Academic Writing - Assignment 1 - Narrative and Reflective Essay

A1. Essay (Narrative & Reflective): Interpreting Personal Experience

Write an essay, based on personal experience, of 500-800 words. This essay should focus on a single significant story or event in your life, and address a larger social issue or problem through personal reflection.

A CHANCE TO DREAM 

City of Dreams. No-one seems to care if the dreams are fulfilled or broken. As famous as Bombay is for its architectural heritage and Bollywood movies, it is infamous for housing Dharavi – one of the world’s largest slums , and Kamathipura – Asia’s second largest red light district. The sex workers, along with their children, live in extremely crammed and filthy living conditions. Their children are socially ostracized and condemned because of their parent’s profession. Lack of education and early exposure to the unfairness of life, leaves them with no option other than to continue in the flesh trade.

Mumbai locals. The noisy crowd carried me off the train onto the Kalyan station platform. Two sweltering bus rides took me away from the city, to the rather unfrequented Khapri village in Murbad, on the outskirts of Thane. Guided by my broken Hindi and the GPS (God bless Google!), the ‘autowala’ drove into the barren lands in search of the place I was seeking. Just when I was starting to get worried, the reason for my strenuous journey materialised.

Navjeevan Centre. An oasis in the desert of life. A venture of the Mar Thomas Church, the centre founded in 1994 is a welfare organization geared to the rehabilitation of children of sex workers, and of the sex workers themselves. That’s where the ‘data collection’ for my undergraduate thesis, “Rehabilitation of Children of Sex Workers”, took me. I was curious to get a glimpse into the life of the neglected, and often, misunderstood sect of people. Yet, tainted by prejudice, I imagined I would meet a group of arrogant angry youngsters who were resentful at the world for what they have been put through.

Children. They see me. They are fascinated by their new visitor. They flock around me, asking my name and where I am from. It’s not very often they see new faces. When they do, they know no one is there to stay; they don’t expect it. They are just happy to have someone new to know. To talk to. To play with. After their playtime I visit their homes – separate for boys and girls – 8 in all. They are grouped together by age and each group stays in a house along with their house parents. In the evening, I help the elder students with their studies. But they are more interested in knowing more about me, and me about them.

“She still wets her bed!” one makes fun of another.

“She has nightmares!” retorted the other.

“I keep a diary, do you want to see? I write my prayers in it every day so that I won’t get scared”.

“I am going to study and get a job like Sana Didi, so then my mother can stay with me and I can look after her also”.

“You know, she likes that boy…the one who you were talking to earlier!” Everyone giggles.

They were just children! Why did they have to be uprooted, torn away from their own mothers? It was difficult for their mothers to get out from the trade now. But they want their children as far away from it as possible, to have a better life than theirs.

Nobody seemed to be concerned about the fate of these children. I suppose it's one of the luxuries the privileged – the ones with a childhood of wonder and innocence, the ones who never had to fight to fill their tummies and the ones who have a safe house in a safe neighbourhood to live in – can afford. Some may even think they deserve it – ‘punishment’ for their parents’ sins. Some, clouded by prejudice and the popular media portrayal, believe that they are beyond reform. But most people are just busy chasing money and fame or realising their own dreams to think about those less fortunate than them. Many out-reach and awareness programs are being conducted by various NGOs to shed light on the situation of these children and to fight preconceptions. Their acceptance in society has been improving, but slowly.

“You should stay! We have our science exhibition tomorrow.” I stayed another day.

The centre runs a primary and secondary school for them within the compound. The Father-in charge of the centre says that it gets hectic towards the year end as it is difficult to finish the syllabus in time with such limited amount of teachers. I promised I would come back when I can.

I didn’t. Back home, familiar comforts overpowered me and selfish desires over-shadowed empathy. Occasionally when guilt pricked me, I told myself it was because I was too busy. Certainly I would have gone if I had more time off from work! Or if there was any way to cancel the trip! Obviously I haven’t turned out to be just another humbug...have I?