Challenge #3

Living in Pakistan, I can see s a lot of what can be done and improved and what should be done. The main things that strike my eyes with silver a bullet are some key terms that you can put together and analyze in your own perception, these words are, poverty, hunger, children, parents, women, joblessness, men, love, care, support and me.

                Very recently our grade 10 class went to an orphanage called SOS: Children’s Village, we met lots of children and a few young adolescents, all of them were very polite, saying hello when I walked past observing their homes and their lives. They were all very well mannered, fun to be around and talk to and great companions. I have never such a spark of fun and happiness in children in many years, therefore it was a great warming feeling, all of them were ready to play as soon as we arrived.

                All of these children made me feel like a toddler again, playing with them, conversing with them and learning new things from them. They showed me where they lived and took to play cricket with them. All of this made me realize that they have a very good system going on, they have people to look after them and care for and nurture them, sometimes from a very young age. I for one love kids, they connect with me very well and I too. I actually met a small young boy named Ahmed, he was one of the cutest and politest boys I have ever seen or talked to in my life. Not to mention, an inspiring and innovating cricketer. I learnt a lot about him, he told me he likes to study and play cricket and when he grows up, he wants to be a professional cricketer such as Shahid Afridi, this is exactly what he told me in his own words. He wants to be the next Shahid Afridi and be better than him, and from my perspective, he has the talent and the mindset, so nothing is stopping him. Furthermore when the boys would come up to me and call me sir and mister, I would keep telling them I am not your and please don’t call me mister, I am your brother.

                This whole trip or life experience made me reflect back at my past and think what I could have done that could have improved me. Moreover it made think how precious life, parents and family are, and how we and possibly I as well have been taking them for granted. This now correlates to my previous post about being thankful. It makes me feel sad and slightly happy at the same time when I think of those children, sad in the way that they have “no” family and makes me think how much I take mine for granted. It make me happy in the sense that they have a family and that family are the children of SOS, it’s better than nothing and I hope that they do not take this for granted.  

                Upon return I was depressed and sad due to the fact that the children have no idea what is ahead of them and what could I do to help them. It strikes in relief, comfort and happiness that there are summer programs where volunteers are permitted to go into SOS: Children’s Village and help out the faculty members and staff. Finally I wish that in the future I work closely to helping those children as my grandmother has been doing in the past.  I hope to be attending SOS again in the future and not for my C.V, but for myself.