The Award journey has not only been a journey of learning but also one of FUN. I had always been interested in Football, I never got a chance or the time to play the game. It’s because of the Award, that I could play football regularly.
Besides, through the Award, I also learnt Karate, and I not only excelled in the field but also started teaching youngsters. That was a greatly overwhelming feeling for me.
I soon realized that the Award was teaching me so much at every step; so soon my target was to complete not only the Bronze level but also the Silver as well as the Gold level. Learning to set targets in life is something I learnt from the Award.
The Expedition section had loads to offer and loads of fields to gain knowledge from.
I remember once on the trek to Beas-Kund, when we reached the top and started preparations for cooking our lunch, we discovered that we didn’t have any plates. And then we shared the exciting experience of the whole team of having our lunch on one single plate.
I gained two things from this incident; one was the SENSE OF BELONGING and the 2nd was that I learnt how TO MAKE THE BEST OF WHATEVER WE HAVE.
But the best thing about the Award was the Residential Project. I got the opportunity to go on a camp with the Blind Awardees from the Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys’ Academy. It was an INSPIRING experience to escort them through the trek routes and help them in everyway while Rock-Climbing. We could think that if They could do so much and achieve things, why couldn’t WE. Most importantly I made some great friends. While escorting them, we ourselves were exhausted, but we helped THEM first, thought about THEM first; thus a SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY was born in us.
It’s through the Award that we all get the exposure, and it is through IAYP that I got the opportunity to be a guest at the World Fellowship Dinner at Buckingham Palace.
Above all, the Award has become the part and parcel of my life, and I am very lucky to be a Part of it.