Page 20 - Priorities #55 2013-March/April

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The education I received in India wasn’t out of a textbook or a classroom.
It was a lesson in humility, and something I will carry with me the rest of my life.
Lesson #2:
There is a great moral dilemma when handing out money to beggars. One small boy, missing teeth, shoes, and clean clothes, tugged lightly on the corner of my shirt, and asked for some “dhana” to buy medicine for his foot, pointing to the infected scab on his ankle. We gave him all the food in our backpacks, but he was not satisfied. Then he sang and dance for us. He got 200 rupees and asked for more. As soon as he got all the money he could get, he ran off. We were walking down the street ten minutes later and saw the little boy handing all of his money to an older man. Sadness overwhelmed me. I realized how desperate this boy was and there was no out for him; the caste system had dug him in a hole that would be extremely hard to climb out of. However, seeing this poverty makes my gratitude for my resources, family, and house ineffable.
Lesson #3:
Education is a tool for empowerment, and every human born on this earth should have the right to an education. Much of the service we encountered in India focused on the school systems: laying the foundation for cricket pitches so kids in public schools could possibly create a career out of the
idolized sport, picking up trash to teach the children that we need to conserve the planet, and working in classrooms with limited resources even in the nicest of private schools. However, a man who dedicated his life towards
empowering young woman by funding their education to private schools inspired me tremendously. Dalput Singh funded sixteen girls out of the thirty girls attending a private school of 400 students, through his own income and donations. His passion for dedicating his life to this one problem India faced inspired me to focus my efforts and love for helping a specific cause. Which brings us to where I am now, a few months after inspiring India, after learning so much, and what decision I chose to make on that 14 hour plane ride back home.
My decision is to help in a small way. The education I received in India wasn’t out of a textbook or a classroom. It was a lesson in humility and something I will carry with me the rest of my life. Just as Dr. Martin Luther King said that the goal of true education is “intelligence plus character,” my experiences in India made me think critically about life, what my purpose is, and how I am going to make a difference. This critical evaluation of myself allowed me to apply my passion for helping in my community as I am currently fundraising to give back to fund girls in Indian private schools and my efforts will culminate in a senior project, trying to make as much of an impact I can. My decision to help in a small way truly defines my character: realistic, determined, passionate, and charitable. And it is the result of my character and the wisdom I have gained from my time in India that I have found the true goal of education: to be a life long learner and giver.