Third Year student, Ayan Eswaran, has been grateful for the school’s encouragement to participate in The Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE), which he says has, in turn, given him the opportunity connect with children in India.
Ayan explains: “My grandmother regularly donates to a charitable foundation on our birthdays. This foundation runs a free school with boarding for orphans and under-privileged children in Dhannaram village in Andhra Pradesh, India.
“I decided that I could talk to the children about world events, along with some English, Maths and Science. We were able to set up lessons through Zoom, projected onto a TV screen for 12-14 year olds. I gave them a round-up of some of the most important global events of 2021, such as COVID, climate change, and the anti-racism movement; talked to them about space, the Big Bang and about how all the elements that we are made up of were synthesised in stars, and amazing facts about the animal world. We also did some Maths puzzles. The children were brilliant at Sudoku.
“I particularly enjoyed seeing their smiling faces, and hearing their enthusiastic voices when I ask them questions. Preparing for the lessons and thinking about what to include took time, and a couple of times I did the session at 6.30 a.m. before leaving for school. This was a unique and challenging project, but satisfying and memorable.”
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