A Cause for Change
Contributed by: Ankita Gupta
Dated: 25th May, 2016
“We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.” This quote by Winston Churchill changed my entire outlook on life.
As a part of my course requirement I was to intern with an organization for the summers and I am glad I chose Project KHEL. Having heard so many great reviews about it from so many people and coming to know that they incorporate sports with their teaching, I knew that I just had to be a part of this. My journey as an intern in Project KHEL is coming to an end but the experiences that I’ve had, the sessions with the children and the people that I’ve met are things I will never forget.
Sessions with the children were most fun and engaging. We played Kho-Kho, Frisbee, Cricket, Volleyball and Football. Some kids were so good at what they were doing that they dint just do it right themselves, they also taught me how I could improve my game.
Although I was with Project KHEL only for a short period, I just loved every minute of it. The sessions were so full of energy, enthusiasm and lots of fun. The kids were eager to learn and play always and the coordinators cared so much about the kids and their development. These were the 2 hours every day I looked forward to so eagerly. I had never been part of an NGO before so this was definitely a new and amazing experience for me. I had a chance to meet such great people and make a difference in the lives of a few and for that I’ll forever be grateful to Project KHEL. One ‘Made in Maidaan’ session was just an hour of constant running around, laughter and fun. They were really punctual and careful about time, and they were very engaged with the children and never wasted time talking or aimless procrastination. Very methodical as well, they always took attendance after each session.
A person I met told me that teaching “these kids” will be of no use, they will never listen to what I say and never imbibe all the good qualities I teach them, so really, I cannot even try? Are they not human beings like us, full of great potential? Do they not have dreams and aspirations and want to succeed and change their life? If we all keep that mindset and just give up and do nothing about uplifting them then definitely nothing is going to change. People say one person cannot make a difference. Only narrow minded people who do not want to see that change say that really. You can touch the life of thousands. It will take time for sure, Rome wasn’t built in a day but they were laying bricks every hour. You can start small. You can focus on improving the life of one child at a time. You can be the change you want to see in the world.