Few hours at parikrma

This is all about a few hours I spent in improving our community we live in.

I, along with few more colleagues, had been to Parikrma Centre of Education in Jayanagara, Bengaluru as a part of our Community Service programme in Honeywell. The primary mission of Parikrma is to provide education to children, whose family is below poverty line, thereby preventing child labour too.

When we reached the school at around 8:45 am on the 21st of January 2006, prayer was going on and they were about to start national anthem. The school notice board had a thought for the day, “When love and skill work together, expect a master-piece”. “Weather: Sunny”; “Season: Winter” were some of the other information seen on the notice board. When the national anthem was over, the school dispersed and we, the volunteers assembled and we were given an introduction on whats and whys of the centre by the in-charge. They run up to class three. There was one more class which consists of similar aged students, but who had missed education in their past for some reason or the other. They were all put on an accelerated path, it seems. Academically they seemed to be of class four or five. We then decided to divide ourselves into six groups; three groups would conduct quiz and the remaining would conduct an art workshop.


Before we proceeded towards the class, few students came running towards us and handed over diyas, one each and we were asked to light them up and leave afloat in a vessel or a wide open vase containing water and flowers. It just reminded me of the first day when I joined C-DAC, where everyone of us was asked to do the same thing with an aim in mind; believing it to bring a bright future for us. So, I lit the diya for them and prayed all good for them.

I was in the former group and we got the latter class. The questions were already prepared. The class was named Atlas. The class teacher introduced us to the students as young successful role models for them. They were asked to learn the secret to success from us. Then a couple of questions arose from here and there regarding the same. They were answered promptly and diligently.

There were eighteen students; so made six groups of three each. We asked the students themselves to name their team. The first team came up with Pikachu, a Pokeman character it seems. Rama, Undertaker, Rose, Jasmine and Titanic were the names of the other teams. There was a lot of enthusiasm filled even in naming their teams. The quiz begins.

Every individual is very enthusiastic about answering the question, whether the answer is going to be right or wrong. They were also able to express what they felt without any inhibitions. In spite of their staff being there in the class, no student was in his place till the end of the quiz. Tried to maintain discipline like asking them to avoid answering other teams’ questions and so on. They were making every effort to speak in English. Any deviations and speaking in regional languages are strictly prohibited and their staff warns them. There was a lot of happiness in their faces all the time, could infer that everyone loves studying in the school with their classmates.

As the quiz came to an end, the winners were declared. The prizes were given to the winning team and chocolates to the whole class. The happiness doubled in the faces of the winners. Meanwhile, the art workshop also came to an end and selection was going on to decide who’s looked good. And after that was all over, we all went out to the ground to have some fun.

We (some five of us), with opponents as the school children, played football. In fact, it was after a very long time I play football; reminded me of those good old school days when we used to long for PT periods… Not to be surprised, they won. Those who didn’t get a chance to play this game started off with second round and we retired. Simultaneously, there was cricket also happening with a different team.

When the clock was about to strike twelve, the lunch was made ready for the students and they all assembled for lunch. Before starting the lunch, they had their prayers. We were also thanked and they prayed for prosperity and happiness for us too. The students gave a thanks-giving card, designed with care and love, to us.

“Love, explore, enjoy” is Parikrma’s motto and they live to it.