With The Kids @ NDA

There were two main reasons why I had volunteered for accompanying a few kids from an orphanage to the NDA, the first being that I had been thinking of taking up some sort of a social activity for a long time and secondly due to the fact that till not so long ago, I wanted to be a part of the academy myself. So, even before the visit got underway I knew that I was not going to regret the early morning start I would have to give myself to make it on time for visit.

We were about six colleagues and we were at the pick up point at 0830 hrs sharp. The moment the kids got inside the bus, the excitement amongst the kids brought a smile on our faces. While interacting with the kids, the first thing that hits you, is their street smartness! They sure do know how to find a way for themselves. The kids were surprisingly well mannered. They would thank us every time we gave them biscuits or a soft drink or every time we did something for them. I remember as a kid, my mother would have to remind me in front of strangers to thank them. The kids here had learnt their lessons well and they did not need anyone to remind them of their matters in front of strangers.

Something in common amongst all the kids was their fascination for the camera. My photographer colleague was in high demand with all the requests of 'One photo please!'. Suprisingly quite a few of the kids were very well aware of the latest handsets and the their features. Something that I must admit, is not the case with me.

They were all disciplined. Be it the fear of their care taker around or the efforts to put on a good show in front of the outsiders, I thought the kids were a lot easy to manage than the kids from other schools that were also present there. This being a first of its kind trip for me, I had a lot of fun and I also got to see the lives of the cadets from close quarters and here's to many more such activities in future. Cheers!