Village visit

We had the once in a life time opportunity to visit a village in India today.  We drove about an hour from Pune to visit this small village. As soon as we arrived we could tell everyone was excited for us to be there.  We got off of the bus and quickly realized that the only person who spoke English was the head woman of the village.  I was excited about this experience, but deep down I was a little nervous about teaching a lesson to a class full of standard 3 students when I did not speak the same language.  But before I even had time to worry about the language barrier, the head woman of the village had us follow her into the village . She started by taking us into the dairy farm to explain to us how women in the village we beginning to take on more power by being in control of the cows, milk, and selling dairy products.

 

 

After we found out about the roles the women were taking on in the village, the head woman told us that the rest of the village was waiting for us at the temple. On our walk over to the temple we saw many giggling children watching us.

 



 

 

Once we arrived at the temple we saw a lot of women sitting on the ground and about ten men sitting in a group next to them.  Everyone was wearing their traditional clothes and we were the only ones in western clothes. We walked up and into the temple and they had placed chairs for us to sit on.  Once we all arrived they took turns talking to the translator and telling us about their village and then asked us many questions. It was interesting to see how differently the women acted with the men there as opposed to when we were in the dairy barn.  It was obvious a change was slowly happening for women and their power in their village, but it was also obvious that the men were not quite ready for this change to happen.  It was very interesting to watch both the men and women's body movements.

 

 

Door Step

On Thursday we had the opportunity to visit with Door Step and some of their schools. Door Step's belief is that every child deserves the right to education, no matter where they live or what their home life might be like.  Door Step has several locations and schools in Pune including a tutoring center, a school for migrant construction workers' children who are living in the slums, and a school located on a school bus that drives around to slums to teach children. It was an amazing day, but it was hard to see the circumstances the children were in and the environments they lived in.

We all brought school supplies and backpacks for the students.

Door Step logo

This student is practicing her typing skills in the tutoring room.

This is one of the classrooms outside of the construction site.

This little boy was very confused as to why we were there.

This is the school that is located on this school bus.

Cindy and me

Student and teacher inside classroom on bus.

Student practicing their reading.

Literacy classroom.

Multiplication chart

Really cute students!

The teachers

She was asked to read to us in her language.

School

The students outside of school.

 

I asked these students if I could take their picture. They didn't understand me

until I pulled out the camera and then they got really excited. After I took it I

asked if they wanted to see it and I showed them their picture. Their smiles got

even bigger and brighter then they already were. So cute!

 

 

The sight outside of a school in the slums by a construction site.

School!

The students all stood up and said Namaste!

Reading

Matching game. No matter the language it is still the same concepts of teaching.

Construction site where the parents worked.

 

Dance Performance

After spending an amazing day at the elementary school, we had the amazing opportunity to attend an Indian Odissi Dance Performance at Mazda Hall. The girls were incredible! They did an amazing job

And we were all so impressed by their talent. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity!

 



Class Picture

 

After I spent time in this Standard 2 class they wanted to have their picture taken with me. I had so much fun and have learned so much from these students. Thank you for the experience!

Standard 2 and 4

Grade levels in India are called standards instead of grades. Below are pictures from Standard 2 as they played a name game.  I was really excited because it is the same one I used to play at camp. There is also a picture below of students in Standard 4 posing with Bethel's Flat Stanley.

Standard 6 and 7 field trip!

The school surprised me and took me on a field trip to a Temple with the Standard 6 and 7 group.

It was so much fun!

 

This was my buddy on the field trip. She taught me all about the temple

because it is her religion. She was so patient with me!

My buddy had me ring the bell to let the god know that I was there.

Then we did a writing assignment outside next to the temple.

 

 

Standard 2 writing class

The stars to the left of the chalk board is part of their management system.

The kids earn stickers like we do in the US.

I added a little NC into the writing.

Smile!