Thinking Beyond Oneself

Contributor: Srishti Chauhan

On 25th November I visited the camps with the YFPI team and Deloitte had joined us that day. After we had distributed the food packets to the kids, we conducted a Play for Peace session which was being facilitated by fellow team members Saumya and Niharika. The kids were very happy after having their scrumptious meals and were also enjoying the activities. I was just standing there and looking after the kids. Suddenly, I saw a kid who was disturbing everyone.

Srishti in Rohingya Camp

He got inside the circle and started playing with his jacket. So I picked him up in my arms and made him join the queue. Then he repeated this activity of disturbing everyone 2-3 times and wasn’t listening to anyone. So I finally grabbed him and made him stand near me. While I was holding him, I noticed that he had kept all his food inside his jacket. I broke out laughing when I saw that, it was so cute. He wasn’t following anything ,maybe he wasn’t understanding so I started playing with him in one corner. Suddenly, I saw his face turning pale, his eyes rolling and he started to shiver. I was numb and terrified. Then I asked for help but everybody was busy with the kids, so I took one of the boys who knew his address with me. Meanwhile I picked him up in my arms and kept my hand on his forehead. I started following the boy. On my way, I saw huge heap of garbage bags. I had never gone in that part of the camp. It was a sunny day, we hadn’t had our breakfast and lunch. I was starving and thirsty. At one point my body started giving up. His house was almost a mile away and by then I had started feeling his weight. He was nearly 5-6 years in age. I stopped for a while, I was almost fainting after walking so much. The boy whom I was following , offered me help but I told him that I was okay. I saw the kid in my arms and almost had a tear in my eye. He was looking at me but that fear which was deep inside me, of losing him just helped me all along. My real self was deep in thoughts.

"I was wondering that so many parents loose their kids for some curable diseases as well. My mom lost her 2 sons and she still remembers them. That time, I was actually feeling the similar kind of pain."

Fear of losing the kid, though I was barely related to him. I felt like a mother, who was struggling to save her child. After sometime, we finally reached his place. There were some men outside. I told them that who I was and asked them to take care of the child. He looked fine by then. But this was a very powerful instance for me.

Back then when I reached to the small hut where we taking the sessions. I saw the kids coloring and they looked so happy. Niharika was playing with a little baby, Saumya was helping some kids, Kunal clicking the pictures and Mridul sir was painting. I could really connect with the work that we do in the camps, that moment.

"Life is really wonderful. That’s how Youth for Peace International is transforming me. That feeling was so deep and so intense for me."