Shishu Bharati Volunteers Appreciation Event: A Small Token of Tribute 

The spirit of volunteerism is always at its best at Shishu Bharati. The unprecedented pandemic has taken a toll in many ways and left the world in disarray. Yet, human spirit adapted to the new norms and found ways to do its best. The dedication, compassion, pride, and unwavering spirit of Shishu Bharati volunteers never ceased as they continued their mission throughout these hard, and often anxious months.  All the volunteers made their best efforts in preparing and teaching Indian Languages and Culture with great vigor and passion.  Most importantly, the volunteers kept the spirits and enthusiasm of students high by creating a thoughtful and stimulating teaching environment. Moreover, the volunteers always found ways to make learning fun. The full attendance (over 800 students) is a true testament for Shishu Bharati volunteers’ excellence.

As the volunteers continue their mission, Shishu Bharati, as a small token of appreciation, hosted a virtual “Volunteers Appreciation” event to honor and express gratitude to all of the volunteers, including alumni student volunteers and their families. It was a tribute to each one of the volunteers for their dedication, selfless service, and zeal in teaching hundreds of children, not only to preserve but also to prepare young children to be ambassadors for our proud Indian Heritage. 

Shishu Bharati volunteers from all three locations (Walpole, Nashua, and Lexington) and their families attended the virtual event with great spirits. The program started with the American National Anthem, played by the Shishu Bharati Alumni Band, followed by the Indian National Anthem sung by Shishu Bharati’s student-choir. The event was packed with a variety of programs (Poetry, Dances, and Songs from regional languages; Hindi, Gijarati, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu), interspersed with speeches by the administrative heads. Seshi Sompuram (President) welcomed all the volunteers and their families and expressed his gratitude. Principals from all three locations, Renu Tewarie (Walpole), Jay Pandit (Nashua), and Sulochana Devadas (Lexington), joined him in thanking the officers, education councils, directors, advisors, student volunteers and all of their families. They expressed their gratitude by commending the volunteers’ dedication and for making virtual classes very successful throughout these unprecedented times. Seshi thanked and appreciated all the performers for their hard work, dedication, and great performances. The performers were Jasmine Shah (who put together 3-amazing dances with her students), Sunayana Kachroo (for inspiring everyone with her great poetry), singers (Ashutosh Patel - Gujarati song; Nidhi Tare – Marathi song; Hindi songs by alumni students, Juhi Lalvani - solo, Medha and Kushi Morporia sisters - medley; Tamil and Telugu songs - Lochan Karthikeyan; Kannada song - Seshi Sompuram) with their impressive melodies. A poetry recital by nine Shishu Bharati students (3 from each location), coordinated by Hindi Teacher, Deepa Agrawal. The performers were introduced by Dilip Gandhi, Seshi Sompuram, Mohan Kumar, Sulochana Devadas, Jay Pandit, Renu Tewarie, and the administrative directors (Nilesh Agrawal, Jayesh Master, and Nirav Jain). At the end, a vote of thanks was offered by Mohan Kumar (Secretary). To keep the audience energized, Sulochana Devadas managed a fun Kahoot quiz covering the program and performers. Student volunteer Ayush Agrawal put together all the performers videos, while Nilesh Agrawal provided the technical coordination and managed a smooth flow of the event.

Indeed, it was an entertaining evening, with great feedback from all of the volunteers and their families. Shishu Bharati is always very grateful and indebted to its hundreds of dedicated volunteers. They are truly great role models, not only as volunteers but also passionate advocates of our proud heritage.