Social responsibility

During Vishu, students spent time volunteering at a local village.

The holiday of Vishu is celebrated by spending time with family, preparing a display of auspicious items and wearing new clothes. We were privileged to spend Vishu with the community of Thodupuzha in rural Kerala.

No one can forget that first moment the bus pulled into the school in Thodupuzha. We were greeted by bright colours, a cacophony of sounds and sheer excitement from the crowd of schoolchildren, parents and teachers lined up to greet us. The purpose of the visit was to do some good by building a playground, tiling a classroom and spending time with the schoolchildren of Thodupuzha. What we hadn’t anticipated was how the day would mark us.

When disembarking the bus, a traditional sandalwood paste was applied to our foreheads as an auspicious welcome before we were led to the school by the school marching band. The band in their full regalia put on an impressive display under the sweltering Kerala sun. We were awed by a display of almost acrobatic tricks using drums, incredible fire displays and a moving instrumental rendition of the Indian National anthem.

We divided in to two groups, one group went to help with tiling of the classrooms, the other dug the foundations for new playground equipment. Despite battling dehydration, we had fun working together to build something for the school. Our toils were rewarded with a bountiful feast of exquisite Southern Indian cuisine served on banana leaves and prepared by the local community.

Next, we were treated to a showcase of performances including singing and dancing by the students in English and Malayalam. The final performance was a traditional local dance by Meeyna, a former student turned professional dancer. From here, we went on to spend time with the children including playing games, an obligatory match of cricket and teaching dances.

Though we came armed with gifts, we left the experience with something more; a lesson in compassion. Despite being under funded, the school and their community made sure to make us feel welcome, shared their time in addition to their grief at the tragic events in Christchurch earlier this year. This is the day which had the most impact on the wider group; we came to make a difference but left feeling privileged by the experience.