Today, Katie and I would like to welcome Anil Jadhav to our
blog as one of our students of the week!
We chose Anil for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, since the beginning of our stay here, Anil has been THE MOST TALKATIVE
student at Nav Jeevan. He speaks English very well, and has the unique quality
that he is not afraid to make mistakes when he speaks. Katie and I believe
making mistakes in conversation can be a way for the children to learn, and
Anil seems to enjoy when we gently explain the correct way to say something.
Usually he laughs after making a mistake, but more importantly, he remembers
the correct English grammar/word the next time around. Secondly, Anil displays
a lot of bravery and courage. We noticed this most yesterday when he broke, or
possibly just sprained, his ring and pinkie fingers on his right hand playing
cricket. Bracing for the pain, Anil barely flinched when I stretched his fingers
into a splint and bandaged him up. He asked many questions and was very curious
about how to care for himself so his fingers straighten out again!
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| Anil, the one making the funny face, chose to be in front for this photo. His face is characteristic of his daily outlook on life, which always portrays his happiness. |
During his interview, Anil spoke candidly and shared many
things about himself with me. Fifteen year old Anil arrived in the care of Mrs.
Iris Wilkinson many years ago, when he was about two years old. Beginning in
Kindergarten when Nav Jeevan was opened in 2006, Anil currently attends 8th
class, English medium. His favorite class is computers because he can use the
internet to look up all of his questions (of which he has many!). When asked
his favorite food, Anil laughed and just said, “all.” Similarly, his best
friend was “everyone.” His home is on Hingna Road, T Point Square, Nagpur with
his father. However, Anil came to Nav Jeevan thirteen years ago because of his
father’s drinking habit. Anil told me that his four older sisters, who are now
married and living in other states, brought him to Nav Jeevan with his brother
who is just a bit older. Anil’s brother, who just finished 10th
class at Nav Jeevan, now studies refrigerator and air conditioning repair at a
school nearby called the Prakash Institute.
Anil
attended Dream Camp last weekend with me, Katie and many of the other students.
During the camp, the children considered their future goals, so I asked Anil
what his goals are for the future. His response took me by surprise. After
blushing, Anil said that he wants to be a husband and father, and he wants to
be a wildlife photographer. When I questioned him further, he explained that he
wants to understand the duties of a father and what his father has done for
him. As for the photography work, Anil enjoys being outdoors in the forest and
hopes to capture pandas with his camera one day, as they hold the title of his
favorite animals. Anil expects to achieve his goals in a very logical and
orderly way: finish graduation from Nav Jeevan; take 11th and 12th
classes with help from Anita Auntyji (Anita is one of Mrs. Wilkinson’s
daughters and is the head of the school for her mother in her elderly years); study
and train for photography; find a job and family.
Most
impressive of all his plans though, which I think will serve Anil very well in
whatever the future holds for him, is to “do hard work.”
