Submitted by Naomi Major on the 2016 winter session program in India sponsored by the Department of English…
While in Guwahati, India, our group visited Parijat Academy, a nonprofit school for underprivileged children started in 2003. They rely on donations alone to provide an education to kids who probably would never have such an opportunity to learn if they didn’t have Parijat to go to. The school’s director, one of the most enthusiastic and welcoming people I’ve ever met, built Parijat and its acclaimed reputation from the ground up, after having lost his own direction in life. Already inspired by his story, what was even more encouraging was the passion and excitement for learning all the students we came across at Parijat seemed to have. Whatever activity we did with them, whether it was arts and crafts, letter writing, dance or sports, they participated in with zeal. They were excited to have us at their school, cheerily calling all of us “ma’am” and “sir”, which was incredibly endearing while at the same time a little off-putting (we’re only young college students after all, we really don’t deserve such formal respect). While most of the students knew only a little English, the language barrier between us was navigable, and we still were able to form connections and make memories with them. Working with the students at Parijat was a truly unique opportunity, one I’ll probably never have again, and I’m grateful that we were able to give back something to a community during my study abroad in India.