Being born and brought up in India, I have seen many young kids who are unable to get even the most basic primary education due to a variety of issues like poverty, unawareness, the struggle for other basic necessities, etc. All these years when I was growing up, I was busy carving out my own life and pursuing my dreams, until recently when I decided to dedicate a month (yes, you hear it right, a month!!!) spending my time travelling for a cause, to teach in a very small charity in Goa, who works for primary educations of the underprivileged kids!
I got a chance to teach these lovely kids at the “Mango Tree Trust, Goa” for a period of time in Feb 2017. I cannot express my feeling as to how fulfilling an experience it was, and how privileged I felt to get this wonderful opportunity. I was absolutely amazed by the enthusiasm and the capabilities these little kids showed on a daily basis, be it in the area of academics, arts, crafts or sports. It was a pleasure to see the Mango Tree Trust coordinators, its trustees and other fellow volunteers, whom all I met in person, putting in all the effort required to ensure that every kid in the charity gets their basic needs fulfilled
Why I chose Mango Tree Trust
When I finally decided that I want to volunteer and teach, the first challenge was to find a right organization that I can join and make a positive difference. Having heard of many stories about the various scams with NGOs in India, I wanted to choose an organization that was small, focused and worked towards a goal that matched my thought process, i.e. providing primary / basic education to every kid.
Mango Tree Trust is a small charity based in Mapusa, Goa, run by lady for the last 6 years. The motto of the organization is being “committed to education and to interventions such as good nutrition, healthcare and incentives for parents, which will make it more likely that children can access and succeed at mainstream school”
You can read more about the organization, its values and beliefs @ https://www.mangotreegoa.org/index.htm
Steps that I followed to apply and volunteer at Mango Tree Trust
Once I had made up my mind to volunteer and teach at Mango Tree Trust, I emailed @”themangotreetrust@hotmail.com” with the details on who I was and what was I looking for
I was asked to fill the Volunteering Application Form with some additional details like personal information if I had a Police Clearance Certificate (as the work involved working with young kids), my skills & experience, why I wanted to volunteer with them, any medical issues and a couple of referrals
Once I sent the form back, it was reviewed by the Mango Tree Team and they informed me about the success of my application in 2 weeks
The dates were then discussed along with any questions I had. There was a one-time fee of approx. Rs 5000 to secure the place (this is to ensure that the person is serious & committed about volunteering and is just not looking for something to do while in Goa)
I applied for a Police Clearance Certificate and got it within 2 weeks of my application. Upon receiving the certificate, I was all set to go on an experience of a lifetime
Please note that I started the procedure to apply for volunteering around 3 months in advance to ensure that I get enough time to apply for a police clearance certificate which may take time depending on the country you are applying from and the rules that apply for it
My experience with Mango Tree Trust in pictures
Learning through Art & Craft classes:
Every day after the subject classes, kids had various Art & Craft sessions wherein they learnt skills in a fun way. I had a gala time teaching and helping them identify animals, numbers, etc. using dough stencils, paper craft and drawings, and in turn learned making hand bands and dancing from them
Regular curriculum-based classes
During these classes, the main area of focus for me was to help them with their maths’ classes and help them improve their English reading & understanding skills
Inter-school Football competition
I was lucky to witness the inter-school football competition which was being held when I was there. It was the first time Mango Tree had been invited to participate in the completion. The kids had never played as a team, never been coached by a qualified coach, or had any nutrition level for the fitness required for such a physical game. It was amazing to see these kids still march to the semi-final beating various teams that had a much superior level of fitness and resources at their disposal. I was overjoyed witnessing these matches and tried to do my best to ensure that they kept hydrated and well-fed during the game
My Birthday Celebration
And the day I celebrated my Birthday with these little munchkins, I received the most beautiful birthday greeting card of my life, and hundreds of honest wishes; the only thing I had at the end was tears of joy in my eyes!
Happiness on the faces of the kids’ when they saw a magic show for the first time
When I asked the head teacher of Mango Tree Trust as to what special could I do for the kids on my birthday that could bring joy on their faces, she suggested that I sponsor a magic show. And there you go – the expressions on the kids’ faces is something I cannot forget ever – they were just priceless. Have a look for yourself!
The moments when every kid wanted to pose with you just because of the bond of love created in 4 weeks’ time
In 4 weeks of time, I had plenty of moments when I felt like I am having fun with my own family this is how they loved me back for all little I did for them and with them. They definitely made me realize, how little you need in your life for enjoyment and live it happily
And the cutest video
This video was sent to me just after I left for home after completing my tenure. This made me take the decision to join them back soon after, towards the end of 2017 🙂
My first extinct of volunteering and spending quality time with these kids, really changed me in many ways, especially my definition of comforts and over-spending on the materialistic belongings and probably the most important thing is “Just being happy” and “keep smiling” whatever situation you are in 🙂
Keep “Making the Difference“ as much as you can!!!