My first post introducing myself

Hello everyone!! My name is Heena and I am working as a Teacher for underprivileged children in an NGO. If I had to sum up my experience in one word, I'd say that it is a 'life-changing' for me.

Unlike a lot of people who work in NGOs because of their passion to change the lives of those in need, I had taken this up as a meaningful way to keep my mind occupied. At that point, I did not have any moral drive to keep me going.

However, once I got into the routine, I started to enjoy every minute spent in the company of my students. These kids give you such uninhibited love and respect that it can get overwhelming at times. They address you as their elder sister and leave no stone unturned in appreciating your efforts to teach them. Teaching them and seeing their enthusiasm to learn took me back to my school days and made me wonder why I wasn't as enthusiastic as them.

There were moments that touched my heart beyond anything I'd ever felt. On one particular occasion, a student came up to me with a bar of chocolate as a 'thank you' for teaching him and motivating him to study and clear his exams. Why was this overwhelming? It's because he had used up the little money given to him by his parents (for his bus ride back home) to buy me a chocolate. Amazing, isn't it?

Working with and for these kids made me more humble than I ever was. It also made me realize that educating young minds became more to me than just a way to keep me busy.

It became, as they say, my passion 😊