Well, this one is not above the movie. It is about the 7 days nss camp to thondemanpatti, a small village near Madurai. Completing this camp is mandatory for every NSS student. So we were all set and curious to attend this camp. Some of us took NSS keeping in mind the ten days camp and we all thought it would be so much fun when all of us go to the same village for ten full days. But the first disappointment was our group was split and we were put in different villages. But I knew few girls who were coming with me so I was disappointed only a bit. We were set to leave right after New Year.
Finally the day came and we had to start after our Christmas vacations. You can imagine… I was so out of mood. You know, at times we have this fluttery feeling in the pit of the stomach, a heavy burden in the chest and we would feel something terrible is going to happen… well, I was feeling all this a ten times over! My dad dropped me in college and all the 2nd year NSS girls were there. Some looked excited and some definitely looked lik me. During our long wait we got the news that the ten days camp was shortened to 7 days. Since then I also looked excited.
Then we all boarded the bus and left for our village. It was quite near madurai. We were totally 100 girls and four lecturers. We were first taken to the place where we had to stay. It was a huge hall with a dais in the front and a small room near the entrance, a tiled roof and cemented flooring. Well, for a girl who started the camp with such a feeling this room was all the more welcoming. Then the bathroom and the toilet facility, we had a few. I don’t want to comment. And our camp thus started. And we had few surprises. The place where we were staying was in the middle of nowhere. We had to walk few kilometres to go to the village. We met the villagers and announced our arrival and we walked back. It was so exciting to walk in a forest like area, in the dark…
Then we were served our dinner. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting great food. But no kidding, the food was so delicious. We all had a very good dinner and we forgot about the other inconveniences. The trouble started after the dinner. Everyone hurried for a place to sleep. Since it was a hall it was hard to reserve a place for yourself. As usual I was one of the last few and I got the most inconvenient place. But nevertheless I had a sound sleep and I also over slept. The day started and we were divided into groups to form committees. Some of my friends and I joined into one group (obviously). There were seven committees and each group had a committee each day. So everyone had to work in all the committees. On the first day our group was in the implements committee I think. I don’t remember. We had to distribute all the tools, (spade and stuff). In a matter of few hours we made friends with another few girls and ours became the largest and the loudest gang!!! Dancing and playing music in the night… it was fun.( fun for us and a nuisance for others…)
Our work in the morning was to clear the grounds there, remove the weeds with the spade.(I will tell more about it in my next blog.) We did that till lunch. Came back to our hall, had lunch and then attended a guest lecture. In the evening we went to the village again. Went to each house and called the kids out and taught them their subjects. It was such a wonderful experience. to teach the kids. There were times when we didn’t have anyone to teach. But we had to compulsorily teach someone and we couldn’t afford to be caught doing nothing. So we kept walking. At times few had to run away from the teachers. We had to sit on the streets and teach the kids. It was a wonderful thing, to teach. That was when I discovered that I like teaching. But I couldn’t be of much help b’cos their lessons were in Tamil and I am not an expert in it. I only taught them English. (Even math was hard to teach in Tamil). In a few days time we got our own students. Like, few girls regularly wanted to learn from us!!! So we no longer had to hurry up and catch hold of the pupils before they were taken by others. The girls for whom I took class gave me a rose from their plant everyday. And one thing that really touched me was all those girls were half my age but they did twice the work that I do. After school they had to do all the household work (more than half of which I don’t even know!!!)
And on the last day everyone gave a farewell party for the villagers. We danced, performed skit and all that stuff. But I couldn’t attend the last day function cos I had to attend an exam (which I dint clear)… well anyways, it was one camp that I really enjoyed. Hopefully I ll attend another similar one soon…
