Learning empathy hands on….

It is three weeks in a row now that we have visited the Leprosy colony that we share our border with.  We walk there as a group and since we live in the countryside; some girls take the freedom to run on the road while those lazy birds walk.  We joke around and laugh about every little thing giving high-fives.

We took four packets of good day biscuits that the Christian Film-maker Johny Ramesh brought for the girls and as soon as the residents saw us, they came out into the courtyard and took their seats under a tree.   

First girls decided to visit those residents that couldn’t come because of their health, in their dwellings.  First resident asked the girls to sing a song for her and they couldn’t hold their joy so they sang their lungs out.  Went on to the second resident and then came back to the courtyard.  

Girls distributed the snacks to the residents, sang songs for them and then said a prayer.  We all decided to play a game.  It went like this:  Each participant (girls or the residents) should get to know as much as they possibly can know about others.  10 minutes was all given for them to complete their assignment.

When the time was up, girls and the residents were asked randomly to describe about another person at random.  It was so much fun.  By the end of the game, girls learnt all the residents’ names and their life stories.  

It was while we were walking back we felt the impact of the game we played.  Each girl started sharing the sad stories behind each resident they talked to.  One girl shared about an elderly resident who was diagnosed of the disease at a very young age and was shunned by her entire community.  She never got married and lived all her life as a loner.  Many girls chipped in to share what each of them had found.

We learnt that there are so many of our neighbors that need our time, resources and love just to know that they are being loved.  We also learnt that empathy is all about putting oneself into other person’s shoes and to become sensitive to their needs.  

Thank you girls for sharing your love with someone who is truly longing for it.

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