MAD - "MAKE A DIFFERNCE!!!" =)

I always wanted to join an NGO,but like those promises we take up with great zest and zeal ,and then forget by sweeping them silently under the carpet of our mind ,and letting them lie there.where they turn to the much dreaded "empty promises" .I pretty much let my "NGO PROMISE" suffer the same fate .

Its not that i hadn't tried.I had looked up different NGO's but I just didn't feel confident enough to join ,nor did i feel i could whole heartedly support the various causes that they stood for .Its not that these NGO's weren't good .Its like trying on a pair of jeans , the one's that fit your friend , aren't necessarily going to fit you ,no matter how perfect they look on your friend .

Time had passed,and i joined college,life as i knew it became more hectic and demanding .I had almost given up hope on my "NGO promise" , when an old school friend of mine told me about "MAKE A DIFFERENCE(MAD)" . I loved the idea instantly when i heard it - teach underprivileged kids "english" ,two hours a week.All that "MAD" as a organization asked for was your time and dedication , nothing else. It seemed perfect , just the right thing to fit smoothly into my schedule and as I loved teaching and especially working with kids it seemed like the "perfect NGO fit !" .

The children that MAD targets ,already receive primary education,which might be in english or in the local regional language .But sadly even then we all know that in today's world ENGLISH is not a necessity but a wanted requirement to survive.MAD focuses on teaching ENGLISH , to kids ,so that these children can get good jobs ,and have a brighter future,be it any career they choose!!

In the weeks that followed I was interviewed by MAD , and when the call came for my conformation as a "MAD VOLUNTEER" I was ecstatic.Its one of those moments I will always remember.I was then given my center and the class of kids that I would be teaching , I like to call them "my kids" ,for the simple fact that they feel like family and my responsibility.I was even given a syllabus , containing the curriculum of the course we were supposed to teach . After the initial ice breaking session , classes started full swing .

Now roughly 3 months from the time I was officially christianed a "MAD VOLUNTEER" the experience so far has been extremely 'life-changing' .Yes , I know it sounds like too dramatic word and experience , and yet I can't think of any other word .I joined MAD thinking that I would be 'making a difference' in the lives that I touched , but its the other way round!

Being with these kids has taught be so much about life and about myself. I feel blessed to lead the life that I have lead till now , the education that I have received and the family and friends that I have around me .Athought till recently I would crib about my life ,and the pangs and aches of my world. Being at MAD has taught me to be thankful and enjoy the small joy's of life .That everything does not have to be necessarily be large scale to enjoy .And that to be just fortunate and grateful for the way things are .The children whom I teach ,have taught me how to get in touch with my inner 'kid' and how to have 'fun' again playing small make believes and running around each other.They have reminded me of yesteryears old school memories , which come in surprising flashes bringing back waves of nostalgia and bitter-sweet memories.

But most importantly they have taught me to be grateful for the teachers that I have had and the dedication that they had , but I never had fully acknowledged for now I have realized what a huge task "teaching" is.How much effort and concentration is required to teach a class of students and to try and get the best out of them even when they are not interested! Also , i find myself using the methods ,my teachers once taught me with and I think thats the best tribute that I can give them in my own small way and thus MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE!!