My experience and take on Uplift

I chose to do uplift because I felt it was unjust that these kids who made a mistake out of dire poverty or poor moral guidance would be stuck in the trap of recidivism. Growing up incredibly privileged in a telugu family, it only felt fair that I give back to the community that raised me. The personal interaction with the kids and the tangible bond you form with them are why I chose Uplift specifically. This closer interaction is what differentiates Uplift from other community service projects in India which are commonly building projects, fundraisers, etc. On the more practical end, Uplift is one of the few organizations with direct outreach in Hyderabad making it an easy choice for me.

My experiences throughout my 10 days of working with the redefined my perception of “Juvenile Delinquents”, reconnected me with the place my roots are set in, and improved my command of Telegu. Often when people hear “juvenile delinquents”, they think of rowdy teenagers who have little respect or regard for others. My perception was the same until I actually met the kids, who treated us with the utmost respect and kindness. These kids opened up about their lives, telling us about who they are, how they were raised, and unfortunately what they did. Learning more about them, you see that these kids are not inherently bad, but, their situation was a result of poverty and lack of a proper upbringing. Furthermore, living in America for all my life leads to a disconnect with your roots, traveling to Hyderabad alone and seeing so many aspects of the city gave me the opportunity to see for myself how the city has changed and developed. Lastly, communicating solely in Telugu for a little over two weeks has strongly improved my command of the language which is incredibly useful for life in Hyderabad. My experience doing Uplift has possibly been one of the best in High School through the friends I made, appreciation I gained, and the new skills that I aquired.