One of the things we want to do at our grad training program this year, is to enable the grads to start their journey around Social & Economic Justice at the company. While we have classroom sessions and discussions around this pillar, we also wanted to tie it up with an experience. With this in mind, we visited Angels Orphanage during this term.
A key idea behind the trip was to get our grads exposed to what life can be like in a less privileged / underprivileged section of society, and the fact that given our own privilege how important , and often difficult it is for us to try and understand worlds that our different from our own, with much lesser or none of that privilege in it. And then reflect on our obligation to do something about it.
Sabina, the Director and Primary Caretaker, recommended that spending time with the children and taking them out for half a day on a picnic like event is something they would appreciate at the moment. It was a touching, inspiring and thought provoking day for me.
The grads took complete ownership of planning the details of how they would engage with the children. We arrived on Saturday morning at about 9 am at Angels, to a really warm welcome by the children and Sabina. They showed us around the place , and Sabina couldn’t stop expressing her gratitude to TW – in every second sentence that she spoke, she talked about how so much of what she had done was made possible by help from ThoughtWorkers, whether it was the dining area she is currently building, her small office come bed-room or the equipment she uses to get her work done. She was super excited about the new mini garden she is creating, with medicinal plants and herbs and how she can make good use of all of these for her children. Sabina talked to the grads about her journey with Angels, how she started and what challenges she is currently facing, the major one being that the property lease for the orphanage expires in 8 years and the fact that she needs to figure a way out to tackle this.
We then headed out – 29 of us - grads and trainers, along with 50 children and Sabina; towards Cubbon Park – nice, expansive, green. The grads put up their respective booths so to speak and we started what was probably a touching and memorable Saturday morning for all of us.
At one booth, the grads taught kids how to make bracelets, necklaces and other trinkets. They also taught them to make paintings with water colors, some kids did a really neat job while the others joyfully scribbled with crayons and splashed the paints away! Either way they went around showing off their awesome creations! I can’t not mention a certain trainer whose new found passion is to draw and sketch – he looked like a pro artist as he stood seriously and focused on his subjects (trees et al). He wasn’t the only one, Arun, a child from Angels decided to sketch a portrait of him while he was made to stand strictly still! 
The dance booth was an instant hit, attracting curious and mildly surprised onlookers. From Bollywood item numbers to the Gangnam Style, the kids quickly took over, teaching the grads new moves and laughing at them for not getting it! I remember the grads desperately trying to keep up with the hip moves and finally getting it after a few embarrassing tries!!
The sports folks didn’t have a booth at all, it was all over the place and a super hit! Sports! Cricket, Soccer, Skipping and just random running around for the heck of it! While the grads were out of breath, exhausted and begging for a break after an hour, the kids completely refused to give up. Some of them actually dragged the grads up by their hands and made them run around in or play strange new games with them (grads struggling to figure them out), including trying to climb up trees real high just to scare the onlookers! It wasn’t long before several other visitors just joined into the games and merrily played along with the children!
With all the fun and action around, I spent some time with Sabina, talking to her about her struggles and getting inspired with her journey. She has dedicated her life to these children and there isn’t a moment in her life that she isn’t thinking about their welfare. I caught glimpses of her looking pensive with the worry lines suddenly appearing on her face, when she wasn’t talking to a child, and I couldn’t help wondering what she was thinking about. Was she thinking about the lease expiration and what she’s going to do about it? Or was she thinking about her next doctor’s visit she had to make for her health condition (she is diabetic)? Or was she thinking in quick succession about each of her 50 children and how to ensure a safe and good future for them?
I also wondered what questions the grads were asking themselves. We had all seen the building where the children live and the consequent constraints they face on a day-to-day basis, we knew some and we could imagine others. And yet they were strong and confident beings, all so full of life! It certainly made me reflect on all the complaints I make despite the comforts I have.I do believe the grads came back with inspired hearts too, for as I write this post, they are busy making plans about how to spend another productive yet fun weekend with the children – a completely voluntary effort.
While we ended our first trip with everyone eating a quick lunch together, it was really the beginning of what will hopefully be a long and inspiring journey for many of us! There is a lot more for each of us to do.
