Kho Na Jaaye Ye …

I must say, we were underprepared, equipment wise and emotionally too, So when Ashwini, the 7^th standard so girl from Varoti told us that her performance involves dance on a particular song that we did not have in our mobiles, we told her “May be, you register your name now and we will review your performance in the next week”, She hesitated for a minute but eventually her enthusiasm seemed to overpower the shyness,

“But I can sing while I dance”, she said and we allowed her to perform. And that she did, She sung like she was stand still and she danced like she is dancing to some music that is being played just for her, singing and dancing both at the same time. This is Ashwini Singing and dancing and what the scorecard changed like.

“Never go in with preconceived notion”, one of the many things corporate life seemed to have taught us and we all (as we should) try not to be judgmental before having a look,

but…

Tell me, can you expect children who walk almost 6-7 kilometers to school, many of them barefoot, to come up with such stunning performances and such beautiful expressions …

Have a look,

The occasion was the qualifying rounds for the Talent Hunt 2010 organized by Pune Outreach. We visited almost 8 schools in the remote areas, about 60-70 Kms from Pune during the weekend and everywhere the story was the same, these children were coming up with displays of skills that were just mind blowing, Outreach does provide them with stationary and other means to help them continue their education but this was something very new to many of us.

Where was the stress of not knowing where to go after (if) they complete school? Where was the sense of uncertainty about what they’d find on the road back home (and If that road will be there if it rains)? No shoes and nothing to keep them warm on the cold, cold school tiles they sit on? Can you feel any of that in his expression?

What got them so much joyous was the time we spent with them and the way we appreciated them, otherwise why’d they travel to school on Sundays just to meet us?

Something we have learnt through visits to these remote places around Pune, that, In addition to stationary and uniforms and basic medicines and foot ware these children need your time, they need to be told they can do great things with their lives with what minimal that they have, They need to be motivated, So …

That is what we have set to do with Talent Hunt 2010, we are going to give them some time, give them a perspective of the world they can reach if they continue their education, fighting mountainous obstacles in their way,

Let’s try to clear every doubt they might have, answer all their questions,

We are going to get some of these kids to Pune for 2 days and have sports and cultural competition amongst them to give these little stars a chance to shine in front of a larger audience, an audience which then can spread the word and get more help for them.

You all are invited, to celebrate with kids and but before that You all are invited to volunteer with Outreach to arrange the event, At least for some of these kids, we can make sure that,

Kho na jaaye ye,

Taarein zamin par.

Thank you.

-Nikhil D. Purwant

*Pictures by Nikhil D. Purwant & Sonali Patil