Breaking barriers and stereotypes
I was glad to be back at the caravan after quite a while.It was an unusually hot Saturday afternoon but then the kids were energetic as ever and delighted to see us.I did not get to interact much with the kids this time,hence it was more of an observing thing for me. When one observes from a corner its like this moving picture of chaos and happiness. You have kids preoccupied with solving puzzles or simply looking at pictures in a book.They share colours or help out their friends and sometimes fight for something.Sometimes the kids do not want to talk and they are just content when you are beside them while they did their thing. And I was delighted that in these few months we have breached the gap between us, the kids are now comfortable with us. Now they tell us stories and share their problems and speak their minds to us. I personally think its amazing that despite coming from different places we have been able to break stereotypes and become friends with the kids. These kids with their innocent smiles have undoubtedly changed me as a person and it turns out that the volunteers and the kids sort of have a mutual understanding.The kids look forward to seeing us every weekend and they probably get the fact that we don’t see them as ‘different’ and this has given them a sense of security, and established a level of comfort.
— Sara Fathima