Bal Mela was truly one of the best experiences for me. I love working with kids and helping them learn new things. I love to bring smiles to their faces and I was able to do that by this experience. I was given the role of the photographer for the art department of the event. Although this might not seem like a service, clicking the kids’ pictures is one of the biggest services. By clicking their photos, they feel special and significant which they are not able to face in their usual environments. By clicking their pictures, I was able to see that the children felt important and instantly brought smiles to their faces. Apart fom that, I helped out children as much as possible even in their activities.

LO4 – Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience

The event lasted for a few hours for which I never took a break and always prioritized the kids instead of us. The event required my undivided attention because there was no one else there to capture these special moments for the children and to not make anyone feel anyone left out, I had to show perseverance and commitment to my position.

LO5 – Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively

To capture the moments I had to collaborate with the stall volunteers for the perfect shots and the smiles of achieving something on the kids’ faces.

LO6 – Engagement with issues of global significance AND LO7 – Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions

The kids that were present on the day were underprivileged and did not come from well-to-do families. They did not have exposure to activities that were present there nor any attention that they were receiving at the event.

The global issues that were engaged with were

• No Poverty – These skills could help them to identify their interests and use that to maybe earn ona daily basis.
• Quality Education – These workshops taught children different art and sport skills which they might not have the exposure to in daily life.

Interacting with these kids pushed us to reflect on our lives, choices, and actions. It helped to realise how blessed we are and how our actions can affect the people around us. It taught us to reconsider the ethics of our actions for example throwing away food, or taking school for granted.

The skills that I developed/showcased through this experience – 

• Open minded – to accept these students and understand their lives and situations.
• Caring – by tending to their happiness and finding activities that would help them and they would enjoy.
• Reflective – Building appreciation for what we are blessed to have.