Toms Gelpers, Grade 11
UWC Mahindra
The UWC movement highly values self-initiative, service-learning and transformative learning experiences. With its mission statement set on an ambitious goal to promote more peace and understanding globally, UWC and its students around the world can get involved in various projects and discover the world along the way. MUWCI (Mahindra UWC of India), the college I attend, takes pride in its active student body and its engagement in community service. MUWCI even has a project-based certificate, an opportunity to execute one’s own project during the senior year at the college.
MUWCI students are often characterized by their enthusiasm and passion for discovery. I got to see these traits in many of my classmates; most of us had ended up at MUWCI open and eager for new challenges. With hearts that truly belong to what we call the “MUWCI jungle”, I knew I was among true, adventurous explorers.
Many often wonder whether the rigorous, demanding IB curriculum is still “sufficiently UWC” and whether our adventurous hearts do not actually see the IB as more of an inhibitor that holds us back from our full potential for change-making and executing projects. Sometimes I’ve caught myself wondering: “What is the point of getting a UWC education if we don’t give back for the immense opportunity we have?” Isn’t sharing our knowledge to empower others better than keeping it to ourselves? And where does the UWC mission statement stand among all this?
The school, of course, acknowledges our eager spirits and gives us opportunities for project-based learning. One such opportunity was the Local Project Week in early March: a fresh initiative from teachers at MUWCI for “popping our heads out of the MUWCI bubble” and engaging with the local community. For me, it absolutely felt like a breeze during days when academic pressure and the Indian heat was a little stronger than usual.
I knew I wanted to go out and explore. I wanted to venture beyond borders somewhat familiar to me, get an enjoyable trip on the side and meet more enthusiastic, hard-working people out there. I wanted to recharge and get a hefty dose of inspiration, too. I set my heart on going to explore the biggest city of India, Mumbai, where I found a peculiar Cat Cafe to work with. For a die-hard, self-proclaimed (yet an allergic) cat person with the Ultimate Cat Lady title, this opportunity seemed too good to be true.
Except that every part of me refused to work on the proposal.
Overworked, burnt out, lazy, or maybe a mix of the three was my state of mind when the submission time was up. My mind was still processing the grand finale of MUWCI’s Theatre Season, where a three-month-long journey of directing, devising and rehearsals was right behind me. Where was my self-initiative now, at a time when I could really put it to use again? I could have looked for a buddy to accompany and support me in applying to the very exciting adventure ahead, but here I was, alone in my struggle by choice. So, I decided to see what my fellow firsties had in mind.
In the project fair right before Local Project Week, I met one of my classmates who wanted to collect “Stories from Dharavi”, sparking up conversations about mental health in the largest slum area of Asia. I was very excited about joining the project because it meant getting to know people from diverse walks of life and engaging with people whose voices rarely got heard; it could also be a base for further engagement in the location, hopefully achieving some positive change.
However, our high hopes for the project fell apart as the COVID-19 pandemic was quicker than us. Strongly advised not to go anywhere beyond Pune City, we found ourselves having to look for new people to work with. And there was one opportunity which seemed exciting: Meda Thai, a local teacher and mother from the Kolvan Valley gave us a chance to work in the Sādhana village. It is a place where many adults and children with special needs reside. The Sādhana Village Charitable Trust, the main driving force for the initiative, has been working with the specially-abled (and also encouraging women empowerment) for nearly thirty years. It is a place often talked about among students, many have visited the village, and some even have volunteered there; nonetheless, it seemed like a great journey to discover what Sādhana Village was really about.
When thinking about specially-abled people, scary pictures popped in my head. I don’t even know why. Maybe it is a consequence of social stigmas and prejudices against differently-abled and specially-abled people. However, being a UWC student reinforces the idea that acknowledging and exploring diversity is very valuable, and so is compassion towards others. As a proud UWC student, I knew I still looked up to this opportunity as one where I could also challenge myself and grow personally, challenging my own idea of comfort.
Upon arriving in the village, we spent the first two days talking to the workers who were taking care of them, something that very much made the scary picture I had built up in my head completely collapse. I saw Sādhana village as a peaceful, pleasant village within rural Pune. As we light-heartedly chatted at times and had serious discussions with the women at other points of our visit, the picture of rural villagers as unaware of themselves and the world around them also crumbled. We talked about religion, struggles in their families and accessibility of professional help. Albeit with regular pauses for mutual interpretation, jumping from Hindi to Marathi (and back to English), how much we could actually find as common ground felt surprising and enlightening.
On the last day of our project, we visited Meda Thai herself. She runs a local group in the village, where parents of specially-abled children come together and create a safe environment for the children to learn, play and interact with the world around them. That place completely melted my heart – seeing children so happy, so loved and curious about the world yet again burned down any associations with the words “specially abled” and “differently abled”, perhaps even burned the labels down altogether. What Meda Thai has accomplished shows how much initiative and community end up in a symbiosis, leaving others with opportunities to get involved, supported and empowered.
This opportunity showed me how much compassion and kindness matter in everyday life. By treating others with compassion and understanding, nobody in Sādhana felt alone. It is a community that teaches others mutual respect and encouragement, knowing that everybody has the potential to achieve something in their life. It is a truly loving, caring community that can tear down stereotypes piece by piece.
The UWC movement encourages us to be the best versions of ourselves. It encourages us to step out of our comfort zone and explore, building meaningful relationships with others on the way. By promoting understanding and willingness to listen to other people, the movement is not only about growing more empathetic and sensible towards the world around us – it also shows how much we can understand each other solely because we are all human. Being a part of the UWC movement is about experiences and unforgettable memories, enlightening, reaching new peaks and often exposing oneself to remarkable surprises and discoveries. It all comes down to one question – are you ready to take your first step?
MUWCI students are often characterized by their enthusiasm and passion for discovery. I got to see these traits in many of my classmates; most of us had ended up at MUWCI open and eager for new challenges. With hearts that truly belong to what we call the “MUWCI jungle”, I knew I was among true, adventurous explorers.
Many often wonder whether the rigorous, demanding IB curriculum is still “sufficiently UWC” and whether our adventurous hearts do not actually see the IB as more of an inhibitor that holds us back from our full potential for change-making and executing projects. Sometimes I’ve caught myself wondering: “What is the point of getting a UWC education if we don’t give back for the immense opportunity we have?” Isn’t sharing our knowledge to empower others better than keeping it to ourselves? And where does the UWC mission statement stand among all this?
The school, of course, acknowledges our eager spirits and gives us opportunities for project-based learning. One such opportunity was the Local Project Week in early March: a fresh initiative from teachers at MUWCI for “popping our heads out of the MUWCI bubble” and engaging with the local community. For me, it absolutely felt like a breeze during days when academic pressure and the Indian heat was a little stronger than usual.
I knew I wanted to go out and explore. I wanted to venture beyond borders somewhat familiar to me, get an enjoyable trip on the side and meet more enthusiastic, hard-working people out there. I wanted to recharge and get a hefty dose of inspiration, too. I set my heart on going to explore the biggest city of India, Mumbai, where I found a peculiar Cat Cafe to work with. For a die-hard, self-proclaimed (yet an allergic) cat person with the Ultimate Cat Lady title, this opportunity seemed too good to be true.
Except that every part of me refused to work on the proposal.
Overworked, burnt out, lazy, or maybe a mix of the three was my state of mind when the submission time was up. My mind was still processing the grand finale of MUWCI’s Theatre Season, where a three-month-long journey of directing, devising and rehearsals was right behind me. Where was my self-initiative now, at a time when I could really put it to use again? I could have looked for a buddy to accompany and support me in applying to the very exciting adventure ahead, but here I was, alone in my struggle by choice. So, I decided to see what my fellow firsties had in mind.
In the project fair right before Local Project Week, I met one of my classmates who wanted to collect “Stories from Dharavi”, sparking up conversations about mental health in the largest slum area of Asia. I was very excited about joining the project because it meant getting to know people from diverse walks of life and engaging with people whose voices rarely got heard; it could also be a base for further engagement in the location, hopefully achieving some positive change.
However, our high hopes for the project fell apart as the COVID-19 pandemic was quicker than us. Strongly advised not to go anywhere beyond Pune City, we found ourselves having to look for new people to work with. And there was one opportunity which seemed exciting: Meda Thai, a local teacher and mother from the Kolvan Valley gave us a chance to work in the Sādhana village. It is a place where many adults and children with special needs reside. The Sādhana Village Charitable Trust, the main driving force for the initiative, has been working with the specially-abled (and also encouraging women empowerment) for nearly thirty years. It is a place often talked about among students, many have visited the village, and some even have volunteered there; nonetheless, it seemed like a great journey to discover what Sādhana Village was really about.
When thinking about specially-abled people, scary pictures popped in my head. I don’t even know why. Maybe it is a consequence of social stigmas and prejudices against differently-abled and specially-abled people. However, being a UWC student reinforces the idea that acknowledging and exploring diversity is very valuable, and so is compassion towards others. As a proud UWC student, I knew I still looked up to this opportunity as one where I could also challenge myself and grow personally, challenging my own idea of comfort.
Upon arriving in the village, we spent the first two days talking to the workers who were taking care of them, something that very much made the scary picture I had built up in my head completely collapse. I saw Sādhana village as a peaceful, pleasant village within rural Pune. As we light-heartedly chatted at times and had serious discussions with the women at other points of our visit, the picture of rural villagers as unaware of themselves and the world around them also crumbled. We talked about religion, struggles in their families and accessibility of professional help. Albeit with regular pauses for mutual interpretation, jumping from Hindi to Marathi (and back to English), how much we could actually find as common ground felt surprising and enlightening.
On the last day of our project, we visited Meda Thai herself. She runs a local group in the village, where parents of specially-abled children come together and create a safe environment for the children to learn, play and interact with the world around them. That place completely melted my heart – seeing children so happy, so loved and curious about the world yet again burned down any associations with the words “specially abled” and “differently abled”, perhaps even burned the labels down altogether. What Meda Thai has accomplished shows how much initiative and community end up in a symbiosis, leaving others with opportunities to get involved, supported and empowered.
This opportunity showed me how much compassion and kindness matter in everyday life. By treating others with compassion and understanding, nobody in Sādhana felt alone. It is a community that teaches others mutual respect and encouragement, knowing that everybody has the potential to achieve something in their life. It is a truly loving, caring community that can tear down stereotypes piece by piece.
The UWC movement encourages us to be the best versions of ourselves. It encourages us to step out of our comfort zone and explore, building meaningful relationships with others on the way. By promoting understanding and willingness to listen to other people, the movement is not only about growing more empathetic and sensible towards the world around us – it also shows how much we can understand each other solely because we are all human. Being a part of the UWC movement is about experiences and unforgettable memories, enlightening, reaching new peaks and often exposing oneself to remarkable surprises and discoveries. It all comes down to one question – are you ready to take your first step?
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