Brief: Kahaani is an Indian Dance show which supports the NGO Voice of World in Kolkata. This show aims to raise awareness and funds to support this NGO. Kolkata GC works with an organisation called ‘Voice of World,’ which is located in the city of Kolkata, India. Voice of World takes care of mentally and physically disabled children who are either abandoned by their immediate family or have been sent to the centre for treatment, as their families are unable to afford it. There are multiple centres around the city of Kolkata in West Bengal that house these children and rehabilitate them into society through vocational training. Voice of World aims to reduce the stigma of the disabled in India, and we work in partnership with them to change our communities’ (UWC) perception of the disabled while raising awareness and funds for our NGO.
REFLECTION:
LO2, LO6
LO 2 CHALLENGE
Undertaken new challenges & developing new skills
- What was it about this activity that I found challenging/difficult?
I found balancing my workload and attending practice regularly difficult. Since I am in the front row of the dance and had to teach some members the dance, I had an added burden on me to learn the dance quickly and learn it well.
- What risks have I taken as part of this activity?
I think the main risk was related to academic achievement, as I had found myself in a less than optimal place with most of my subjects, meaning I had to spend a lot of time studying and trying to bring my grades higher, as well as preparing for the SAT.
- What actions did I take to overcome these challenges?
I think the main action I took that helped me balance this and my academics and other activities was scheduling and planning out my workdays on google calendar.
- How can I use the skills I developed in this activity in other areas of my life?
I think that my main takeaway from these initial practises is the power of scheduling and the power of self-critique, and they are applicable to so many areas of my life. For example, I can now make sure I have an adequate amount of time for everything and not have to sacrifice commitments in order to finish assignments or prepare for tests. IN addition to this, I can apply the process of looking at myself dance and comparing it to the ‘tutorial’ to other things too. With my upcoming pysch IA, I intend on comparing it to the exemplar IA supplied by our teachers to find drawbacks in my work.
LO 6 GLOBAL VALUE
Engaging with issues of global importance
- How have my actions had a positive/negative impact on this issue?
I believe by promoting this show and coercing my friends to come watch our performance, and boosting sales, I am indirectly helping the NGO and therefore positively impacting the lives of the underpriveledged differently abled children in Kolkata.
- How has my thinking about this issue changed as a result of my participation in this activity? Am I more open-minded, caring, principled as a result?
I think that after being briefed on the cause and seeing footage of the children, I have better understood their plight, and am more motivated to make a change in their life. It has made me more aware of yet another socio-economic disparity that is clearly representative of inequality, and reminded me of my responsibility as an UWC student to help bridge that gap