INDO –CZECH Exchange Reflections- The Open Gate School students visit Kumbharghar

After arriving to Mumbai, our group of students from Open Gate with co-operation of the students from DAIS, we went to the village of Kumbharghar in the region of Maharashtra. During the drive to the village, we were introduced to the time plan about what we were to do in the village. After arrival, we had to carry around 300 heavy bricks from one end of the village to another. We had to get it to a place where a new house was being built. The distance between these two places was approximately 500 meters and to transport the bricks most efficiently, we decided to create a chain of all our members so every member would carry just small distance before carrying another brick. After the bricks were on the building site, I started to help one villager with preparing cement for building foundations for his house and helped to apply the cement on the building. The next day was really similar as the first one, firstly carrying bricks again and then again getting to prepare the cement. After two days of work I have seen significant results of my work. With my contribution, we have built foundation for a house and also understood the mentality of the villagers. The local villagers for me seemed uninterested in the beginning and seemed that they did not require much help, they did think of us as not trustworthy. Through the 2 days I am sure this changed, the villagers trusted us more and were satisfied with our work. Apart from that, they seemed to be keen on their traditions and even though they spoke different language, we could communicate easily when discussing basic things about work.

After work was done in Kumbarghar, it was time to move to another village. We travelled to Matheran, to be close to Hassachipatti, which was our village where we were supposed to help next. In contrast to Kumbarghar, in Hassachipati we were not supposed to help physically, but to help entertain children from the local school. The children were between 4 to 11 years of age and we prepared many activities to entertain them, as well as teach them new things. We taught them counting in English up to 5 through games, involving thinking as well as running activities. The children were very different from the little children in Europe. We found they additionally humble and paid a lot of respect to us as newcomers. There was not a single kid that disrespected us. They were patient and always waited for instructions. All the games we presented entertained them and there was no sign of the children not enjoying our presence.

- THE OPEN GATE STUDENTS, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC