Volunesia Diaries – Moving From Controlled Chaos To Stillness

This time, our lovely volunteer – Varsha shares her Volunesia experience with us. Enjoy the read, get a peek into all the ‘masti’ that happens every Saturday, and join us this Saturday!

Volunesia at Brindavan Tent School last Saturday did not seem like a ‘volunteer’ event to me. It felt more like a continuum of galvanic moments! The moment I sat down with the students, it felt like a tidal wave had taken over the sea. The energy each one brings to the circle is so contagious, that even the butterflies in my stomach had flown away in the flurry of activities. But first things first!

Bonding, Building and Beyond

The opening circle that is held at the beginning of every Volunesia is a great way to get all of us on the same page and gather our energies for the next two hours. Preparation is crucial to the success of any activity, and it serves precisely that purpose. We all unite to ensure that no moment is lost in learning, absorbing, and creating.

Greeting cards and paper lanterns were on the menu for the day, and it definitely got all of us a bit nervous. The initial tutorial by Nandini laid rest to some of our anxiety, and we all delved happily into creating them. Each of us volunteers sat down with ‘our’ children and with our greeting card cut outs.

It was challenging to explain to the kids what the concept of a greeting card is, and I realised how much I took for granted certain knowledge that we think is very general. I was so bemused by the way each kid dived into drawing and colouring with different power. The concept of borders, how to draw a Diya, was new and fresh for them. I found myself breaking out of my comfort zone and thinking of ways to make a greeting card to show them as they were closely observing my ‘art’ for ideas!

Big Learnings From Young Kids

One of the kids in my group- Prakash, was pleasantly calm throughout, and took his own sweet time to make his greeting card, almost oblivious to his surroundings. On the other hand, Devraj was more than excited to finish one greeting card after another, and made every effort to include more into each.

When it came to writing a message inside the card, I had a tougher yet interesting challenge to teach them how to spell and speak the word- ‘Happy’, or their name. I asked them to write and rewrite the word till they were able to write on their own, that eventually one was able to teach the other. They pick up new things so quickly when taught with patience, and the way they teach each other is baffling! It is almost like they have this underlying language I am not even privy too.

I found it so encouraging to see each kid come up with their own styles, and when some kids from other groups came forward and showed us their cards, that urged the kids to do better. It was quite a task to keep them engrossed into colouring, and give them an idea on how they could add more to their creation. As shared by Mamatha during the closing circle, we go with our plan, but they have their own, and these plans are never the same, despite which it results in a high octane time. In just a moment of hesitation we can lose their attention, with which I realised how important it was for me to be on my toes, and pay attention to each child, no matter their personality or the chaos.

Leading By Example

When we began making the lanterns, it did seem a bit easier, as I was finally in a comfort zone with my children, and they were impatient and excited to learn more.

Sneha shared how she observed that the kids never listened to what she was saying when she tried to transition them from greeting cards to lanterns. So finally she decided to just start making a lantern herself, which was when their attention was caught, after which they paid absolute attention to whatever she was doing. Eventually they started making their own!

Initially I was pondering upon the best way to give equal attention to all the kids, but it dawned on me that not every kid is the same. Some may require extra attention, while for some it’s just smooth sailing. It was so clear to me that at no moment can I let them down, and I felt that nothing lesser than my best can be brought forward to spend time with them. They are little adults with a mind stronger and clearer than we can imagine. They bring so much energy to the space, it’s like contagious static!!!

Reflecting On The Controlled Chaos

In the closing circle, Manu made a very poignant point when he said-

“When I first came to Volunesia in this school, it felt like we had just started to explore the sea. There were rough waves. The more we went ahead the more the waves pushed us ten steps behind. But after being part of so many Volunesia circles in this school, now it feels like we’ve gone beyond the shore and are inside the sea, where the waves aren’t as turbulent anymore. There is chaos, but there is also control and some stillness.”

We completely resonated with his deep thought and were nodding in complete agreement. On that note we also observed that the students have picked up so many skills in no time. With more Volunesians coming back to school regularly, the familiarity with the kids is increasing and is helping us guage their progress more personally.

It was so reassuring to see the youngest volunteer, Gunita, colouring with them; her adorable smile and nature lifting our spirits. Even though she did not share during the closing circle, something I always look forward to, her smile said it all! As Pranita pointed out, we were exhausted, but it was a happy exhaustion; one that in a weird sense made us feel enthusiastic!

The day ended on a high note with Preethi’s friends – Cheran and Avinash, who distributed packs of water bottle, pencil-box and tiffin box to every child, which was wonderful timing considering they were being taught the importance of cleanliness and hygiene in their weekday Mentor India classes.

There were so many minute things that really stirred in me a sense of belonging, and like it was shared by most, a deep learning in each event. I look forward to more learning with these wonderful little kids.

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.” ― Barack Obama

Join us next Volunesia, coming up this Saturday – 29th July, 2017 at Brindavan Tent School. Register here and we’ll get in touch with you with the details!

Liked reading this? Then you might also like to read Volunesia Diaries – Taking Management Lessons From First Graders!

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