Tips for working with the underpriviledged

I arrived late at Asha Deep School, since I was sick, but the nicest thing was when I opened the gate, I was greeted by none other than... bharatanatyam--the traditional Indian dance.

Greeted by dance. Kids preparing for Annual Day, learning baratnatyam kattak.

At this school, you can find kids dancing and juggling while also learning computers, math, English and Hindi. The kids are getting ready for their annual program on Assi Ghat in a few weeks.

The next couple months, I will be volunteering at Asha Deep Vidhyashram (school). This was my first day back. Actually, I've helped out at Asha Deep for the past few years and have written about it in my other blog, so I can say that I have some experience working with NGOs and underprivileged children. Coming back to Asha Deep, I keep these tips about working with NGOs in mind:

1. You'll end up doing what you didn't expect to do. This is probably RULE NO. 1 for all NGO work.
2. You'll end up doing what you don't want to do. This may be RULE NO. 2.
3. You'll end up doing what you cannot do. This may be RULE NO. 3.

Follow these rules, and you will go far in any NGO. ;-)

This first afternoon at Asha Deep, we laid out some "plans" for my work there. Here are some of my objectives:

1. Be a translator (Hindi-English) for a speech therapist who will take one of the girl students to get a cleft palette operation with Smile Train at one of the local hospitals. Today in fact, I may need to translate for the girl's parents to explain the procedure. (I'll explain more in another post.)
2. Help structure the computer class for older children.
3. Help structure adolescent health/development curriculum.
4. Put together a few environmental science classes.
5. Did someone mention putting together a Women's Forum in the the slum area?

So it seems, Rules No. 1, 2 and 3 are in play here. 

I guess that means I'm on the right track.

UPDATE: Sorry, the kids were not learning bharatnatyam. They were learning kattak.