Poonam Deep Wadhwa (Nov 2011 team, Indian, Barcalays Finance Product Control Group)
When I got to know about the teaching trip to Future Village at Katunge, I didn’t think twice and signed up readily for it. It seemed like a good opportunity not only because I could travel to the picturesque Nepal but because I was to teach kids there, a very appealing situation. I appreciated that my teaching the children for 4-5 days, along with the other team members, was not likely to make any significant difference to their lives but at the same time, it could add to my learning experience. Having been born and brought up in India, I was quite prepared for absence of certain basic conveniences such as power, a proper bed etc (the village had solar power and we were carrying our sleeping bags with us). I was also aware of poverty and illiteracy which existed in many pockets of my home city, New Delhi, and by extrapolation, in India. But I had taught kids from the slums while in school in New Delhi and was aware of the tremendous enthusiasm of the kids to learn. In short, I felt good at the mere thought of contributing.
When I got to know about the teaching trip to Future Village at Katunge, I didn’t think twice and signed up readily for it. It seemed like a good opportunity not only because I could travel to the picturesque Nepal but because I was to teach kids there, a very appealing situation. I appreciated that my teaching the children for 4-5 days, along with the other team members, was not likely to make any significant difference to their lives but at the same time, it could add to my learning experience. Having been born and brought up in India, I was quite prepared for absence of certain basic conveniences such as power, a proper bed etc (the village had solar power and we were carrying our sleeping bags with us). I was also aware of poverty and illiteracy which existed in many pockets of my home city, New Delhi, and by extrapolation, in India. But I had taught kids from the slums while in school in New Delhi and was aware of the tremendous enthusiasm of the kids to learn. In short, I felt good at the mere thought of contributing.