Model United Nations

As a creativity activity, I participated in the Model United Nations held at Mercedes-Benz International School, Pune. Myself along with Kavya Krishnan, Sangeeta Warrier and Jilan Shah represented Uganda. I represented Uganda on the United Nations Development Programme. I participated in this activity, as politics interest me and I wanted to gain invaluable experience at this event which was attended by all the international schools in Pune.

My expectations were met, as I had a great conference. My resolutions were unanimously passed, and I was able to communicate the plight in the country of Uganda with great effectiveness.

There were a number of difficulties experienced. The conference was three days long. I had to wake up at 7 AM and i would reach home at 11 PM so it was a very tiring three days. Also, myself along with my fellow Ugandan delegates, were informed that we had to make resolutions that applied solely to Uganda, but when we reached our respective committees, we were told that we had to make resolutions that addressed global issues and not those of Uganda. That left me with ten minutes to make a resolution, as I had to speak, or just not make a resolution. Although the task seemed extremely tough, I decided to go for it and composed a resolution. Not only did I make a resolution, but I also got it unanimously passed by the council! I learned how to write resolutions -- good resolutions!

I learned from this activity that I can accomplish anything, and that no situation is too tough to tackle as long as you put your mind to it. The activity was very beneficial to me, as it provided me with great experience, and it was especially important as I am considering a career in the United Nations.

If I could redo the activity, I would insist that the delegates be better informed before hand about all the needful information. Also, I would want the conference to be a little more formal, as there were times when the conference lacked formality. Overall though, the experience was great, and I would not change much.

My accomplished learning outcomes were:
1: Increased awareness of their own strength and areas for growth
2: Worked collaboritively with others
3: Shown perseverance in their activities
4: Engaged with issues of global importance
4: Developed new skills

Plantation

As a service activity, I planted trees. I wanted to plant trees, as plantation activities are beneficial to the Earth. The first step to reducing global pollution by reducing the carbon dioxide levels is to plant more trees, as trees take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. I planted trees along with my classmates in an effort to promote pollution reduction.

My expectations were met, as the activity proved to be a lot of fun, and it felt good to know that we could lend a helping hand to protect our environment. There were no real difficulties encountered in this activity. Although some people found the physical activity strenuous, others like myself found it to be a good workout!

The activity was very beneficial because not only did it give me a good workout, but it was a small yet important gesture to protect our environment. If I could redo the activity, I would want to plant more trees, as I understand the severity of the global pollution in this day and age. I would also want to plant in the morning, as it is cooler than the afternoon.

My accomplished learning outcomes were:
1: Undertaken new challenges
2: Worked collaboratively with others
3: Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities
4: Engaged with issues of global importance
5: Considered the ethical implication of their actions

Trip to Gurudwara

As a service activity, I went to the Gurudwara with my classmates. At the Gurudwara, a Sikh place of worship, I helped all the volunteers make and serve food to all the people. The tasks that I performed were making and serving food and cold drinks for the people coming to worship at the gurudwara. I had never been to a gurudwara and I wanted to see how it was.

My expectations were surpassed. I never thought I was in for such activities, and it came as a surprise when we arrived and started to cook. I had never cooked before in my life, and I was completely clueless. After burning a few rotis though, the supervisors of the gurudwara explained to me the correct method and in minutes I was a professional! It was great because there was a lot of team work involved as well. The girls sat at one station and made the dough into rings, a few more girls at another station sprinkled flour on the rings. Finally the rings were passed to myself and some other guys, and we cooked the rings before handing the cooked rotis to guys who would take them to be served. It was also great, as all of us kept rotating jobs in order to get a feel for the all the activities.

There were difficulties that were encountered. The area was hot, and the steam from the gas was extremely hot, making it extremely difficult to cook. Also, as we had to be bear foot, it took some getting used to the floor. The sheer number of people coming into the gurudwara caused us to work like workhorses. We overcame these difficulties by setting our minds to the task and getting on with the strenuous activity.

This activity helped me to learn new activities and use my newly learned skills for a good cause. My efforts also helped others, as it helped all the people, especially the poor, less privileged people to eat a large full course meal made by my classmates and myself absolutely free.

I learnt that difficulties and harsh conditions may be faced, but the realization that you are helped people who will appreciate your efforts is extremely fulfilling. If I had to redo the activity, I would have to redo the activity, I would want to help out even more, perhaps by beautifying the place of worship even more and helping the cleaning staff.

My achieved learning outcomes were:
1: Undertaken new challenges
2: Worked collaboratively with others
3: Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities
4: Considered the ethical implications of their actions
5: Developed new skills

Toy Bank Trip to Matoshri School

As a service activity, I went to the Matoshri School, for primary less privileged children, to gift them toys. Our school teamed up with the Toy Bank organization to bring joy into the lives of these children. Myself, along with my classmates and students of grade 11 donated toys, gift-wrapped them and then distributed it to the children of Matoshri school. I wanted to be part of this activity because for a little bit of money and donation, I could help to bring a smile to the face of a less privileged child.

My expectations were met. The children seemed somewhat surprised to be receiving so many gifts. Although they were not ecstatic, seeing the awe in their eyes when they each received a gift was very fulfilling.

The were no real difficulties experienced during this activity. The activity was very fulfilling, and I would not change anything if it had to be redone.

This activity has helped me, as I learned that bringing happiness into a less privileged person’s life, especially a small child, is one of the most fulfilling things that I can do.

My achieved learning outcomes were:
1: Undertaken new challenges
2: Worked collaboratively with others
3: Considered the ethical implications of their actions

CATS

As a creativity activity, I hosted the Broadway musical show CATS that was put up by the students of my school on the school annual day. I wanted to be part of a show that was being put up for the entire school community and a number of guests, and I wanted to showcase and improve my oratory skills.

Yes my expectations were definitely met! The show was a huge success and everyone who was a part of the staging of the play, had the experience of a lifetime!

There were a number of difficulties encountered. The rehearsals were extremely tiring, as it was very hot. It was very difficult to rehearse in the heat for over a month. Also my partner had fallen sick, resulting in me having to work with a number of different partners, making things very confusing, and that caused a lot of complications. My English teacher and drama teacher, along with myself, helped my partner to come up to speed.

I am an extremely confident person, and this activity reiterated the fact that I am a good speaker. I learned that I should continue speaking publicly. This activity has helped me by giving me a great opportunity to showcase my skills, and this experience has allowed me to undertake new challenges by hosting a very large show.

If I had to redo this activity, I would not change anything, as this activity was an amazing experience!

My achieved learning outcomes were:
1: Increased awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth
2: Undertaken new challenges
3: Worked collaboratively with others
4: Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities

Trip to Lohegaon School

Trip to Lohegaon school:

As a service activity, I went to a school in Lohegaon, Pune with my classmates. We went to the school in order to educate the less privileged children about the H1N1 “swine flu” virus. I went and posted fliers around the school about the dangers and precautions to take to prevent catching the virus. I wanted to educate less privileged children about a serious problem that India, especially the city of Pune, was facing, in the hope that an educated youth would be able to take the necessary precautions and help limit the spread of the virus.

My expectations were met by this activity. The students of the school responded well to our talks, and at the end of the activity they applauded us and thanked us with a song. The activity was fulfilling.

There was some difficulty that was encountered, as there was a slight language barrier. The children did not know English, but they did understand Hindi, a language I am comfortable with. They only spoke, however, in Marathi, a language I am not well-versed with. With the help of some of my classmates and teachers, I was able to communicate effectively with the children.

I learnt that I should use my knowledge in order to benefit other people, especially if it will help improve society. The activity was also good for my school, as the school engaged in activities promoting community development.

My achieved learning outcomes were:
1: Undertaken new challenges
2: Worked collaboratively with others
3: Engaged with issues of global importance
4: Considered the ethical implications of their actions

SPIS Cricket Tournament

As an action activity, I participated in a cricket tournament that took place in my school. Three teams were made, Ganguly XI, Dhoni XI and Dravid XI, and these three teams were head-to-head in a league. The teams all comprised of students from my school. I was on the Ganguly XI squad. I participated in this activity because I love the game of cricket, and I love playing it.

My expectations were not fully met. Although the team played well, and even reached the finals, we were not able to capitalize and win the tournament. My initial matches were good, but my form deteriorated as the tournament went along. Although the tournament was a lot of fun, it did not completely meet my expectations, due to the under-performance of the team I was playing for.

There were some difficulties like the heat, but overall there weren’t any major troubles.

I learned that practice makes perfect. The players who practiced the most and did not just play cricket for the love of it, played the most sensational innings and bagged the most wickets. I learned that if I want to lift my level of play, I have to practice more. Although I play decently now, I have a long way to go in improving my skills.

If I had to redo this activity, I would not have changed anything, as I think the school did a great job to promote the game of cricket amongst the school students with a fun yet competitive tournament.

My achieved learning outcomes were:
1: Increased their awareness of their own strength and areas for growth
2: Worked collaboratively with others
3: Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities