I have finished one week of work. Delhi has experienced record high temperatures of about 120 degrees, and I have no AC at work. I'm still alive, kicking, and having a great time at work.
After one week at Adharshila, my Hindi has begun to improve. I can understand people better, and I am having an easier time tutoring students. I wasn't sure if my Hindi could even improve as much as it has-- hopefully, I will be fluent by the end of the summer.
The kids have been teaching me vocabulary, and they love laughing at/correcting my mistakes.
I love the kids. When I was a camp counselor in U.S., I encountered so many bratty children. I haven't met a single brat. Every child is so grateful for everything that he/she has. The center's students never cease to amaze me-- they are the most optimistic, forward-looking, self-motivated, respectful, and enthusiastic people that I have ever met. It's hard to accept that these people, no matter how hard they work, remain trapped within their socioeconomic barriers.
I get so frustrated because India has so many infrastructural problems. India's come a long way since colonization, but everything has something wrong with it-- police are corrupt, media sucks, no middle class, inadequate sanitation, disease, disease, disease, corruption, corruption, corruption, riots, class barriers.
It's hard to accept that it could take decades before India's poorest experience lifestyle improvements-- keep in Mind, India's poorest includes 70% of the population.
No matter how forward looking Adharshila's slum remains, students are only taking baby steps. Quality of education is abs. abysmal, and kids don't receive the attention that they need.
I think that babysteps are important though-- job training to one slum yields log-term improvement through subsequent generations.
will finish later
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