s “The Solitary Reaper” and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “The Mountain
and the squirrel.”
Day- 2(Monday)

Date- 6. 04. 19

Time- 3 hours

The second day was filled with cognitive activities including mind and word games, where there were
three consecutive rounds, and the winner would get a gift from us. We gifted the winner with stationary
items and eatables. It was an entertaining and amusing experience, also it was quite engaging for the
children to brainstorm with new innovative words and ideas. We were quite impressed and also a bit
surprised at the learning abilities of the children, the sharpness of their brains, also most of them were
well read.

We made them read from certain portions of the stories and poems aloud, so that they could focus on their
pronunciations. The children were made to think on certain topics that we gave them, to frame sentences
from their own and also to recognize diagrams that were drawn on the blackboard.

For our survey, I gathered informations about their respective families and where they had come from, the
tasks they perform at home, about their education and their aim in life.
Day-3 (Wednesday)

Date- 8. 04. 19

Time- 3 hours

The third day was filled with music, art and dance. The dance teacher came to help the children to learn
dance steps for their upcoming program. The dance teacher taught them to dance on Rabindra Sangeet,
and the children performed after him. It was a beautiful spectacle for us to watch their performances that
exhibited plethora of talents and intelligence.

The children were made to paint pictures according to their wishes, which were extraordinarily beautiful.
We gave the children grammar lessons after the completion of their paintings. They were made to
construct sentences of their own, with words provided to them, to simplify the jumbled words, synonyms
and antonyms, also we taught them prefix and suffixes.
Day-4 (Friday)

Date- 10. 04. 19

Time- 3 hours

We helped the children with their school homework that included Maths, GK, Science and Geography.
We taught the chapters with extra individual care and attention, we helped them solve problem sums.
English language was also being taught that day. We taught them Tenses, in an elaborative manner, by
drawing charts and diagrams on the black board.

We gathered up the girls differently and made them understand the meaning and definition of sexual
abuse, in domestic as well as outside the domestic premises. We taught them certain strategies as to how
children should remain alert while they are interacting with older people, how to recognize when the girl
child is being abused and molested sexually, and how to act accordingly. This was a very special and
tender issue that we wanted to speak to the girls alone, so that they can combat any situation that is being
forced on them. Girls shared their own experiences while they interacted with people in the social
spheres, while we offered them solutions to those problems that were being posed.
Day-5(Monday)

Date- 13. 04. 19

Time- 3 hours

Day 5 was a sports day, we saw children playing in the big playground that has been provided to them for
their daily exercises. CSP has a very active sports program for its children comprising soccer, rugby and
athletics. Sports and extracurricular activities are at the heart of CSP’s initiatives. They played football
and cricket, with rounds and scores. The boys were very much into sports and other athletic events. We
also played with them and clicked group pictures which enhanced our bond to a large extent.
Day-6(Tuesday)

Date- 14. 04. 19

Time- 3 hours

The children, in Day 6, were taught to stay close to nature, to plant and save more trees. We taught them
environmental education and imparted knowledge on the concepts of pollution and how is it affecting the
major cities of India, how proper drainage system is needed to control land and water pollution. We
taught the children, the importance of planting more trees in our localities, and as a result how it would
benefit our mind and body. The children were very excited on learning new objectives that were passed
by the government to conserve nature; also they pledged to preserve nature by undertaking various
activities to cleanse the dirt that is already caused by human population. We also informed them about the
increasing population and how it is putting pressure on the Indian landmass. They learnt informations that
they had never heard before, which was very beneficial for the children.
Day-7(Wednesday)

Date- 15. 04. 19

Time- 3 hours

This was the last day of our project. We were aggrieved thinking about the parting that was to be done, as
we grew closer to these children, sharing a bond with them. The last day was contributed to individual
story telling. Children raised one after the other and shared their favorite stories and poems about great
authors and writers, about freedom fighters. We imparted our lecture on the famous historical figures of
antiquity and how were they important, we spoke about the lives of the great poets like Samuel Taylor
Coleridge, John Keats and William Wordsworth.

We exchanged tears and smiles as we departed, giving them our last tokens of love, some precious
handmade gifts that we had made for them. The children were very happy and so were we to have got the
opportunity to interact with such wonderful and inventive kids.
IMPACT
I want to thank Sister Christine Coutinho who has given us the opportunity to associate ourselves with a
non government organization. Working at an NGO had helped me grow in a number of ways. The active
volunteering on our part had helped us make a positive change and contribution towards the development
of the society. The basic aim was not only to help the children out of their conditions but to educate and
empower them which will eventually form a chain system in the society. The impact of working with
Calcutta Social Project was huge. Working here had broadened our perspective; it had helped me to gain
leadership and motivational skills which will be beneficial in the long run.