We went to a child labor camp on Saturday, June 25th 2011. We got there and the leader brought us up into one of the empty classrooms to explain and answer any questions about the camp. It is a privately funded camp for girls. They have volunteers that emerge themselves into urban and rural cultures and find children who are not going to school and then they educate the parents and/or employers about the benefits of an education and once everyone agrees they take the child back to the camp. This camp in particular (there are about 10 in Hyderabad) has about 85 girls. It is almost like college where the children have a place to stay and eat and shower and go to school. The facility was very nice and the children seemed to love it.
After the leader answered all of our questions we split up into 2 groups and went into different classrooms where different age girls were learning. The classroom that I went into they were sitting on the floor reading. Obviously all of the foreigners take out their cameras, bad idea. I took about 5 pictures before I was swarmed by children and my camera was taken captive for about 500 pictures :)
When I finally got my camera back we sat down to eat lunch. My first meal where I had to eat with my hands!! Thank God someone had hand sanitizer... Even so, I tried not to think about what was on my hands as I was eating.. Anyways, while we were eating the children were laughing at us because we couldn't get the food in our mouths! I finally figured out the art of eating with my hands with 5 easy steps :
Step one - mix up the rice and the curry.
Step two - ball up the rice into a bite sized piece.
Step three - with the ball in your fingers lift it to your mouth and use your thumb to push it into your mouth.
Step four - chew and swallow.
Step five - repeat until food is gone.
:)
After lunch we had another hour of camera attacks, this time I tried harder to take more pictures myself. But, as usual I gave into their big eyes and pouting lips..
Still this afternoon was one of the best days in India.. :) I loved it!
After the leader answered all of our questions we split up into 2 groups and went into different classrooms where different age girls were learning. The classroom that I went into they were sitting on the floor reading. Obviously all of the foreigners take out their cameras, bad idea. I took about 5 pictures before I was swarmed by children and my camera was taken captive for about 500 pictures :)
When I finally got my camera back we sat down to eat lunch. My first meal where I had to eat with my hands!! Thank God someone had hand sanitizer... Even so, I tried not to think about what was on my hands as I was eating.. Anyways, while we were eating the children were laughing at us because we couldn't get the food in our mouths! I finally figured out the art of eating with my hands with 5 easy steps :
Step one - mix up the rice and the curry.
Step two - ball up the rice into a bite sized piece.
Step three - with the ball in your fingers lift it to your mouth and use your thumb to push it into your mouth.
Step four - chew and swallow.
Step five - repeat until food is gone.
:)
After lunch we had another hour of camera attacks, this time I tried harder to take more pictures myself. But, as usual I gave into their big eyes and pouting lips..
Still this afternoon was one of the best days in India.. :) I loved it!
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