17 steps from bed to office and back, yet I have miles to go before I sleep…

Contributed by: Varsha Ashok

I got on a flight only because everything about it felt right. I remember making all these expressions and singing ‘breakaway’ so loudly, although in my head :D. My decision to move out of Chennai of what was the most comfortable life and come to Lucknow could have easily been a rollercoaster ride that was made easy breezy because I was sure that I wanted to be part of ProjectKHEL. I knew from then on that if I didn’t make this decision, it would go down on the list of things I regret. The hardest bit was convincing my parents, but I guess that’s why you choose your battles especially when you know that it could be worth the fight.

I have been a sports lover all my life. Walked around school and college campus with a ball in hand just to play about any game with anyone who was playing, anywhere. Yet somehow, I always knew there was something more to sports than just playing the game. Something that could change lives. Knowing that ProjectKHEL worked around the same belief gave a reason enough to pack my bags. So here I am, my first mile.

I landed in Lucknow in June, and for the first time more excited about a decision than nervous. A week after, and the feeling of home already set in thanks to the teams genuine interest for every individual working with the team. Having come from Chennai, one of my biggest inhibitions was not being able to speak in Hindi too well especially since we worked with kids who mostly spoke in Hindi. But when you work your way out of a situation with a cop in a language you don’t speak very well, you know you have nothing to fear :P.

One of the moments that has stayed with me in my short time here was my first visit to a shelter home for girls. Through an activity, children were asked what they would do if they had been given an imaginary power and almost all of them said they would use that power to help other people.

It made me think of a quote I read long ago by Viktor Frankl that has stuck by me till now-

“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”

And the vision of ProjectKHEL is a reflection of this for me. A constant reminder that at the center of it all are the children we work for, and that is a ‘why’ enough for almost any ‘how’.