Last Saturday, accompanied by Nimmo, Krish and I visited the IIMPACT school in Rewasa in Mewat district that I have been sponsoring. I have, over the last year or so read all the updates and reports emailed to us by the IIMPACT office. Great job, guys. I have looked at lots of photos of happy little girls in classrooms in the IIMPACT schools. But nothing can compare to the energy, happiness and vibrancy levels that one  experiences in a personal visit to a school.
We were welcomed by the village sarpanch with warmth and affection. This, despite the fact that they were required at another spot, where some serious mishap had occurred. The ladies of the village had also gathered whose little girls were now experiencing a school for the first time in their lives. There were broad smiles on all faces, the men, the women and the children. It made one realize the importance of community acceptance before even a single girl child can be educated. And it was evident that the community had not only been won over but were fully participant in the education of their little girls.
The high light of the visit of course was the time spent with the 30 little girls in the class. Their age ranged from 5 years to maybe 9 or 10 years. It was explained that the class was divided into 2 groups, the average learners, and the fast learners. The teacher, in this case Rupa, worked her way through both groups, at the same time. And what a great job she is doing! I was surrounded by 30 happy and smiling faces, bursting to break into poetry, song, maths tables and the English alphabet. No back bencher here, I discovered. Everyone wanted to be centre stage and showered me with their knowledge and affection. I sat in the center of a circle on the ground and the little ones kept inching closer and closer. I felt my hair being touched, by back gently tapped and everywhere I looked was a sea of beaming little faces.
It was an emotional moment. Here were 30 little angels, from a remote backward village,  who could read, write and count, add and subtract and had an equally enthusiastic teacher who was mouthing silently everything they said with such pride on her face. And I thought there will be 30 families in the future who will have a literate daughter, wife, daughter-in-law and mother and what a huge difference she will make in her family and her community and her country. Maybe I got a little carried away, but there was no doubt in my mind, the greatest gift you can give a child was education and I was so so fortunate to be able to help towards providing this to my 30 little ones in Rewasa.
My compliments and gratitude to IIMPACT for giving me the opportunity to be able to do so.