A Home Away From Home
As many of you may know, in 2022 I made the decision to quit my stable corporate job in NYC and move abroad chasing an inner voice that I had suppressed for many years. Whilst that voice and I may not always speak the same language, I am committed to listening to each whisper and flowing with each moment - taking each step as it comes.
Most recently, that voice led me to SOFKIN, a support organisation for kids in need. I spent the month of February volunteering and living with the kids in the outskirts of Hyderabad and it honestly was overwhelming in many ways. I have been to India a few times during summer to visit family when I was child but this was my first time going somewhere vastly unknown on my own. Hyderabad might still be in India but culturally, it felt a world away from the childhood and familial comforts of Gujarat. I had very little information about what to expect, I only knew that I had the strength and curiosity to make the best of it.
As I pulled into the gates of the SOFKIN building, I was greeted by 70 kids eagerly awaiting my arrival. They welcomed me with an Aarti and one by one told me their names, ages and aspirations in life. I quickly realised that although the children attended an English medium school and I had been learning Hindi for the past year, we wouldn’t always be able to understand each other. They mainly spoke Telugu, the language of Hyderabad and I, English. The rest of the day was a blur as I tried hard to remember all of the kid’s names and get acclimated to what was to be my home for the month. Although there was a very real language barrier between the kids and I, getting acclimated didn’t take long and in a matter of days I already knew that the impact these kids would leave on me would last a lifetime.
Prior to making the decision to come to India, I spent about a year or so doing a lot of thinking and soul searching. I would meditate and envision myself living out the next 5 years of my life in the ways that felt right for me. One common vision that would bring me the most joy was one of myself surrounded by many happy young children and women, all of us laughing and embracing. Every day I learned more about myself and the changes I needed to make not only in my daily life but internally as well to embody the person that I knew would eventually live out these dreams. I spent the latter half of 2022 traveling and working remotely from Europe, a sort of half-way point between where I started (NYC) and where I wanted to end up (India). It’s funny how all the experiences of not only the prior year but my entire life, seemingly prepared me for my month at Sofkin. My solo month in Paris this past summer taught me to be comfortable with language barriers. The teaching experience I accumulated from years of tutoring at Kumon prepared me to help the children with their homework and exams. The months I spent nomadically living out of my suitcase allowed me to be adaptable to new environments and lifestyles.
Being presented with bouquet on stage at sports day
February turned out to be a busy month, the founder of the organisation, Chaya Pamula, was also visiting from the US as there were two important events taking place this month. The first was an inter-NGO sports day in which over 500 children from various NGOs around Hyderabad competed in all levels of games. The event was a success and I truly felt blessed as I watched the organisers announce the winning teams and present awards. Suddenly, I see all of the other volunteers turn and look my way “They’re talking about you - go up there!” they said as I tried to wipe the deer in headlights look off my face. I was being praised and awarded flowers on stage due to my hard work and dedication. I had spent 10 hours running up and down the sports field in the 95° Indian sun trying to manage 200 children almost exclusively myself while again, not speaking the language and standing out like an American lost abroad and never once did I expect recognition but this was the external confirmation I needed to truly know I was aligned with my path.
The second of the events was a fundraising concert in which two famous Telugu singers were to perform. The kids were all excited since they knew the artists and were also performing a dance on stage in front of a crowd of almost 2,000 people! Growing up, my sister and I were raised by a single mother who worked hard to provide us with the basic necessities. I had always wished I could have explored my hobbies and seeing these kids being able to not only explore their passions but perform them at such a grand event, truly shows you the magic of Sofkin.
My month is Hyderabad was physically and emotionally a lot harder than my job back in NYC but it was so fulfilling that it never felt like less than a blessing. I would spend countless nights laying awake because my heart was just too full. I would think about each child and how far their curiosity spreads - how much love they have to give. There are many things I have learned during my time at Sofkin but the one that stands out the most to me is the importance of love and community. Sofkin is a place filled with love, love for God and humanity, motherly love, sibling love, friendships and laughter all fill the halls. It’s the love everyone wants, wholesome and unassuming, not a single meal went by where I wasn’t asked “tinnava?” Telugu for “have you eaten?” . I would find my dinner plate already filled to the brim with food, placed strategically next to whichever girls wanted to eat their dinner next to me that night. Hot bathing water is only available on one floor and once the girls had learned my bath routine, I would come up to my room and find a bucket of warm water outside my door. The kids would share their snacks with me and eventually, entrusted me with the stories of their past and hopes for their futures. Sofkin truly feels like a family, everyone looks out for each other and I couldn’t be more thankful that in the few weeks I was there, they opened up their arms, invited me in and never made me feel less than their akka (Telugu for “older sister”).
As I rounded out the month, I wanted to provide a special thank you to the Sofkin family. With the help of my friends and family, I was able to raise enough money to provide a special biryani meal for the kids (something they don’t usually get as they stick to ayurvedically balanced homemade meals) along with much needed items for the upcoming school year (backpacks, notebooks, stationary) and their home (mattresses, curtains, mats) for each child!
Reflecting on my time at Sofkin, particularly on my last night, surrounded by the kids offering me prayers for the future and presenting me with their homemade “come back soon” cards, I can’t help but smile. That vision I had mediated on this last year had become my reality. While I’m not entirely sure where this path will lead me next, my experience at Sofkin, with not only the children and staff but also in the greater sense with the organisation itself has been an enlightening step forward. Through all of these experiences, I am learning what to be aware of and which pieces and ethos to weave further into the actualization of my destiny.
