The Return to Innocence

Dreams, according to Freud, can be a projection of your most restrained thoughts. We adults having seen the harshness of the world tend to restrict most of our hopes and aspirations. Today, 6 of us - Maltesh, Monisha, Rakesh, Radhika, Utham and I - with the help of the Ashayein foundation (http://www.aashayeinfoundation.org/) witnessed how these minds of the wonder-eyed children were so pristine. Far away from the challenges that these underprivileged children face everyday, they dream unabated. I only hoped all along the day that those who are luckier than them can learn a few things from these mothers and fathers of mankind.

Place - Al Ameen School, Queens Road
Time - 10:00

(Pic to be inserted)

The drums of Saturday morning assembly energise me. "These kids can play!", I wonder. Just then the proud Bangalore coordinator of the Ashayein foundation walks towards us, shakes my hand and says, "these drums were donated by us!".

The school's architecture is modest. Started with just 2 floors, they now have three adjacent buildings that surround a cemented platform. (This is where the assembly was being held.) They teach 135 primary and secondary school children.

Just then two late latifs rush in, dragging their bicycles.

Time - 10:30

We all walk in with a bag of goodies. Utham dresses up in his Santa costume.

He no doubt was the man of the day. Smiling as he always does, he sportingly donned the costume. He fumbles with the beard, but at the end of it all, he is rearing to go! (Pic to be inserted)

With our bags packed, we start with class 2. Today, many students are absent as it was Muharram yesterday. As we step in, the kids look at Santa, agape, and don't know what to make of him. They are amused and shy at the same time.

Santa starts to distribute the packs of crayons with chocolates, delighting the kids . They realise that this man with a crazy mask in his red suit, who belongs to the religion of Christ, is our friend.

We march on, from class 2 to class 10. The primary kids get crayons and the seniors get a pen. Santa wins their hearts. His benevolence outshines the difference of origin.

The kids continue to entertain and energise us. Some of them moonwalk while some of them sing for their crushes! In every class we ask them what they want to become. Many say doctors and engineers and some say that they want to join the armed forces . A few more after seeing the applause their dancer classmate receives, want to follow suit. Every class is being conducted by an Ashayein volunteer. They are always smiling, even after travelling so many miles.

We meet the teachers. One of them is a product of the same school who had achieved much in his life along with a B Ed degree. All of them welcome us and we congratulate them.

Time - 12:00 pm. We leave with lighter hearts and busier minds.

Time - 12:30 - now. The "thank you"s of the kids echo. Their smiles and their innocence wants me to tell them to not deter from their dreams. I wish that sooner than later, I am back with them. I am back with Santa fuelling their imagination a little more. That I am back with much more on my plate to offer.