Ejipura: An Enriching Experience

02 Nov Ejipura: An Enriching Experience

“Education is the vaccine of violence” – Edward James Olmos

If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it is imperative that as many people as possible should strive to be vaccinated. Education, albeit not a literal vaccine, acts as the key to achieving certain aims by developing skills or transmitting knowledge. Education not only assists people in getting a well-paying job, but also in demonstrating the difference between right and wrong.

Sharanya Narayani International School, one of the best international schools in Bangalore, does a wonderful job of preparing students to be well-rounded citizens.

Being not only an IB School but also an IGCSE school in Bangalore, my classmates and I thought it would be a great idea to select Global Perspectives as a subject, and to try our hand at social work. Our Grade 10 GP group consisting of Sirichanok, Nishanth, Ishaan, Chethan and myself (Ananya) decided that we would strive to do our best in bettering the society around us by aiding an initiative by Swabhimaan Charitable Trust. At

SNIS, one of the best boarding schools in Bangalore, except for me, the rest of my GP group are all boarders, which made our planning so much easier. At last, the day came when we were granted permission to visit the slum of Ejipura, and we were prepared to make the most out of the experience, and I’m glad to say we did.

We interviewed Mr. Venkataraman Iyer, the head trustee of SCT, who gave us a direct insight into how his NGO helped solve not only educational crises, but also aided women in poverty, and opened up a few clinics where with only an expense of 10 INR for both consultation and medication those in need can get medical treatment. He told us about the scholarship programs he had arranged for the brightest of students in Ejipura, and the NIOS school (National Institute of Open Schooling) that he had set up in the slum. His actions were truly inspirational, and he suggested a few ways in which we could follow in his footsteps for our project. Importantly, after the visit, we felt as though we had changed as people, and truly wanted to improve the lives of the underprivileged near us by utilizing all possible methods within our capabilities.