Say thank you

Today we went to a local government school unlike yesterday's Delhi government school. The schools were pretty different. It is a school for underprivileged kids so they had even less resources than the school yesterday. It was also an elementary school so it was loaded with cuteness. I can't tell you how adorable these kids were! We were welcomed with a beautiful lei that must have taken a very long time to make and, of course, we had our 4th Puja Thalia of the trip - but it was given by two adorable little girls. The things that both schools have in common is that they have morning meetings as well as yoga infused in their school day which is basically from 8-1. This is true for all the schools. Those schools that teach boys and girls separately (we haven't been to one) have boys in the morning and girls in the afternoon. So basically it seems they have about 3-3.5 hour school days. Their morning meeting consisted of songs with particular movements that all these 1-5 grades followed. They stood at attention and all participated. They were so curious about us but they did an amazing job staying focused on the task at hand. This continued in the classrooms when we walked around and visited. They barely glanced at us and participated with whatever lesson the teacher was speaking about....well...minus the little guy that wasn't standing and the little girl that was sleeping - Hey...kids are kids no matter where they are from:-) Lots of lecturing from teachers and responses from students. This is something we do not do in America. It is not best practices to lecture and we try to incorporate collaborative activities and such - however we do not have the focus i have seen in these students. I'm not sure what to take from this?

The classroom walls are painted bright and lively with things like animals, water cycle, photosynthesis cycle, words and such. It was very welcoming and beautiful. The younger students do not know English very well and one of the cutest moments of the morning was when the children stood as we left (I think it was a 3rd grade class?) and the teacher says "Say thank you"... one little boy turned to us and did just that - he said "say thank you" and bowed. Seeing these children was so refreshing after the drive to the school and the constant witnessing of pollution, noise and chaos...they are so resilient and eager to learn despite their surroundings and lack of materials. India seems to have really focused on improving their education system these last few years so they do have more than they did and they should be proud (and they are) but it is drastically less than any school I've ever been to in the states yet the children are so focused and appreciative. An attitude of gratitude. I wonder if the meditation and yoga helps them maintain this ?

After TWO hours in insane traffic, we arrived at an observation facility for boys. It is basically a juvenile detention facility for 16-18 year old boys. We got a tour of the services provided - mental health, doctor, dorm and classroom. While it may sound nice, it is not the same standard as the prisons and jails in the United States. Since I have worked in prisons and jails, I can say this with complete confidence. If our facilities were like the one I saw today, I think there would be less crime (imo). It was an interesting contrast to the morning and despite how these facilities looked (from my perspective) - their goal was to provide safety and rehabilitation for these boys. We also visited an office for fostering children in need. We then had lunch at the Delhi Commission for the Protection of Child Rights. Delhi has made great strides in providing rights and safety for the children of Delhi - a lot of great work going on. Oh, I forgot to mention we had our 4th Puja Thalia as well as a gift of a rose and an elephant statue (and lunch). Amazing....One thing I found interesting is that in the states teachers are mandatory reporters - meaning we have to , by law, report anytime we hear or believe a child is in danger. In Delhi, this is true as well- but only with suspected sexual assault. Any adult must report this if suspected and will get 2 years in jail if they don't. However, it is not mandatory to report any other examples of abuse such as physical. They are hoping that as time goes on that this law will grow and begin to include those things - all these laws and acts are all very new to India so it is in a process of growth and learning.

This was my day today - thanks for reading!