Thinking about making a change is easy but actually getting things done is a lot more complicated. All of us at some point of our lives have thought about making a change but I’m quite sure of the fact that most of us have brushed that thought out of our heads in mere seconds by creating an excuse like: What can we do alone?
To be honest, I had the same line of thought like everyone until I got involved with an N.G.O named “Sounds of Silence.” An N.G.O with humble beginnings but with dreams and aspirations bigger than its inception. Hope, Love, and Affection—all these feelings packed in one small room with an honest desire to make a change.
S.O.S gave its volunteers a chance to help hearing impaired connect to the the world, a privilege they are denied, often without thought or malicious intent. The night before my first time teaching these students, I remember being anxious. I remember me being on edge all night, my nerves positively ready to buckle under the weight of the task that waited. “How do I teach those who not listen, how do I connect with those who do not speak?”
All my fears—thankfully—vanished the moment I stepped into the classroom. The students, perhaps because they are denied proper learning their entire life, were eager to learn. More eager, I admit, than I have ever seen anyone be. They were jovial, sincere, and above all inquisitive—which, I admit, is the best thing a teacher can hope for. For a teacher, there’s nothing worse than listlessness and nothing better than a curiosity that brings one to the edge of their seat, for the prospect of learning and subsequently enrichment. A point which, the “abled,” children often miss and yet these kids understand perfectly. What I thought would have started as a strict and professional student-teacher relationship turned into a friendly and motivating one. In the blink of an eye, they let their barriers down, got me involved with their biggest fears and aspirations and made me a part of their inner circle. Helping them is just like helping yourself to build a change within you. The bond that I now share with them is commendable and sooner I realized that one drop of affection with a little patience is only what these students ask from us. It is just like if I try to give even one bit of my hard work they would return with one hundred percent of theirs.