Every year our school organizes a "Joy of Giving" week- sometimes during Christmas and sometimes during Diwali. Through the course of this week, we take part and participate in various events which enable us to give back to the community. October 17th to October 24th was the week of 2022.As part of the event; students had to do multiple chores- clean the labs, the library and their classrooms. Students made thankyou cards as a token of appreciation. Friday- 21st October was when pupils made delicious snacks - sandwiches; bhelpuri and lemonade which they served to the school staff. This was followed by the distribution of gifts. Earlier this week, we had a donation drive where all of us gathered up presents to share with underprivileged children on occasion of Diwali. These presents were wrapped up, put in boxes and loaded into the bus. As part of the 2022 student council, I was a representative of the school, and I was one of the 12 students who would be going in person and handing out the gifts.
After lunch me and the rest of the council met in the commerce room waited for our chaperones and discussed about the "Joy of Giving" and after a couple of minutes; we boarded the buses and drove away from school. First stop was a cozy little government school that consisted of 20 pupils. Unfortunately, that day was when there was the least attendance - only 4 kids. We collected presents from the bus; entered the classroom spoke to the teachers Ashna, Anjali and Anvitha handed out the gifts while the rest of spoke to them and arranged the presents for the absentees. The children in the school were very small and innocent. They were timid and shied away from us, but upon receiving the present they were baffled and didn't know what to do with it and when they found out it was for them their eyes gleamed. We learnt their names and gave them high fives. While we were leaving me and Thomas high fived and connected out hands with that of Madhupriya's through the window. This little trip filled us with joy, and this was just the beginning.
The Second Government school we visited was huge- there were a total of 150 students. As soon as we entered the school we were welcomed by the teachers and students. We unloaded the bus and passed the gifts and stacked them up in one corner. After getting a sufficient number of gifts we introduced ourselves and spoke to the students. We each then took a couple of gifts and handed them out. They were delighted to receive gifts and when it came to the distribution of notebooks and stationery their excitement was over the roof. This was followed by us handing out biscuits and candy and the kids taking them with excitement. This was when I encountered a lively boy who told me about his favorite biscuits. Turns out he loved Oreos just as much as I did. :) I then interacted with a couple of more students, conversed with them and laughed about. They loved us a lot and they were super enthralled to spend time with us they gave us infinite high fives which indeed made us feel like a celebrity. Filled with pleasure we bid them adieu and set out for the next stop.
This wasn't a school. The third place we visited was a slum. We got down the bus and slowly unpacked the gifts,food,blankets and clothes and segregated them into different cartons. Priyanshu and Aryaa, the extremely strong members of the council caried the cartons. In the short span of us transporting the goodies outside the bus the crowd had doubled the line stretched for a score of meters. We learnt that such commodities that were common to us were new for them, and we decided to do our best to make their way. Each one of us handed out different stuff- I was in charge of handing out chocolates, cookies and candy - the cravings of the sweet tooth. I gave each person a handful and spoke to a couple of people in Hindi and then I handed out 2 T-shirts and then was ready for the following place.
The final destination was another government school. Upon reaching the school all twelve of us split into groups of three and took responsibility of a classroom. Me Jia and Anvita were grouped together, and we all distributed some more presents, toffee games, books and art supplies. We spoke to the kids in Kanada and told them about our school we also instructed them to share certain gifts we shook hands, smiled and engaged with the pupils we also spoke to the teachers and then we said our goodbyes and set off to school.
This was an extremely engaging event. That not only made the day of hundreds of children, me my friends and teachers but it had also educated us about discipline and taught us the value of being humble and caring for others. The best event the student council took part in is definitely the Joy of Giving.
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