That thing that mom taught.

Life has never been fair. A proven fact. So when your mother told you as a child growing up to be grateful to God for being blessed with what ever little you have, to not crib and ask for more, she had her research done. So I will tell you a story not exactly in the conventional story format, about a school whose students are not too different from the standard prototype of children your mom told you about.
A newspaper boy, a maid, a potter, a car washer, a dish washer, a dhobi are amongst the several answers that you will get if you ask what the activities of the students at Carmel School, Gedelahalli (in Bangalore) are apart from studies. Their part time jobs may not be as fancy as the ones you and I may pick, but then again, Mom asked us to be thankful. So whenever and wherever we find the need be thankful we will, right?
This school of 210 students has 210 unique stories to tell. An abusive family, an ailing parent, insufficient income, unemployment, the shame of not being able to pay monthly fee(as low as 100 and 280 depending on classes), the embarrassment of walking barefoot to school because the shoes that was worn for three years finally gave way, are all problems that we try to empathise with when we are not wailing in the sadness of our hundred broken relationships. But the truth in the voice of these small story tellers is of another kind. Remember what mom said? Yes, we are thankful.
If you were to take the best dancers of this school or football players of this school, you would be amazed to see that, there lies just so much potential within them. If you could find a medium to really communicate with these children, they would finally be able to tell you that they are not really bad students. They are trying but just aren't able to study. Despite spending hours on studies, its just hard for them to understand because English is just too complicated and that there is no one at home educated enough to teach them. The teachers would tell you that despite staying in the school till 5 in the evening so that they can teach the weaker kids, the progress is not too much. They would tell you how they are working hard and trying to make a difference in lives of these kids so that they have a life that will stand at least some chance against ours. If you spoke to the people running the school, they would tell you how hard it is for them to meet their daily expenses and pay the teachers, because the school is just unable to generate any money from the fees and that is limiting them from providing a million other opportunities to these children who they adore so much. The kids who are unable to pay the fee would tell you that if they pestered their parents to pay the fees, that would be the end of their education. Dint mom say be thankful, yes yes thankful we are! Definitely!
These children did not choose such lives for themselves. They dint ask for any of this. It isn't their fault. Our mothers and fathers who taught us the valuable lesson of being thankful are the ones who jump at every chance they get to try and give away unused clothes, shoes and books to such children. We weren't taught these values just to show gratitude but to keep the cycle of being able to provide for others going and to empathise with children whose lives we very well could have lead.
I do not intend to call us insensitive. If we can 'like' and join the cause that CRY or PETA addresses, then being able to sensitise with this issue and taking it beyond just the 'like' factor shouldn't be that hard.
Supporting the education of a child for a year, including the fee, school uniform, books and others will cost Rs.8000. When I heard about this amount, I thought of all the things that I unnecessarily spent money on and realised that with just that amount a child could have attend school. If you think the same and feel the same and you along with your family would like to sponsor the education of a child for one year and you urge others to do so as well, several lives would change and you would be thanked for it.
Remember all things mom said and even if you would like to contribute just 50 rupees to the school, please do.
:)