Marnie makes it to Mithra, and back

In February, I visited Mithra in Chennai for the second time. Now, how fortunate was I, come to think of it, not only to have visited Mithra just in time but also to have got out of India before the travel restrictions started in both the nations.

The students use the fruits and vegetables from their garden to make products to sell at the local church

So on my visit, the day started with a lovely assembly, and we were treated to so many children who sang a song or verse in English. In the classrooms, the children were all dressed in their clean and ironed uniforms. They were excited to see visitors and wanted to talk, hold your hand, get in a selfie and show you their work - whether that be a beaded necklace, a jigsaw or some letters in their exercise book. They were so proud of their achievements – there were high fives all around.

The classrooms are designed by ability, not age, so it is common to see a 5-year-old child in the same class as a 15-year-old. The teachers are relaxed and try to focus each child on an outcome – letters, reading, puzzles on the ipad or a creative task. There were three students about to sit their final exams, supported and led by their headmaster. From here, these children may go on to college or perhaps some employment opportunities.

After lunch, I was also keen to see the Life Skills room. This is a relatively new addition to the program and identifies those students who have the ability to work and gain further skills, which may be transferred to the external environment. The students have been using the fruits and vegetables from their garden to make products to sell at the local church. They also make ginger tea and sell this to the staff. Ironing and washing is also done to gain some valuable skills and to earn some money, which is given to the children. It is a wonderful program to develop the children’s skills and help them gain some independence and autonomy. Monica, the volunteer coordinator, is so creative, full of ideas and flexible in the children’s learning and development needs.

This visit, I tried to better understand the support networks working behind the faces of these children. There are many wonderful contributors - from the gardeners, the cooks, the creative tablecloth makers, the finance team and the many volunteers. It is truly a magical experience and you will be transformed for life after each visit.

We were so fortunate to get our visit in this year as shortly after our return, Covid-19 took hold around the world. Indian visas were cancelled and Australian travel bans put in place.

Children were excited to see visitors and just wanted to talk, hold your hand, get in a selfie and show you their work