Conversation (Cait)

Tuesday, June 8

Class today with the boys good, but we are realizing more than ever the vast disparities in English proficiency that exist among them. Some of the boys already know a little English and are extremely bright, and we have been really impressed by how quickly they are learning. However, we have had a lot of difficulty teaching the ones who speak little or no English at all, since neither of us speak any Hindi! Conveying abstract concepts like what an adverb is or what "describe" means has been challenging, and we have realized the necessity of bringing an English-Hindi dictionary with us to class.

Soon after class started , Rashmi and Anoop came into the room and told us that since today was Tuesday they would have a Bal Mundal. The boys then stood and organized themselves into straight lines and began chanting something in Hindi which we think was the Our Father prayer. They also sang the national anthem.

Though we were confused at first, we gradually discerned with some help from Anoop that this was the meeting of the children's group, which is the equivalent of the women's group which is Asha's link to the Mayapuri community. The children's group has a President, Vice President, Secretary, etc and is very active in the community. Mr. Martin later explained to us that in order to participate in Asha's programs, the children must attend English and computer class regularly and be an active member of the Bal Mundal. The Bal Mundal occasionally has rallies in which the children spread awareness and educate people in the community about health topics like smoking. Asha very much wants everyone to join their group, but members must be committed.

One of the boys then came to the front of the room and explained to the group how to prepare ORS, or oral rehydration solution. Another boy followed with a presentation of a newspaper article, and then the meeting was over. Back to work!

During our lunch break, we also had two of the more advanced boys, Rajan and Dharmveer, come in for a special tutoring session. Shalini worked with them on grammar and comprehension, while I read with a few of the girls who had come early to hang out with us. One of the really cool things about Asha is the freedom they give volunteers to teach what we want and arrange classes or special tutoring sessions however we like; there is no set curriculum or schedule, though it can also be more challenging for people without teaching experience to come up with a lesson and exercises each day!

The afternoon with the girls dragged a little, as only one of the girls, Shalu, knows any significant amount of English. In addition, only three showed up to class! We spent most of the time working on reading and pronunciation, especially of the "th" sound, which is difficult for the children to pronounce. Instead of "thank you," they often say "tank you" or "sank you." We were all reduced to giggles after spending fifteen minutes sticking our tongues out to make the elusive "th" sound. We understand completely the difficulties of pronunciation, however, as the children will often correct us when we try to say something in Hindi, and many times we can hear no difference between our pronunciation and theirs. Oy vey.

At the end of the day a group of older girls came, who were all in the range of 14-17 years. This was easier (and more fun!) since we could have more of a conversation with them, which consisted mostly of discussing Bollywood movies (which was carried primarily by Shalini as my knowledge in this area is sorely lacking). Shal even demonstrated the typical male Bollywood dance move for us, which I strongly suggest you all ask her to show you at home...alas, I could not get to my camera in time to get a video.

That evening, Mr. Martin took Shalini, Felix, and I out to dinner at an Indian restaurant at the Indian Habitat Center, a grand complex containing several restaurants and spaces for conferences and meetings. The food was delicious, but the conversation was even better. We discussed everything from Indian politics and gay rights to Asha's development to the best place to get Indian food in Harvard Square with Mr. Martin, who is an extremely charming and intelligent gentleman with the most melodic British accent. We learned a lot more about the slum communities as well, about the "slum lords" who are sometimes figureheads, sometimes real powers in each slum, and some amazing success stories of people who, after taking loans through Asha, were not only able to pay them back in full in a short amount of time, but who were able to build successful businesses, move out of the slums, and send their children to good schools.

On the drive home, we drove by a slum on the side of a busy road which we pass every morning on the way to the office. Mr. Martin pointed to a dwelling on the very edge near a traffic light, where a woman he knows lives. Some time ago a truck barreled through the intersection and struck the home, killing one. For every success story in these communities, it seems there are many of tragedy.

We went to bed very full of the best food we've had yet and with Mr. Martin's assurances that we would go out to dinner again soon. Can't wait!