– Mayur Gedam
For children from the Bharwad community, stepping out of home and leaving behind daily household responsibilities is not easy.
They get very few opportunities to go outside or visit new places. Most of their lives are spent with their families, within familiar surroundings.
While interacting with the children, I often realized that even their dreams are limited, simply because they have not yet seen a bigger world. I strongly believed that if they got a chance to experience a different environment even once, it would surely bring a change in their thinking.
When I learned about the Zero Gravity program, I decided that I must take our children there. While making this decision, I felt excited, but at the same time, I was aware of the many responsibilities and challenges involved. The biggest challenge was convincing the parents, especially since the trip involved staying overnight.
I started speaking to each parent individually. Many of them were worried—“How will the children travel so far?”, “Who will take care of them?”, “What if something goes wrong?” These concerns made them anxious. Initially, some parents clearly refused. But I patiently explained everything to them and tried to earn their trust. I assured them that we would take full responsibility for their children.
After speaking with them multiple times, their fears gradually reduced and their trust began to grow. Some parents finally agreed, and that is where this journey truly began.
On the day of the trip, the children were filled with excitement. For some, it was their first time traveling so far, so along with joy, there was also a little fear on their faces. Still, they were very enthusiastic. During the journey, they kept observing new things, asking questions, and enjoying every moment.
When the children reached Zero Gravity, everything around them the environment, the various activities, and games was completely new. At first, some of them felt a bit scared, but slowly they began to adjust to the surroundings.
Within a short time, they forgot their fears and started playing and laughing wholeheartedly. Watching their happiness and smiles, it felt like this experience was becoming a special moment in their lives.
That day, they didn’t just participate in games and activities they experienced an entirely different world, one that was very different from their everyday life.
This experience taught me an important lesson: children should be given the opportunity to dream. And to turn those dreams into reality, it is equally important that someone stands by them. With the right opportunities and a little support, these children can dream big and achieve those dreams too.