Day 1 - Understanding the Needs of Underprivileged Children

Entering the vast environment of Lotus NGO was an astounding experience.  My first view of the site consisted of a horizontally-integrated house with plenty of trees surrounding it. I could see some of the underprivileged children inside the house immersing themselves into their studies. While I was walking closer to that building, I noticed that there was grass all around with no sidewalks to walk upon. As I proceeded further into the campus of the NGO, I noticed that it was nothing like I would have expected. The trees towered over the building covering the sun, which provided shade that engulfed the entire place. As I walked and planned my 5-day journey with the underprivileged children of the NGO, I envisioned different ways to lay out my time with them. Despite having many ideas, I wasn't quite sure how I would categorize them. As I walked closer to the building, I was greeted by some of the gratifying staff members of the NGO, who all led me to the office segment of the house.

 

As I walked into the office, I noticed two ceiling fans installed in the room, along with a big table and eight chairs. Me and the three staff members that had kindly paved the way to the office, sat down together to discuss what I would be doing to help the children there. One of the staff members explained to me that there is a total of eight staff members and four teachers in the NGO. There is a total of about twenty-two children with only two of them being boys. The age range of the children are eight to thirteen. After a briefing of some of the children I was completely shaken. I was petrified after hearing the terrifying stories of some of the kids. There were a few kids that had been physically assaulted, some left by their parents, and few rescued from other states of the country. As we talked, a few more of the staff members came in. After more brief introductions, we continued our discussion. I learned that the goal of the NGO is to provide social service and developmental supplies to the underprivileged children. Along with that, they also provide education, drinking water/sanitation, health supplies, and they teach lessons on art and culture, agriculture and rural development, and science and technology. In the end, I was very delighted to hear the things that the NGO did and provided. However, in my mind, I knew that there were many things I could do to help.

 

I asked the staff members if I could visit every room of the building, and they gladly offered me to show the way. The first room I visited was the boy’s dorm. It was a small room with a bunk bed situated next to a window and a big carpet placed in the middle of the room. The next place I visited was the girl’s dorm. I noticed that it was much bigger than the boy’s dorm which made sense since there are twenty girls in total when compared to the two only boys. I interacted with some of the girls along with the two teachers who were also in that room. While I was talking to them, I realized that both the children and the teachers were really passionate in what they were doing and they were eager on engaging in more learning opportunities. After talking to them and getting to know them better, it was time for lunch. Lunch was held in a temporary tent setup because of my visit, which was located right outside the building. Lunchtime created a vibrant atmosphere since it was the time when everyone came out. This time, I got to meet everyone including the boys, all the girls, the teachers, and all the staff members. I had a great time listening to their stories and experiences and I shared some of my experiences to them. In the end, I explained why I had come, and what I planned on doing for them.

After lunch, I decided to give the restrooms a visit as well. I noticed that all the restrooms were in poor condition. I came to know from a staff member that there are times that the girls have to use the boys restroom. 

Lastly, I visited the kitchen and the study room. The kitchen was in a passable condition, and the study room needed more school supplies. The study room was fairly small with a few desks, chairs, and a chalkboard. I planned on improvising the study room by buying more of the school supplies that the children desperately needed.

 

My first day at the Lotus NGO was quite enjoyable. I got to meet multiple people with different cultural and religious backgrounds. The ambitious children and diligent teachers sparked a sense of both compassion and curiosity in me, which got me prepared on what I will be doing tomorrow.