Visiting the National Blind School

Happiness lies in little things. The more I think about it, the more I’m sure it is true. We are lucky to be able to walk, to study, to work, to feel the sun and the wind, to hear sounds. We are lucky just to be able to see the world (though not exactly how it truly is, but that’s another topic). We use these opportunities without noticing. We always complain about difficulties and obstacles. If we stop for a moment and have a look around, we’ll see how many things we take for granted.

On the 10^th of February 2016, I went to the National Blind School in Delhi with the KIBI team. It was part of the Losar charity activities. We served snacks to the children there and had a chance to meet them and to talk to them about their life and their studies.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go; I thought it would be hard to see these children. I’m glad I was wrong.  We could see them walking in pairs, supporting each other, treating each other nicely. They told us about their favorite subjects, about their plans for the future, about their friends and hobbies. A 10-year-old boy shared the story about his challenging experience in learning Sanskrit. A group of little girls surrounded us on the roof. We were talking about our countries and our studies. Most of them could speak English fluently.

I don’t feel pity for these children, I admire them. They are very focused on their studies. They are full of inspiration to find their place in this world. They don’t complain, although they know they need much more effort in order to succeed. As for us, we have all the possibilities to achieve whatever we want. Do we always use them efficiently? That was the take-home question for me.

By Alena Votinova.