On January 19th, our group travelled to the Parikrma Center for Learning, a non- governmental organization (NGO) that acts as a school in Bangalore. Parikrma is a Sanskrit word meaning “completing the circle" and caring for a child “end to end" from age 5 to 25. With four locations in the four corners of Bangalore, the schools serve students living in the slums of the city and provides them with well-rounded care. India’s school system favors the rich by granting more opportunities to attend quality schools than the poor, which widens the gap between socioeconomic classes. India has an estimated 1.2 million initiated NGO programs, and each program has a different focus and serves a different population (Saraswathi and Dutta, 2010). Bangalore has over 2.5 million people living in its slums and Parikrma believes that the way to ending this often multigenerational poverty cycle is through education.
Our first task was the distribution of chocolate bars to eager kindergartners on their way to a field trip to the zoo. We were greeted with big smiles and each child graciously thanked us after accepting the chocolate. After a ceremonial candle lighting, we assembled in a small room on the ground floor for a brief orientation. Parikrma has a foundation consisting of four pillars: education, nutrition, healthcare, and family care. The curriculum is more complex at Parikrma than at state-funded schools, and is tailored to the needs of each individual. Students are served three meals a day, and that nutritional intake is enough where a student can get by without eating again that day at home. Basic healthcare is met within the Parikrma schools, such as dental cleanings and physical checkups. The schools also heavily involve the families of the students. Inclusive programs teach parents English and basic skills, ensuring that students go home to a healthy environment.
Our first task was the distribution of chocolate bars to eager kindergartners on their way to a field trip to the zoo. We were greeted with big smiles and each child graciously thanked us after accepting the chocolate. After a ceremonial candle lighting, we assembled in a small room on the ground floor for a brief orientation. Parikrma has a foundation consisting of four pillars: education, nutrition, healthcare, and family care. The curriculum is more complex at Parikrma than at state-funded schools, and is tailored to the needs of each individual. Students are served three meals a day, and that nutritional intake is enough where a student can get by without eating again that day at home. Basic healthcare is met within the Parikrma schools, such as dental cleanings and physical checkups. The schools also heavily involve the families of the students. Inclusive programs teach parents English and basic skills, ensuring that students go home to a healthy environment.
We had the opportunity to enter different classrooms and meet the students. There we introduced ourselves, sung songs, and played various games with them. In a kindergarten classroom, we sang and danced to the “Hokey Pokey” with the students, and they loved it! The students performed a song about the solar system, reciting the different planets and reenacting their orbit around the sun. Not only was this song sang loud and proud it was full of science facts and accompanied by choreography. In a fifth grade classroom, the students were fascinated about what life is like in the US. We sat on the ground with them around their small, pull-out desks and answered all sorts of questions and asked some of our own. Some children were disappointed to learn that unfortunately, no one in our class personally knows John Cena. We played games like “thumb war” and “Oboshinotentoten” as well as showed pictures of what Minnesota looks like.
At the sound of a bell, students grabbed our hands and led us out of the classroom to a spacious dirt area for recess. The most popular game was tag, which involved a majority of our group and students of all ages. The younger kids also loved being given piggyback rides. When it was time for us to head back to Christ University, the students gave us hugs and thanked us for coming to their school. It was an environment no will forget! In addition to the school children’s warm goodbye, the founder of Parikrma as well as heads of school urged us to come back whenever we are near Bangalore. The morning was full of special interactions one on one with students that we won't forget. Some left feeling inspired about how lucky these kids were to be in a school like this, and how lucky we all were to catch a glimpse of what it's like. We encourage all of you reading this to learn some more about this great experience!
