Reconnecting to my own childhood: A visit to Bal Ashram

3 Minutes Read

The Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion (SMGC) works to build a more compassionate world by encouraging individuals and communities to take action rooted in justice. One of its most powerful initiatives is Bal Ashram in Rajasthan, a residential learning space for children who have experienced child labour, trafficking, or exploitation. More than just a shelter, it is often described as a “compassion lab,” where children rediscover safety, dignity, and joy.

I was introduced to Bal Ashram during an orientation session at SMGC after I joined the team. At the time, it felt like an example of what compassion in action could look like. But it wasn’t until I visited that I truly understood it.

After a morning of back-to-back Google Meets and a planning session, I found myself finishing a quick lunch on the highway. My mind was still buzzing with deadlines and deliverables but the moment we arrived and stepped out of the vehicle, something shifted. The calmness of Bal Ashram was almost disorienting to a mind conditioned by city chaos. Somewhere between putting my bag down and greeting the staff, I realised I hadn’t felt this present in a long time.

As we walked through the campus, every corner held a story. It wasn’t just the infrastructure but the feeling of a life being rebuilt, piece by piece.

But what stayed with me wasn’t the physical space. It was the children.

Sitting under a tree with a cup of tea, I met two kids, Ganesh and Tarif. With complete ease and confidence, they asked, “Aap log kya karte ho?”
For a moment, I struggled. My usual explanations of meetings, strategy, and communication suddenly felt distant and almost irrelevant. So I tried again, this time differently.

“Jaise aap yahan khush ho, waise hi hum chahte hain ki duniya ke saare bachche khush aur azaad rahein…”

By the end of the answer, their faces lit up. When asked if they wanted every child to be happy and free, a chorus of “haan” followed. And just like that, my complicated professional identity translated into something simple, something real. In that moment, I saw my work through their eyes and it made more sense than it ever had before.

Watching them, I felt something stir within me like a version of myself that once existed. A child who didn’t overthink, who didn’t measure worth in productivity, who simply expressed joy without permission. Somewhere along the way, that part had quietened. But here, it felt alive again.

The next day, we visited Bhangdholi village, where SMGC’s first Banjara Education Centre (BEC) initiative began in 2008. Sitting on a khat with an elderly couple, I initially felt the distance of language, of context. But when I instinctively shifted to Marwari, something softened. The conversation changed.

I was reminded of my own village, my grandparents, and the quiet wisdom that comes from lived experience.

It made me realise something deeper..trust like THIS cannot be built overnight. It is not a campaign or a strategy. It is the result of showing up, consistently, over years..something SMGC has done with its commitment.

As we drove back, the conversations grew quieter, but the feeling stayed. There was a sense of clarity about myself and the kind of change that truly matters.

This visit didn’t just show me what compassion looks like in action. It reconnected me to something I had lost along the way..my own childhood. Everything came to me as a living, breathing reminder of simplicity, honesty, and joy.

Some places don’t just stay with you. They change how you see everything after you leave.

Aakash Khokher