The day has been both physically and emotionally overwhelming for our team. Today was the last day we would be visiting Symbiosis Public during our Spring Break. After a week's worth of working with the school faculty and interacting with the school children, we realized how very attached our team has become to Symbiosis Public. To send us off with well wishes, the children and teachers prepared a small recital just for us Engineers without Borders. These adorable kids read poems (both in Hindi and in English), sang prayers (also both in Hindi and in English), and even danced to Indian music for us. (Photos will be uploaded once we get back to the US):
(Picture caption) Danced to a nursery song basically about a horse running faster and faster (which the children imitated).
After the various performances were completed, Eva and I gave a short speech about EWB-CMU's mission and what we have been doing at the school this week:
(Picture)
Next, Principal Ahmad gave a progressive speech about his passion for greener living and sustainability. He talked of how saving the environment today for generations tomorrow was crucially important. Principal Ahmad also spoke of how thankful he and his school was to our team. It was inspiring to see how strongly the principal felt and just how right he was. His words were also clearly evidenced in the school's initiative for greener living.
On top of giving us a small assembly, the school also prepared small trophies to give to our team, as mementos for us to remember them by. At this point, the whole idea that this would be our last visit during Spring Break sunk in. Before this trip, I had no idea how amazing this school and its students were. From day one, we received cute hand-made cards with attached flowers from children of all grades and autograph requests from both teachers and students. Even after the assembly, both the children and teachers asked for our autographs. We felt a bit like movie stars, even though we've only started on this five year-long project. After our amazing experience during such a short period of time, our team has gained even more renewed dedication to the project.
After all the autographs were signed and the pictures were taken, I realized that it would only be a short period of time before we come back to Symbiosis Public. I hate to end on cheesy lines, but I suppose I'm now a firm believer in the phrase: "It's not goodbye. It's see you later." Well, Symbiosis Public, you can count on us seeing you again real soon.
The “assembly” was actually a formal reception by the school for our team. I made videos of some dances and all speeches. And what about my speech in Hindi that brought down the house?
ReplyDeleteSummary of in kind contributions by the community (this info goes in the Post-Assessment Report):
ReplyDelete1. Well furnished and daily cleaned project office on the 2nd floor of the school
2. Bottled water and snacks in the project office
3. Accommodation and most meals for Sam for 7 days
4. Accommodation for one night on March 9 in a 3 room duplex (part of Sam’s sister Sarah’s joint-family house)
5. Dinner on March 9 at Sarah’s house
6. Breakfast on March 10 at Sarah’s house
7. Dinner in Rampur Kitchen Restaurant on March 10 from the School
8. Copy of the school’s plan drawing
9. Transportation (2nd car) several times during the trip
About 10 years ago one of our Vice Presidents went to Delhi, India on a business trip. He stayed in a 5-star luxury hotel for 5 days and on his return said that almost every part of his body was sick in India except his hair. He suspected the chilled bananas (perhaps chilled using the ice made from the E-Coli laden tap water) he ordered from the hotel’s room service were the culprit for the Diarrhea that won’t go away even with antibiotics.
ReplyDeleteI was determined to prevent any such incident in our trip. The students were brainwashed repeatedly to avoid tap water and any thing made with or rinsed with the tap water. When the students took apart a chicken sandwich to reveal lattice and tomato and inquired about the presence of ice in their cold drinks, I knew they had got the idea! Therefore, our most significant accomplishment on this trip was that no one got sick from Diarrhea, Malaria, etc. I am so glad that the team followed the sanitation / water / food rules. Probably the first trip ever to India in which no one had Diarrhea. (Sam Shamsi, 3/22/11)
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ReplyDelete-:very nice information, we are glad to read this news or post,