Every year the Make A Difference (MAD) students from local
universities in Nagpur take disadvantaged children from a variety of local
schools for a weekend of summer camp, which they call “Dream Camp”. This year
it was at Ramteke, an hour and a half (depending on how chaotic the traffic
is!) away from Nav Jeevan. The MAD students graciously allowed us to join in their
fun as chaperones.
The MAD organization is a national coalition of students
that attempts to build the self-esteem and confidence of disadvantaged
children. At Nav Jeevan, the MAD students come for after school activates and
tutoring three times a week. This weekend of fun serves as a celebration and an
incentive for the students to work hard. Frequently, it is their favorite part
of the year.
We arrived at camp just before lunch on Friday morning. On
the bus, the students were singing along to the radio and could barely stay in
their seats. When we arrived, we were greeted by a camp nestled between high
green hills covered with jungle and low farmlands that led down to a lake.
Overlooking the camp was the historic temple of Ramteke, which we had visited
previously. The camp had 25 tents set up in a cherry orchard, an outdoor cafeteria
area, a high ropes course, and community bathrooms. It felt much like the camps
Katherine and I had attended in the United States!
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| Our campsite |
For the first lesson, the children participated in activity
called “Beautiful You” where they were asked to trace an outline of their bodies
on paper and list all of their good qualities and some qualities they needed to
work on. For many students, it was the first time someone asked them to examine
themselves as an individual. This is extremely important for the child’s
development and the children walked away from the activity with bright smiles.
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| The children were divided into groups, which they called 'families' and given different paper hats. |
The next day, we started off early at 7:00am with aerobics.
Then, we took a brief nature hike to a close temple at the base of the hills.
The temple was from the 15th century and as we explored, the caretaker who
lived in a hut across the path came to watch us. The temple itself was a
stunning example of the history of India and the dedication of the small community.
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| The temple we visited called Karpur Bawadi. |
In the afternoon, the children were given a chance to share
their stories in small groups, many of which had examples of extreme hardship.
This activity not only allowed the children to form a stronger community to
support each other, but it also illustrated the emotional support of their MAD mentors
who come from more well-off families and cared immensely for the children.
After that emotional session, the students divided into their
small “family” groups and gathered wood for small cooking fires. They went on a
scavenger hunt for vegetables and then were challenged to make a creative dish
using only one pot over their fire. The kids, boys and girls alike, loved this
activity and came up with some very creative and tasty dishes!
On our final day, the children were asked to think about
their dreams and write down an action plan for their achievement. The dreams of
the children were diverse, some wanted to be teachers, others doctors, singers,
or police officers. After, the mentors hung the dreams with the child’s photo
on the back in a tree in the middle of the camp.
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| A student from Nav Jeevan with her dream. |
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| The high ropes course. |
It was a pleasure to work with the dedicated MAD students
and watch as the students were able to enjoy a weekend of fun and education. We
want to thank everyone from the organization for such a kind welcome and a
great experience.
