By Saliim Lee
We woke up and ate breakfast at 8am. A little over an hour later, we left for St. Paul’s School. Upon arrival, we were astonished by all the children that were welcoming us. We met the Principal of the school who lectured us on thinking about the future. He told us how the school system in India operates. Students choose a career path before college starts. They go into different fields of study during high school and then progress toward a career from there. For example, as a high school science student, they would either pursue engineering or medicine immediately upon graduation.
After we discussed various aspects of the Indian education system, we went into some classrooms where elementary aged students sang us a song of their choosing in both Hindi and English. In return we sang a song for them. Next, we went to talk to older students. We socialized with them for a while before leaving the school to get lunch.
Our next stop was Don Bosco. The program is a home for street children which consists of boys ranging from 6 years old to 15. The kids were very friendly. They did not speak English but we still we got to know them by interaction and hand gestures. We played a game of soccer to bond with the kids. Afterward we bonded even more by exchanging cultural dances and talents we had. At the end of the day, all of us came together to have one big dance party. We then ate dinner at Don Bosco before heading to the hotel to prepare for tomorrow.
