A few months ago, I took up the offer of teaching at GIIS (Global Indian International School.) I take on Years 5 and 6. Forty-plus 10 year-olds shouting and demanding 'Sir's' attention. I'm still sane and these kids are wonderful.
As an extracurricular activity, a group of 12 students were brought together to create a piece of community theatre. Allow me to backtrack: The students of GIIS are mostly upper-middle class and most have never experienced the world that surrounds their white picket fences. This group came together with a purpose of sharing their stories with many children who are less fortunate. Though the months, they learned to develop stories, walk on stilts, make costumes and dream a million dreams. When they were ready, they taken out to perform in squater-areas and high-density government flats. The picture you see above is from the latter.
Each time, they brought smiles and joy to the children who followed their every move and in turn, discovered new smiles of their own.
These kids have called their project 'Global Harmony.'
To quote one of them, Hari Haran, "I feel that Global Harmony is like a leaf. You know, you can see all the lines. They are all connected to one another. That's like us. We should all be connected through harmony."
I am proud to say that Hari is in my class and have known him since he was a baby. To see him grow and to have heard him say this, I know there will always be better days.
