Over the past 2 weeks, the summer heat in Jharkhand has been turning up its intensity steadily. The baking sun has been merciless and I'm beginning to appreciate how a chicken been baked in an oven would feel.
The roads were so scorching that I could hardly endure walking even a few steps on it barefooted. But many of the tribal children have to endure not just a few steps, but a long walk home everyday covering a distance as long as 1-3km. It pained me so much to see them wave me goodbye at the school entrance only to turn and face a long winding and simmering road home, barefooted.
I asked the teachers how these children are able to bear the heat on their feet. The response was that they have gotten used to it.
It's a sobering point to ponder. If extreme bodily discomfort could be gotten used to, so can poverty, and everything else in life - laziness, procrastination, etc.
If there is a will to effect change, I'm sure ways and help would be found. It won't work the other way round though. When there is no will, nothing can help. And since we are born with free will, no one is able to will us into having a will that is not our choice. Like they say, you can bring a cow to the river but you can't make it drink.
I sincerely wish that out of 100 tribal students, there are 10 who would possess strong enough will to fly to the sky. By their flight, they would surely lead their tribal community into a brighter future.
And the same applies to the rest of us living the modern city life. I have seen amongst my own business associates those who 'foolhardily endured' mediocrity and poor habits for so long that they seem to have 'gotten used' to the discomfort of being, doing and having less than they could.
While endurance is a virtue, endurance with little awareness is foolhardy endurance. What are you enduring?
Tribal School in Dumuria Block
There are 3 more tribal schools under Tribal School Project (Sri Sri Vidya Mandir) in the Dumuria Block, 35km from Ghatsila, and even more remotely tugged into the tribal areas.
These schools are managed by a dedicated couple, AC Thakurta and Purabi, who live in Jamshepur. They travel weekly to visit the schools, 3 hours each way. On 1 May 2011, they brought us to visit Salgadih Primary School. We could not visit the remaining 2 schools as they are only accessible on foot, 20 minute walk from the end of vehicular track.
1 May 2011 - Salgadih Primary School
After 1.5 hour drive from Ghatsila, we arrived at Salgadih Primary School in Dumuria Block.
Thakurtaji showing where the original bamboo shed was before the current school was erected in 2002.
This well was donated by a Mr Gupta in memory of his late wife and son.
Alvin and Robyn with the Salgadih nursery kids.
Since the teachers were meeting Thakurtaji, Robyn became the relief teacher for the nursery class.
It's tiffin time!
Kids helping each other at the pump.
Robyn and kid who presented her with the flowers.
2 May 2011 - Dinner with Hindoljuri Middle School Teachers
We were elated to be invited by all the teachers from Hindoljuri Middle School to a dinner at Anindita's brother-in-law's restaurant.
Apparently, this was also the very first time that the teachers were gathering for a meal outside the school.
We all enjoyed the food and company, and had plenty of fun with Robyn giving each teacher his or her Chinese name.
4 May 2011 - Final Preparation for the Digital Expression Contest - "What's In A Smile?"
Robyn coaching the teams for their final touch-up of the Smile PowerPoint presentation.
Babita rehearsing her team's presentation.
Chawlaji was a happy audience during the rehearsal.
Jin preparing the subtitle charts for the filming of poem recitation at Kalchiti next week.
7-8 May 2011 - Visit to Ranchi
Chawlaji arranged for us to visit Ranchi to be acquainted with the development of the new High School there. Arindam and Chukada came with us, and Mangal was the driver. Ranchi is over 150km from Ghatsila.
Enroute, we stopped by at a roadside eatery that serves long distance truck drivers. The food was yummy.
We were blessed with cool weather on our long drive to Ranchi, passing vast agricultural plains. We arrived at Ranchi by late afternoon in our hardy AOL mobile dispensary truck.
Our hospitable host and hostess, Sarmistha and Prawinji, who are AOL teachers and manage the tribal schools in Ranchi. We spent a night in their lovely home, where Guruji once stayed for 3 nights.
The next morning, we visited the site where the High School is being constructed.
This is where the High School classroom would be in a few months' time.
Arindam and Alvin at the high school corridor.
> Prawinji, AOL teacher and the dedicated sevak who heads the Ranchi tribal school project, including the construction of the new High School.
We also visited a nearby Sri Sri Vidya Mandir primary school at Kathsemla, Dumari.
The teachers gathered all the students to meet and welcome us.
The tribal children presented various performances.
Soon, it was time for dismissal.
In summer, due to the scorching heat, school hours were kept to 6am-10am.
As the children headed for the gate and beyond, I observed their dispersal with awe. I could barely stand the heated cement flood and scrambled for my pair of slippers. But I noticed almost half of the students walked home barefooted.
And for some, home is indeed a long walk away. Others, it's a long bicycle trip home.
Prof Tiwary is a kind AOL devotee who donated the land for the high school in Ranchi.
> Rao and wife are key sevaks who supervise the primary school operation. Prof Tulu is also a sevak who guides the teachers every weekend.
It was a long drive back and we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at a roadside restaurant.
Enroute, we visited Mr BK Banerjee and his wife, Shubha, at their organic farm at Salboni Village.
Mr and Mrs Banerjee came to live here 4 years ago to support young Sukdev to realize his dream of starting an organic farm to help the local tribal people earn a living through zero budget organic farming.
Today, the farm is able to self-sustain under Sukdev's leadership and Mr Banerjee's guidance, as well as Chawlaji's support.
Sukdev also advises at the organic farm in Halludbani Primary School, and is passionate to share his organic farming knowledge with the tribal community.
Some of the tribal ladies here also tailor school uniform for Tribal School Project.
Alvin, Sukdev, Jin and Arindam at the Salboni organic farm.