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A Volunteer’s Perspective

by Surya Bajpai

May 24, 2011 - India

by Surya Bajpai

Below please find the a guest blog entry from Surya Bajpai, a high school student from Bhopal who spent a week during his summer vacation volunteering for Real Medicine Foundation out in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh:


Surya in class with his peers at the Bhil Academy

A volunteer’s perspective

It all started when my dad gave me a few options of where I could volunteer.  The Jhabua option was the most intriguing to me.  I wanted to volunteer because my parents told me to, but also because I wanted to get the feel of the real India.  The funny thing about this trip was that I did not know what to expect out of it.  Normally when we go out for school trips they give us the list of things that would happen there and we know what to expect.

I had a great experience in Jhabua.  I volunteered in two areas; 1 was the Bhil Academy and the other was the malnutrition program.


photo: A first for everyone – this is the first time Surya, a student from Bhopal spent time in the villages in MP and the first time students from the Bhil Academy spent time in a city – Indore. Surya and his new friends on the bus on the way to Indore

The Bhil Academy has a group of tribal kids who were great to be with.  They showed so much of interest in what they did.  I played cricket with them and I helped a little in computer classes.  The school provided everything that was necessary, such as a proper cricket kit and uniforms.  The staff of the school was great.

Going for field work in such a hot day was difficult but it was even more difficult to believe what I saw.  I met 3 kids – Aman Singh , Surya , and Rahul – and their stories were shocking.   I was really sad to see this.  This experience had a great impact on me: Now I know what my really country is and now I know what all I can do to improve it. Now I can see what I want my country to be.

All that I would like to say is that everyone who reads this please volunteer in such programs, get to know what India really is and work towards improving it.

Surya Bajpai, Bhopal

For more information about RMF’s Bhil Academy click here and the Malnutrition Eradication Program in India, click here

To contribute to this initiative or any other,  please visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org/donors.

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