Sweet Moments of Support: Velore’s Visit to Noida Centre
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”- Mahatma Gandhi
You often visit some places in your city, and each visit leaves behind some photographs, some memories to share, and some experiences to come up with. But what if I say that a visit can leave a feeling of togetherness, a stronger bond, some smiling faces, a sense of completeness that is never forgettable.
That is what happened with some of the people of Velore’s who recently visited the Noida Centre of Pehchaan The Street school, which left them with the same feelings.
They distributed some muffins to the students as a sweet support, but soon that turned into a meaningful conversation, warmth, and many smiling faces. As the volunteers entered the room with some boxes to distribute to the classroom, it suddenly filled with a lot of energy and excitement. After the distribution took place, students started interacting with the visitors with curiosity. Their faces showed that even a simple and small gesture of support sometimes creates a meaningful memory.
If anyone was present there as a part of that moment, he would have felt a mix of emotions. Heartwarming because seeing their faces after getting muffins was worth more than anything. They were enjoying every moment, sharing muffins with each other and talking about the last time they had something like this. Someone was talking that muffins are her favourite, another student happily shared that he loved sweet things and jokingly asked if they could bring him sugar next time, making everyone around burst into laughter. Those small, innocent conversations were filled with laughter. But the sad part, which I felt, was that we cannot go back into the past in those ages again and play with them like small children.
That moment was very refreshing for everybody present there. At the end of the day, no one was ready to go from there; people from Velore were especially enjoying engaging with students. They were interacting with each and every student and listening to their stories personally. The affection and attention shown by them were very much appreciated by everyone present there. It looks like both of them were hungry in terms of interaction and love.
In those simple moments, it is clear that some students not only need education but also want some attention. Sometimes they miss the emotional support and care that every child deserves. But when people come in support of these children, they feel a sense of completion in them as well, which can leave a far deeper impact than material conditions alone. These gestures motivate them to stand alone in any of the circumstances they are part of. It cost some muffins, but the smile it created was worth crores.
Moreover, youth participation in these initiatives can play an important role in engaging different institution, organizations to make them come forward with similar support as Velore’s did at Noida Centre, as their participation brings more energy, enthusiasm, and works as a role model for many.
At Pehchaan The Street School, learning is beyond textbooks and classrooms, and it is more connectedness, care and love. As teaching alone does not create an accomplishment among students, but sometimes support and some activities done by different volunteers, interns and collaborators every week do. These kinds of collaboration are very supportive in a manner and help the organisation to work more relentlessly.
Lastly, Pehchaan The Street School welcomes and appreciates the efforts done by Velore at Noida centre and expects many more such collaborations in the near future.
As a society, more students, organisations, institutions should come forward to participate in such initiatives. Positive change only begins when people engage with empathy and responsibility, as even a small gesture of kindness can leave a lasting smile and give someone hope and support for their dreams.
Sometimes, creating an impact does not begin with something grand. It begins with showing up, sharing a conversation, offering support, or simply making someone feel seen. Collaborations like these remind us that even the smallest gestures can leave behind lasting smiles and meaningful memories. If you too wish to contribute towards creating happier and more supportive learning spaces for our students, you can become a volunteer, collaborator, or supporter of Pehchaan The Street School and be a part of this journey of hope and togetherness.