Would you remember me? #ibmcsc #india 26

I believe that every time you travel -if you are lucky-, there will be a few moments that are worth the trip: those would make your heart smile, or as my grandmother used to say, it would feel like a feather moving softly in your chest.   

While in India, that happened to me at Kuppam town. During our last weekend in Bangalore, we were invited to Agastya´s Campus in Kuppam -a rural area in Andhra Pradesh State-, to discover a Science Center where hundreds of children were daily exposed to basic concepts in physics, biology, chemistry and ecology. During the afternoon we visited all campus facilities, and joined a "creative teaching" class for volunteer teachers, who were young men and women from the rural villages committed to help children in their communities through education. So far, so good. But the magic was to come at night.

Operation Vasantha was our final destination. We were picked up at 7:00pm to join the night teaching lessons in the community center located in a surrounding village. After a twenty-minute drive through the country side, we arrived. The children ran to the entrance to welcome Jason, Ankur and me with flowers and lots of drawings they had done for us. There was also a welcoming message in the classroom board, and lots of confetti! We were given paper huts and collars while the kids explained to us what the drawings were: lots of dolphins, boats, dinosaurs and flowers (that I have right next to me now, in my home office desk, as I type this blog from Buenos Aires). 

The program coordinator introduced me to the volunteer teacher assigned to that community, but I had actually met her before, in the creative-teaching classroom earlier that afternoon. When I said so, the young teacher smiled, pleased that I had remembered her.

We had talked and played for a while, before the real party started! We were invited to a "dancing show" as the children interpreted some Bollywood music (I have to admit I was truly impressed by their dancing skills!!).

After a few songs, students had to go back to study, meaning our time there was coming to an end: our drive was waiting for us to take the three of us back to the campus. 

As I was saying goodbye, I held so many hands I could not count them. Some of the children asked me if I would visit them again, when I would go back, and please come back... Before I left, the young teacher grabbed my hand and looking me in the eye asked "Would you remember me?". I looked back at her and smiled, and right there I felt the feather in my chest... How wouldn't I?

The rain started when we were leaving. We got into the truck and drove back through the country road as the rain became stronger. The night was upon us. I smiled looking out the window pane, thinking there are some events you would never forget.