2nd October, Gandhi Jayanti is always special at the Jeevanshala. Classes are as usual but in the classes we create time to talk about why today is special. Each TL with their group asked children what the word ‘Gandhi’ brought to their mind and they said ‘non-violence’ ‘freedom’ ‘unity of the hindus and muslims’ ‘honesty’ and we thought ‘. The discussion was started after watching Gandhi ji’s favourite bhajan “Vaishnava Jana To, Tene Kahiye Je, Peed Paraayi Jaane Re.”
14th October, was the last working day of this semester, as we went home for the major festivities of Durga Puja, diwali and dussehra. The whole day the Teacher Learner (TL) team met each child individually with their parents. We talked about the child’s learning learning level, issues of health and hygiene, and preparations needed to come back for the winter session. Each parent was given a letter talking about these issues and the children read these enthusiastically to parents, who have no or very little formal education. Some parents who have been through a number of years of formal education, read for themselves, one of them remarked about how he had lost his ability to read and write because after clearing his twelfth standard, he had to choose to be a ‘bhainswar’ ‘cattle herder’ as there was no paid work he could come by. This opened a new window for his child who was sitting next to him about what education meant.
Mosamat Budhiya Shiksha Nirman Sangathan 