Renovating the RLC and myself

The remote learning centre (RLC) is, as the name suggests, a learning centre for children that was developed by our school. It is in a village called Kondakal. However the surroundings and the environment are not really conducive for learning. There are broken and rusting fences, the walls aren't very nice to look at, there is a lot of empty land. So this project aimed to achieve 4 things to improve the surroundings- fix and repaint the fence, plant saplings, develop a sitting area and paint walls.

On the first day I was very excited to go for this CAS project. After my experience in Mumbai, I was filled with anticipation to do some hard core manual labor again.

However when I went there, I was disappointed. My group was supposed to mend the fence but we did not have the required equipment to do so. So it felt like a waste of time initially. However during the process I noticed things about myself. At one point the person in charge came and suggested a plan of action. My group members were against it. We came up with another idea. At this point, when I communicated the idea to the in-charge, I realized one of my strengths while working in a group- the ability to communicate ideas effectively. This made me aware that my contribution to the group need not be always about coming up with ideas.

After that I painted the walls with my fingers a bit and then went to serve food to the local kids. I had a great time. However one of my classmates did not speak telugu and he was not a very confident person. So when I told him how to ask if the children wanted food, he said it. But maybe because he wasn’t confident of himself, the children laughed. Yet he asked again. At that point I was very proud of him. But he left after a while. This was when I realized the important role that language plays and how knowing the local language gives me a great advantage. I was grateful for it.

Then I went and helped the gardening group. I realized that I found it extremely gratifying to do the manual work like digging and carrying. It made me feel strong.

At one point my friend in the gardening group made a comment about how his group was much better planned than the painting group. Though I was in the group required to repair the fence, I took it very personally and told him our group did not have the materials! (maybe because we also hadn’t achieved much). This brought out once again my extreme need to always be good at what I do. It also told me that I get very defensive.

Then we went back to school and did some clay modeling. I started off making a cowboy and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did not want to leave it when it was time to go.

The second day was much more tiring than the first. On the first day we thought that we absolutely required a drill machine to fix the fence (to drill into the concrete foundation). We thought that this was a very impractical project and it was beyond our capacity. But on that day we found a much simpler and effective solution. So once we let go of the notion that it was impossible and that there was only one possible solution, we found a new solution. This once again taught me the importance of being open to new ideas.

I also noticed something else about myself. The “strength” that I felt when I was doing manual labor was directly related to how strong people around me thought I was. For example I realized that I felt happier about the work I did when people came and told me I have done a great job and that I had put in a lot of effort. So is recognition of my work an important part of how I feel about my work? In some cases it seems so.

I noticed another part of myself. I was working really hard and I kept wanting to try my hand at everything. After a while my team mates let me do most of the things while they rested probably because they were tired. They were all guys and I was the only girl. I was also tired but I kept going on. I kind of resented that they were not doing more work. At one point, my team mater asked another to carry cement. (oh I loved learning how to mix cement) But it looked like he did not want to do it (or so it seemed to me!). So I took it from him. I was the one taking up all the tasks and then resenting the fact that others were not doing much later! The explanation to this contradictory behavior was probably that I was tired and I wanted to prove myself and to others that I was strong.

The second day of clay session was very peaceful. People around me were talking and laughing. I just sat there and worked on my cowboy. It was like mediation for me. I loved my cowboy model. A few people told me that it was great and I loved it. But not many of my friends saw it. So I kept showing it to them and telling them how much I loved it (all of this was subconscious. I realized it only now). More evidence for my need for recognition? Seems so!

The third day was the winding up day and we worked for much longer. I was very exhausted and I realized that I snap at people a lot when I am tired. The difference is initially I never realized it was because I was tired, but now I realize it. I was so tired that I could not even appreciate the amazing work we had done on the fence. Later I was generally talking to all the kids and when they told me they really liked me I felt great.

Overall I just loved this RLC and clay modeling. Once again it told me a lot about myself. I think I am one step closer to knowing more about who I am.

Learning outcomes achieved:

1. Increased awareness of my strengths and areas of growth
2. Undertook new challenges
3. Planned and initiated activities
4. Worked colloboratively with others
5. Shown perseverance and commitment in the activities
6. Developed new skills