Balu und Du Interview

I’m really happy we had the opportunity to work with Balu und Du. Maren’s presentation was short and informative and the video also gave us more insight into how the program works. I was very impressed by the amount of analyses they do on the information they collect via surveys. It was also encouraging that their analyses found that Mowglis in general improve in their interaction and focus inside and outside of the classroom.

The interview with the Balu also went really well. My Balu, Lutz (a political science major interested in law), was slightly reserved at first but as we talked he was willing to share more stories about himself and his Mowgli, Hamno. He has been spending time with his Mowgli since last November. When I asked him how he thinks he will feel when his Balu year is over and he said that he was sure that both he and Hamno will be sad. He also told me that Hamno’s father had passed away a few weeks ago. Although they did not really discuss it much, he admitted that ever since then Hamno had told his teacher that he did not want a Balu anymore. Lutz suspected that he said this because he felt that he had to stay with his mother, who was hysterical about the death of Hamno’s father. We talked about how many children, like Hamno, that come from difficult backgrounds almost lose out on the opportunity of having a fulfilled childhood. We both agreed that Balu und Du gave children like Hamno a little bit of their childhood back.

Lutz’ favorite memory with Hamno was when they were playing a game to promote ‘informal learning’ and Lutz complimented him on his reading skills. He said that right after he gave him this small bit of encouragement, Hamno’s chest swelled up with pride and you could see the confidence on his face. Lutz shyly admitted that he sees a bit of his childhood self in Hamno. He also admitted that Hamno needs encouragement on a regular basis because he is not very confident in his abilities. When I asked why Lutz decided to become a Balu, he told me that his older brother had been a “Balu” for him and still is so he liked the idea of being a similar figure for someone else. I told Lutz that I can relate because I feel like my sister is my “Balu”.

One of the most important things I took away from my interview is that the desire to help others is not specific to a single a nation or peoples. It is universal and there are young people everywhere (just like us) who are willing and capable to make the effort to change their world for the better. This could involve making a barefoot path for children to play on or giving up free time every week to make improve the quality of someone’s life.

When comparing mentorship programs in the United States to Balu und Du, there are certain differences that we recognized as we learned more about the program but the goal is the same. Because each person’s childhood is such a delicate phase in his or her life, a small bit of positive attention and influence at a young age can make a world of difference. What I liked most about my Balu is that he had no specific goals or agenda in terms of his Mowgli. He was very calm when he explained, “we just spend time together” and I realized that is all it takes.