Smile Kindergartens School

Smile Kindergartens School is tucked away at Sa 15/171, S1, on Ashapur Road. It’s a busy part of Pahariya here in Varanasi. Because we are a kindergarten, the building is full of bright colors and drawings on the walls that the teachers made. It’s never really quiet here until after the children go home at noon. The morning starts with a lot of noise and sometimes crying from the new ones who aren't used to being away from home. We spend a lot of time wiping noses and helping with shoes or lunch boxes. The rooms are filled with small chairs and tables that are just the right size for them. We have a little area for play with some plastic slides and colorful balls. It’s not a huge space, but it’s enough for them to burn off some energy before they go home. The parents are always hanging around the gate near Sa 15/171, waiting to pick up their little ones. Varanasi can get very hot, so we keep the windows open to let the air circulate as much as possible. Our teachers are mostly local women who have a lot of patience for the kids. We don't use a lot of fancy teaching methods, just basic counting and learning the alphabets. It’s a lot of repetition every single day for us, but that's just how the job goes.