Access to Education

A few weeks ago I received this email, sent out to all of the faculty at our school:

Dear AES Community, You may recall hearing from me last fall, when we held our other “Big Event” for the part of ReachOut we call “Access to Education.” At that time, each year, we have the School Uniforms Drive; and each spring we have the School Supplies Drive…As always, we need your help! For those of you who don’t know, “a proper Uniform and basic  School Supplies” are the simple requirements necessary for admission into the Delhi state school system. We are now in our 23^rd year of helping our Vivekanand neighbors meet this need. The value of Education is now fully embraced by the colony, with 100% of their children attending school…(and Zero percent engaging in begging or street performing)! So, please try to come to the Main gym, at 9:00 this Sunday morning (sorry, the Gym is not available anytime Saturday!). We will be sorting and loading a record number of backpacks (483!). After a 45-60 minute break, we will distribute the backpacks to the students of Vivekanand, at around 12:30. We won’t need as much help for distribution, but I encourage all who can to at least stop by to view (and photograph?) the milling Colony children outside of Gate 5, or those who come inside—12 at a time—to receive their backpacks. This year, Colony families are paying part of the cost of Uniforms and School Supplies, and will pay more each year, until we are only helping a few families who truly cannot pay. This is exiting and important. The colony has a much improved economy, as Education has improved their lives and Incomes! Therefore, outside help is becoming less and less necessary. This event is a culmination of the efforts of many over the years. We continue to benefit from the ongoing substantial financial support of our generous PSA, and others. Gagan (Middle School Tech and teacher), Ram (a resident of Vivekanand, and now working in our main Tech dept.), Cheryl and I look forward to seeing  you this Sunday morning and/or afternoon. Come celebrate with us. Thanks from the “Access2Ed” Team,Jeff

One of the assumptions I had made coming to India is that I would be involved in more community service, how could you not be? Sadly that turned out to not be the case for me. True there are plenty of opportunities to support our students in their activities, but thanks to other obligations on my part I wasn't able to make a long term commitment in this arena. This, then, seemed like a way I could do something small to help support one of the long term successful programs our school engages in. I showed up at 9 and it took us just over an hour to unwrap and pack over 400 backpacks for the students that live in the colony across the street from the school. Thanks to the weather heating up we decided to distribute the bags early, and Ram took care of letting the families know that we would start early.

By the time we returned from a short break they were lined up outside the gate (lined up! one of the volunteers who has been involved with this for years said it was shockingly quiet and calm with very little pushing this year, perhaps they've realized we'll make sure every student gets his bag of supplies and there is no need to push and shove to be first.) Children were let in ten at a time. One group headed directly to they gym where their cards were checked to make sure they had met the attendance requirement we have in place (we'll provide supplies as long as they are actually attending school at least 75% of the time), another group sat on benches in the hallway, a third group sat on the sidewalk outside, the last group hung on the gate in the entryway waiting their turn to enter while a line stretched around the corner outside the gates. It was so great to see them excited to pick up their materials. The littlest accompanied by siblings, their eyes bright at the thought they would be going to school this year. Those in elementary and middle school excited to show us their papers saying they were ready to  move on to another class. The high schoolers I passed bags out to were to cool to seem eager, but when I spoke with them, particularly those who were starting their last two years, you could see the pride in their eyes. Pride in the fact that they were going to make it through school as their parent's hadn't.

I walked away humbled by how much the chance for an education means to these children. Pleased that there are people at my school who care enough to make sure that all of the children around us has that opportunity.