Celebrating Community Action by Ms.Sunita Thakur, Academic Research Support

Every year Pathways elects a new Community Action Service team (CAS).

It’s as important an event as, say nominating the student council, because this team will lead the many ways in which Pathways serve.  This team, called the Interact club, last year supported Response Net Service, a Delhi food bank collecting food and pushing the drive towards ‘no more waste’. The Interact club also worked with the SPCA animal shelter, painted and taught English and computers to the Sai Bal Sansar school in Noida and got involved in raising awareness on cancer with CANSUPPORT. Alongside hands-on help, each organization was also given funding for their work.

Inside our very own school the Interact club committed many hours to teaching the didis and bhaiyas English and computer technology. The results - new found language skills and even some power- point presentations, of some of the didis and bhaiyas and children of Sai Bal Sansar were on proud display at the badging ceremony.

As those elected on the day well know, serving is an enriching experience because it widens one’s horizons, making one aware of the variety in the world we are surrounded by but rarely see. Yet when we come into close contact with a person different from us and we are really looking and listening, labels dissolve and people emerge with their personal stories of hardships and triumphs. We learn, for example, how those suffering from cancer have to face their mortality or the student aware of his lesser circumstance nevertheless is determined to be the ‘best’. 

Watching, taking part in their lives, helping to make it just a little bit better, we discover respect -for others’ tenacity and for ourselves, willing to be open to learning. We also realize what no book can teach us, that the greatest equalizer is obstacles, and overcoming them, the very celebration of life.