My First Magical Bus Ride

Magic Bus intern Binni Rawat thoroughly enjoyed the company of the young children as she attended her first Magic Bus session. Read ahead to live through her lovely experience.

The winter of mid-November made the afternoon less heated up as a soft cold breeze was making its way. I, along with three of my friends went two kilometers into the Lal Kuan area where we attended our first session of Magic Bus. After a week full of office work, an outdoor session like this was much needed. We were in South Delhi, ‘the place of riches’. However, there was a contrasting image which I could see there in the shanty homes, congested streets and improper sanitation facilities. As we walked further, we entered a big ground where about 50 kids were playing various games.

The sight of these happy kids playing made me forget the unpleasant walk that I had to reach this destination. Seeing the cheerful environment of the ground, I felt glad to be there. The children were playing small games which not only made them have fun but also educated them directly or indirectly. I couldn’t help myself from joining the clan and I, too, started playing with the kids hand in hand. There were no regrets since we were thoroughly enjoying all the sweet little things the children did. All of them were under the age of 14 and fortunately the barrier of gender bias didn’t exist in the Magic Bus session since all the boys and girls played together. This was only possible after they were introduced to the organization. There was so much excitement in the children that all of them wait for the entire week restlessly for this two-hour session.

Kids spending magical moments at the session

Despite the limited sources and luxuries the kids had, they were happy, satisfied and Magic Bus helped them retain their happiness. Apart from going to school and gaining mainstream education, the children are taught to develop as individuals. Magic Bus has not only developed these children but also the volunteers. Being from the same society, they understood the mentality and had ideas to overcome the hurdles for the same. Magic Bus has helped them grow on a personal level as well as helped them in becoming more confident. This is the magic that Magic Bus has spread among all of them.

Volunteers engaged in activities

Thus Elizabeth Lawrence has rightly said, “There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again”.