Akshara @ Chennai - 20/02/11

Akshara at New Life Vision

After quite a bit of planning and gathering volunteers, the day to the orphanage at the ECR, Chennai finally dawned. All of us were more than excited to go as it was our first project in the city. We were ten in number and by the time we reached there they had all finished breakfast and were playing their own games. 

We had heard very less about them and didn’t know what to expect. It was quite a house-unfinished though, in interior Injambakkam housing about 20 kids of ages varying between 6 and 18. All of them going to school and very happy looking children. 

The owner Mr. Joseph welcomed us and the kids gathered in a semicircle around the hall. The house wasn’t very big. It had two bedrooms and a kitchen. A household that usually suits a family of four. Once we got in, we slowly started with an intro session. They called out their names, spoke about their class, age and then did a favorite act. 

Joyce and Honest were such amazing singers! It seems they had people come over there to celebrate birthdays, spend sometime with them and they always had a schedule to entertain. But we just wanted to play some games, talk to them, give away gifts and make their day memorable. 

To break the ice, Sharmila Bhandari and I started singing an action song for the kids to sing along. They were all hesitant till they saw all ten of us sing and dance with them. We gave away balloons to those who remembered all the verses and actions! All eyes lit up and the room filled with color we sang away merrily and got comfortable with each other. 

Once the song was done we were ready to play games! We started with In and out, and then played Passing the box, Seven-Up, Musical Chairs. Oh! And Blind fold was the best part! One against 30 of us! By then we were pulling legs, we knew each other’s name and had a good rapport! All winners got stickers, boxes, pencils and other gifts. 

Mr.Joseph was very impressed at how well we bonded. He thanked us with his heart full. What impressed me most about the place was how the kids adored him. They all called him “Daddy” and meant it every syllable. The girls in there above 14 helped the ladies in the kitchen and took care of all the younger children and they all loved each other like their own. 

Lunch was served and trust me, it was delicious! The kids said their prayers and also invited us into their small circles. After lunch, we got down to board games. We played chess, carom and also clicked a lot of pictures. The guys wrestled and the girls learnt to use the camera. There was a small photo shoot and a which-is-whose-balloon commotion! 

But to be honest, we were enjoying and learning every moment more than the kids did. It was after sometime from lunch that we left as they had other plans for the evening. 

We all returned home with a heart full of happiness, a lot of stories to tell and the contentment of knowing the actual meaning behind “Real happiness lies in making others happy”.

Gaythri Madhavann

Volunteer - Chennai.