[edit] Bannerghatta National Park trip with the HOPE School Children, an overview

Please click here for a detailed First Hand Experience of the event.

Detailed planning for the trip on Saturday (February 28, 2009) went on floors on Wednesday (February 25, 2009); deciding the menu and planning with Vishal and Venky, the course of the picnic. The plans were all in place, for taking the 7th Class kids of the HOPE School, to the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP). Every inch of work from planning the logistics, allocation of responsibilities to the volunteers was taken care of.

We all sported a school kid-like excitement. Thrilled to the core, seeing all the kids around bubbling with energy. Though there were a couple of glitches on the way, the plan was pulled off gloriously. Some volunteers joined us in the BNP itself directly, ready with our courses of action there.

The day kick started with us reaching the BNP, and joining the volunteers there. We had a quick breakfast with the kids and headed directly to the Butterfly park. A fitting start to an informative day. The kids could see butterflies of various kinds. From the Moths, to the most common Tigers (another of butterfly species) a lot of strange-looking butterflies, it was all a journey of awe inside the park. The museum inside helped all the kids, and the volunteers, get a better understanding of a Butterfly's life cycle, lifestyle, food habits etc.

The safari was next, with a bunch of hyper-thrilled kids jumping from one window to another of the safari vehicle. Lions, Tigers, White Tigers and all the wildlife was a feast to the kids eyes. What else could trigger such levels of energy, like the Cartoons on their books turn into real life, in front of their very own eyes?

Then it was the zoo, after lunch. The children had a chance to look at cheetahs, crocodiles, elephants, Pythons & other various species of birds. Children, on one hand with high energy levels, were running from one cage to the other, and on the other hand, we the volunteers had to drag on to keep up with their pace. The Children were extravagant even after all this when we returned to our bus for the return journey.

Be it the strums on Danny's Guitar, Venky and Shashi's planning on the courses of actions, Satish's classroom sessions on butterflies, Shubashini hitting along an instant rapport with the kids; everything flowed beautifully into the sunset. Since it was time for us to drop the kids after we reach, we thought this was the best time to give the children some information on how important continuing their education would be, and what impact it could have on their lives.

All in all it was indeed a memorable trip and being with the kids and all the volunteers (Shubashini, Satish, Danny, Shashi, Venky and Arvind) was great fun. Kudos to VIBHA and its volunteers, for having impressed an important day in the kid's lives.

Godspeed.

[edit] Pictures from the Event

--LakshmiSharma 12:25, 9 April 2009 (CDT)