See the Children by James McDougal

I’m saying hello to all my peeps in America! India is great! The experiences that I’m having here are going to stick with me forever. I’ve realized this trip that I’m here for a reason and that I was picked for YMAD because someone at the interview saw something in me. 

The thing that has had the biggest impact on me is the children in the village. These children line up for us everyday and with there broken English say, “GOOOD MORNING SIR” it is literally the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. It is crazy for me to see these children with barely anything being so happy and energetic. Yesterday I had the opportunity to help with medical exams in the school. Some of the problems we saw were starvation, tonsillitis, tooth decay and many ear infections. It’s super sad knowing that we can’t help them besides suggesting they go to a doctor knowing that most likely they won’t. These medical exams made me realize how blessed I am to have medicine and doctors so close. 

Two of the children that have had the largest impact on me are Rohit and Ankita. Rohit is the class trouble maker. I think the reason he has had such an impact on me is because he is a mini me. I guess you could say its karma. But the real reason is because he has six fingers on one hand. Unlike America when we see disabilities we often point them out, Rohit and all his classmates totally think its normal. This has impacted me by showing me that no matter what we have going on our body it doesn’t matter because our real friends won’t judge us for our appearance but instead our heart. The second is Ankita. She is the most beautiful little girl I’ve ever seen. She is so nice and is always helping me out with my lessons. When we did the medical exams, Ankita complained about stomach problems and went on to mention that besides getting fed at school she doesn’t eat. This hit me like a truck… It’s so sad to think that such a sweet girl like Ankita doesn’t eat at home. I know that Ankita, and many other children in school don’t get the amount of food, that they need to grow. I really felt bad hearing this because, we go dinner each night and have a feast. It’s going stick with me forever thinking that people don’t have food. I have a pantry with food we won’t eat for months. I feel so blessed that I can do this expedition and sure hope that I can give these children my 100% in last two days of teaching. LET’S MAKE AMERICA AND INDIA GREAT AGAIN!!

 

6 Responses to “See the Children by James McDougal”

1. kate thomas :), on March 30th, 2017 at 9:58 pm Said:

   hi james!!! happy u are loving it :))

2. Kennedy McDonald, on March 30th, 2017 at 11:06 pm Said:

   Aw james I’m so happy for you, ashabadi missed you but ur team and the kids and lucky to get you!!

3. Kennedy McDonald, on March 30th, 2017 at 11:07 pm Said:

   are** oops

4. Emily Lunt, on April 2nd, 2017 at 3:39 am Said:

   Hey James… So my parents said they would pay me $10 if i commented on your blog post because you don’t have very many comments… Joking. Honestly, this was a really really touching post. I’ve been excited to hear about your experience because, just like Ryan, you maybe weren’t the most excited about the 3 hour meetings twice a month and the hard work it takes to fundraise, (maybe you were, I’m just taking a wild guess), but I remember for Ryan, he had experiences in India that hit him hard too. Honestly I think India in general hit him hard and that’s why he did went back. Don’t hold back and miss experiences you could’ve had. Alright well that’s all! Don’t break too many rules!

5. Grace Cooley, on April 4th, 2017 at 1:48 pm Said:

   Love hearing from you James!! This is so touching! I agree with Emily!! Love you!

6. Amanda McDougal, on April 4th, 2017 at 2:26 pm Said:

   James, I just barely found this entry that you have written. We sure are proud of you and love you so much. We can’t wait to hear about all that your experiences in India.
   Love you!
   Mom and Dad