Global Education:
Global Education:
High School Seniors Reflect on Orphanage Experience
Copy & Photography provided by Mount Madonna School
From the unconditional love received from the children that greeted them at Sri Ram Orphanage, to hearing many personal stories of struggle and triumph, to meeting inspiring leaders who are working to preserve important cultures and traditions, the Mount Madonna School( MMS) seniors experienced an exciting variety of enriching moments during their recent two-week learning journey to India.
They saw amazing sights like the Taj Mahal and Golden Temple of Amritsar; and engaged with Indian students from a wide variety of backgrounds, including rural and urban schools, the Sri Ram Ashram and the Tibetan Childrens’ Village in Dharamsala. As they interacted with people from such varied circumstances, the MMS students learned a great deal about themselves, as is evidenced by the writings they shared via the trip blog.
The learning journey was led by Values in World Thought program leader Ward Mailliard and his teaching partner and blog editor, Shannon Kelly(’ 92). Other staff members included videographer Devin Kumar(’ 06), chaperone Hannah Meade(’ 08), graphic artist Trevor Forry,(’ 09), and Santa Cruz Sentinel photographer Shmuel Thaler.
Their story was shared by thousands of blog viewers from around the world who were captivated by Thaler’ s beautiful photos and Kumar’ s revealing video clips chronicling the group’ s experiences. Student writings focused on thoughtprovoking interviews with Samdhong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile; Sam Singh, founder of the Pardada Pardadi Vocational School for Girls; Rinchen Khando, founder of the Dolma Ling Nunnery; and His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama.
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The following are examples from the India blog illustrating some of the depth of the students’ experiences.
There they were. Their smiling faces finally bringing our long journey by train to an end. The ecstatic children of Sri Ram Ashram ran alongside our bus as we pulled into the orphanage. While exiting the bus, we were instantly greeted by the embraces of many little children. There were no barriers between us and the new faces staring up into our eyes. Each of them possessed an air of innocence that made deep connections instantly attainable. One by one we exchanged names and at that point, it was time for play. We were openly accepted into all of their activities such as playing ultimate frisbee with the older kids and swinging on swings with the younger ones. These simple games brought much joy to both us and the kids. It is experiences like these that humble a person. It is amazing to be surrounded by people that have the ability to take you from your materialistic, stressful world and pull you toward theirs. These kids were able to aid me in succeeding immediately in something that I have struggled to achieve on my own: they showed me how to live in the present. – Sanika Lakka
Looking out the window on the train ride from Delhi to Haridwar, I watched the world transform around us. The landscape fading into a consistent and vivid shade of green; the level terrain giving way to hills, gullies, and wetlands. Trees and flowers became more numerous and showcased the lands’ natural beauty. Villages grew farther apart and seemed to become more hospitable. Though there were still crowds and trash, the brick buildings were more even, better maintained, and spaced out to allow some breathing room … About twenty minutes outside of Haridwar, I caught a glimpse of jungle and mountains. My heart raced and excitement rushed through my veins with every hurried beat. I had a feeling of arriving home after a long journey.
At the ashram, the kids welcomed us eagerly. Despite a slight language barrier, we quickly made friends and within an hour, I was already asked when I would return to the ashram. Most of us were grabbed by one to three of the younger children who held our hands and showed us their home. Later, we played soccer and frisbee with the older kids and spent a good deal of time eating aloo tikkis, drinking chai, and socializing. I have never before met such an outstanding collection of individuals so full of life and love. Each one was
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