Prof. Randall from DePaul University, Chicago USA visited Sevadham Trust Tribal Residential School, Malegaon. Prof. Randall was interested in linkage of conservation and restoration of the sacred groves and Tribal Mensa Nurturing Program.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tribal Teacher Training Program
One part of Tribal Mensa Nurturing Program was to conduct Tribal Teacher Training Program. In the month of November and December 2008, training program was conducted for Tribal residentail school teachers of Vadeshwar, Malegaon and Kamshet. 22 primary teachers participated the training program.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Durga Workshop
Monthly Report: February- March 2008
Durga Workshop (22nd Feb to 25th Feb 2008)
Goddess Durga is a form of Prakriti or Nature. She is the Divine Mother. The February Tribal Mensa Nurturing workshop took inspiration from the forms of Durga i.e. nature and centered around exploring nature, generating curiosity to understand it and creating an atmosphere to nurture it.
On February 22nd when Sachindada came to take us to the Nishta Kendra, we were all holding bags of seeds. They were of various indigenous trees Pongamia pinnata (Karanj) , Terminalia spp. (Hirada, Beheda etc), Acacia spp (Babhool), etc. which we had collected from Sacred Groves near our villages. Some of us had brought them from nearby forest lands and river banks. We took over a month to make our collections – dried and sorted. We could name most of the trees from which we had made the collection. We found that it was a lot of fun to be in the forest. We watched birds and insects. We tried to find some fruits and berries to eat too.
I found that to watch and enjoy Nature, I need to open my eyes and my mind. The more curious I was, the more I saw, the more I understood. After my exams, which is in March, I think I will spend more time exploring the Sacred Grove near my home.
The journey from my school to the Kendra was tiring this time. It was partly due to the heat and partly because I missed few of my friends. They had gone for their village festivals and were not going to attend the workshop. But as the Kendra came closer, the excitement grew. What was to be done with all these seeds? What activities will be there this time?
The excitement suddenly transformed to tremendous curiosity as I saw two very new people in the Nishta Kendra, who welcomed us in. Narayandada then introduced us to them. They were Richard Scott from England (Landlife trust, Liverpool) and Madhav (Mathieu, Krishna Devotee from France) from Udupi. Both of them were going to help us set up a plant nursery from the seeds that we had brought. Now everything fell into place.
As afternoon drew on, we took time to settle down. We tried to interact with Richard and Madhav. We had so much to talk with our friends this time. We talked about our collection, about our village festivals. Some of us had also been to small excursions with their classmates. We also spent some time playing carom board.
In the evening, Richard and Madhav gave us boxes of paints and brushes. How thrilled we were! We had wished to paint the walls of Nishta Kendra and had told Narayandada in the Pongal workshop about it, and our wish was coming true. We all went wild.. in a creative way. Sashitai, Anjalitai, Varshatai also joined us as we painted flowers, mountains, and rivers. I drew a painting of Lord Ganesh. Some made signs of 'Welcome' and some drew symbols like ‘Trishul’, 'Swastika' etc. Now ,we felt we were in our own Maherghar. A place which spoke to us, inspired us, and a place where we have left our permanent visible mark on.
While we were engrossed in our activity, Narayandada brought in a truck full of soil. It was unloaded in the garden. I knew immediately that tomorrow was our day of gardening. I wondered what all we could do. We needed a good place to sow the seeds and they will need to be watered. I started planning in my head remembering what all I do in the farm back home.
Evening came, and we had to stop our painting as the lights went out. But today we were enlightened very differently in our minds. Madhav played devotional songs on his flute. It was a very different kind of music than what I get to hear at school or in my village. I enjoyed it a lot. It made me very calm and it showed on my face.
We were woken up by Madhav's flute and after drinking madhpaani we were all ears to listen to Narayandada. He asked us to return the books we had taken from the library last time. Most of us had read the books more than one time! I am looking forward to reading a lot more.
Then Narayandada spoke to us about our activity for the day – Plant nursery. We were to remove stones and gravel from the soil he had got yesterday. Small pots were to be filled with soil and manure, and seeds were to be sorted out. Richard and Madhav were going to help us do all that.
We divided ourselves in groups by afternoon we had filled over 150 pots, and sorted out about 50 types of seeds. Shiekhatai, an MSc student from the Pune University also helped us in doing so.
Some of the boys from Bagicha gat made rangoli designs from the seeds. It was a picture of a man who was stopped by a girl from cutting a tree. We had a lot of fun. We got to talk with
Richard and even with friends. We found that teamwork makes a difficult task easier to achieve.
We were tired after the activities and we got some free time. In the afternoon, me and my friends from the Annapurna Gat found some old clothes in the cupboard. We used them to decorate our room. We hung sarees on the wall like curtains. Some made designs out of dupattas and stuck them on the walls. I knew I would have a nice sleep in this cozy, friendly room.
Shri. Vishwasrao Kher and Mrs. Sonavi Desai from the Kher Foundation had come to the Nishta Kendra during this time. Narayandada showed them all the work that we had done, our paintings, our boards, our pots, seeds and even our activity files. They seemed to be happy about all that we were doing. The Kher Foundation, we were told, will be looking after the maintenance cost of our Maherghar. I am thankful to them for their help. Anjalitai family too came from Pune to watch our work in the evening. Its nice to be appreciated by people and getting to know them too.
In the night, we saw a movie about two tigers, born in the zoo and then taken to the wild. I was so tired; I could hardly keep my eyes open. But, not everyone is tired like me. Some of my friends stay up till late night to read the story books given to us. Some of them read even in torch lights stealthily when Narayandada puts the lights out.
When I went to sleep, I thought of how I will sow the seeds the next day. I thought if the seeds know that they were handpicked from the Sacred Grove to come here and grow , like I was. I wondered...
In the morning, Narayan spoke to us about 'Swadeshi'. He spoke about taking pride in being Indian, in following its traditions. He spoke about how culture changes from country to country, and why we are special in our own way. He spoke to us what is a modern outlook and what is a western outlook. He showed us that people from different cultures can work in harmony, and still maintain their own perspective. We saw that when we saw him talking to Richard and Madhav.
When I came out in the garden I found the seeds soaking in warm water, ready to be planted. Shiekhatai, Richard, Anujatai and few a few of us, sowed the seeds of Cassia fistula, Pongamia pinnata , Azadirechta indica, Tamarindus indica etc. As I planted them, I wished that each one would grow into a big tree. I took care that they were sowed properly, that its roots may grow strong. I watered them and hoped that one day I could take them back into the wild – in their Sacred Grove, just like last nights movie.
Afternoon time was for the workshop activity. We played an old game, called 'Antakshari' , but the twist was that we could sing only those songs which had questions. Annapurna Gat was sure to win... we knew all the songs by heart. Then Narayandada told us why we played this game. It was to raise questions. The key to curiosity, the key to all the answers in the world. Questions,
Jidnyasa! We sat down in our Kaksha and raised 150 questions! 'why, when , where, how, from where, till where.....' It was so much fun. What if I start asking so many questions to Abba? I am sure he will be baffled trying to answer them. Oh! But thats what this exercise was all about. I no longer need to ask questions to anyone. I can generate more questions and more and more.. to find my own answers!
After the gruelling session of exercising the brain, Dr. Tanuja Oak and her team arrived for stretching our body. It was time for Yoga. Like last time, we stretched and flexed, twisted and turned. I found that now it is much easier than the first time we did Yoga. All the practicing at school is helping I guess.
In the evening, we had a fun session with Narayandada. We played Antakshari again, this time of Bhajans and patriotic songs. Madhav also played his flute for us. We listened to it with all our heart and soul, as today was the last day of the workshop.
Narayandada then told us about the next workshop. He said he will try to organize it in May, after our exams and holidays. He even promised to take us for an ecotour to the coast! I am so excited already. What all things we will see?!
Then we scurried back to our respective Kaksha, as we had to prepare for the 'Manoranjan' activities of the last day. The boys from Paani gat had put up a drama for everyone. Some sang devotional songs, some sang gavlans, patriotic songs etc. And then, it was time to sleep. Before sleeping, I once again prayed, for my seeds to grow well.
When I woke up, I was told that Richard had already left for England, Madhav would be leaving for Varanasi soon. It was time for Narayandada and the Mensa team toreturn back to Pune and me to my school. This time when I left the Maherghar, I left a part of me still living there. I am sure that my song will echo there till I return.
In our journey back home, I realized that we had truly lived the spirit of Goddess Durga during the workshop. I had been Prakruti, as I had walked in the forest. I had been a Mother as I sowed the seeds, and I will be the Protector, as I help them grow and blossom into trees. And I wonder if this Goddess Durga will reside in my village, in my Sacred Grove...........
Durga Workshop (22nd Feb to 25th Feb 2008)
Goddess Durga is a form of Prakriti or Nature. She is the Divine Mother. The February Tribal Mensa Nurturing workshop took inspiration from the forms of Durga i.e. nature and centered around exploring nature, generating curiosity to understand it and creating an atmosphere to nurture it.
On February 22nd when Sachindada came to take us to the Nishta Kendra, we were all holding bags of seeds. They were of various indigenous trees Pongamia pinnata (Karanj) , Terminalia spp. (Hirada, Beheda etc), Acacia spp (Babhool), etc. which we had collected from Sacred Groves near our villages. Some of us had brought them from nearby forest lands and river banks. We took over a month to make our collections – dried and sorted. We could name most of the trees from which we had made the collection. We found that it was a lot of fun to be in the forest. We watched birds and insects. We tried to find some fruits and berries to eat too.
I found that to watch and enjoy Nature, I need to open my eyes and my mind. The more curious I was, the more I saw, the more I understood. After my exams, which is in March, I think I will spend more time exploring the Sacred Grove near my home.
The journey from my school to the Kendra was tiring this time. It was partly due to the heat and partly because I missed few of my friends. They had gone for their village festivals and were not going to attend the workshop. But as the Kendra came closer, the excitement grew. What was to be done with all these seeds? What activities will be there this time?
The excitement suddenly transformed to tremendous curiosity as I saw two very new people in the Nishta Kendra, who welcomed us in. Narayandada then introduced us to them. They were Richard Scott from England (Landlife trust, Liverpool) and Madhav (Mathieu, Krishna Devotee from France) from Udupi. Both of them were going to help us set up a plant nursery from the seeds that we had brought. Now everything fell into place.
As afternoon drew on, we took time to settle down. We tried to interact with Richard and Madhav. We had so much to talk with our friends this time. We talked about our collection, about our village festivals. Some of us had also been to small excursions with their classmates. We also spent some time playing carom board.
In the evening, Richard and Madhav gave us boxes of paints and brushes. How thrilled we were! We had wished to paint the walls of Nishta Kendra and had told Narayandada in the Pongal workshop about it, and our wish was coming true. We all went wild.. in a creative way. Sashitai, Anjalitai, Varshatai also joined us as we painted flowers, mountains, and rivers. I drew a painting of Lord Ganesh. Some made signs of 'Welcome' and some drew symbols like ‘Trishul’, 'Swastika' etc. Now ,we felt we were in our own Maherghar. A place which spoke to us, inspired us, and a place where we have left our permanent visible mark on.
While we were engrossed in our activity, Narayandada brought in a truck full of soil. It was unloaded in the garden. I knew immediately that tomorrow was our day of gardening. I wondered what all we could do. We needed a good place to sow the seeds and they will need to be watered. I started planning in my head remembering what all I do in the farm back home.
Evening came, and we had to stop our painting as the lights went out. But today we were enlightened very differently in our minds. Madhav played devotional songs on his flute. It was a very different kind of music than what I get to hear at school or in my village. I enjoyed it a lot. It made me very calm and it showed on my face.
We were woken up by Madhav's flute and after drinking madhpaani we were all ears to listen to Narayandada. He asked us to return the books we had taken from the library last time. Most of us had read the books more than one time! I am looking forward to reading a lot more.
Then Narayandada spoke to us about our activity for the day – Plant nursery. We were to remove stones and gravel from the soil he had got yesterday. Small pots were to be filled with soil and manure, and seeds were to be sorted out. Richard and Madhav were going to help us do all that.
We divided ourselves in groups by afternoon we had filled over 150 pots, and sorted out about 50 types of seeds. Shiekhatai, an MSc student from the Pune University also helped us in doing so.
Some of the boys from Bagicha gat made rangoli designs from the seeds. It was a picture of a man who was stopped by a girl from cutting a tree. We had a lot of fun. We got to talk with
Richard and even with friends. We found that teamwork makes a difficult task easier to achieve.
We were tired after the activities and we got some free time. In the afternoon, me and my friends from the Annapurna Gat found some old clothes in the cupboard. We used them to decorate our room. We hung sarees on the wall like curtains. Some made designs out of dupattas and stuck them on the walls. I knew I would have a nice sleep in this cozy, friendly room.
Shri. Vishwasrao Kher and Mrs. Sonavi Desai from the Kher Foundation had come to the Nishta Kendra during this time. Narayandada showed them all the work that we had done, our paintings, our boards, our pots, seeds and even our activity files. They seemed to be happy about all that we were doing. The Kher Foundation, we were told, will be looking after the maintenance cost of our Maherghar. I am thankful to them for their help. Anjalitai family too came from Pune to watch our work in the evening. Its nice to be appreciated by people and getting to know them too.
In the night, we saw a movie about two tigers, born in the zoo and then taken to the wild. I was so tired; I could hardly keep my eyes open. But, not everyone is tired like me. Some of my friends stay up till late night to read the story books given to us. Some of them read even in torch lights stealthily when Narayandada puts the lights out.
When I went to sleep, I thought of how I will sow the seeds the next day. I thought if the seeds know that they were handpicked from the Sacred Grove to come here and grow , like I was. I wondered...
In the morning, Narayan spoke to us about 'Swadeshi'. He spoke about taking pride in being Indian, in following its traditions. He spoke about how culture changes from country to country, and why we are special in our own way. He spoke to us what is a modern outlook and what is a western outlook. He showed us that people from different cultures can work in harmony, and still maintain their own perspective. We saw that when we saw him talking to Richard and Madhav.
When I came out in the garden I found the seeds soaking in warm water, ready to be planted. Shiekhatai, Richard, Anujatai and few a few of us, sowed the seeds of Cassia fistula, Pongamia pinnata , Azadirechta indica, Tamarindus indica etc. As I planted them, I wished that each one would grow into a big tree. I took care that they were sowed properly, that its roots may grow strong. I watered them and hoped that one day I could take them back into the wild – in their Sacred Grove, just like last nights movie.
Afternoon time was for the workshop activity. We played an old game, called 'Antakshari' , but the twist was that we could sing only those songs which had questions. Annapurna Gat was sure to win... we knew all the songs by heart. Then Narayandada told us why we played this game. It was to raise questions. The key to curiosity, the key to all the answers in the world. Questions,
Jidnyasa! We sat down in our Kaksha and raised 150 questions! 'why, when , where, how, from where, till where.....' It was so much fun. What if I start asking so many questions to Abba? I am sure he will be baffled trying to answer them. Oh! But thats what this exercise was all about. I no longer need to ask questions to anyone. I can generate more questions and more and more.. to find my own answers!
After the gruelling session of exercising the brain, Dr. Tanuja Oak and her team arrived for stretching our body. It was time for Yoga. Like last time, we stretched and flexed, twisted and turned. I found that now it is much easier than the first time we did Yoga. All the practicing at school is helping I guess.
In the evening, we had a fun session with Narayandada. We played Antakshari again, this time of Bhajans and patriotic songs. Madhav also played his flute for us. We listened to it with all our heart and soul, as today was the last day of the workshop.
Narayandada then told us about the next workshop. He said he will try to organize it in May, after our exams and holidays. He even promised to take us for an ecotour to the coast! I am so excited already. What all things we will see?!
Then we scurried back to our respective Kaksha, as we had to prepare for the 'Manoranjan' activities of the last day. The boys from Paani gat had put up a drama for everyone. Some sang devotional songs, some sang gavlans, patriotic songs etc. And then, it was time to sleep. Before sleeping, I once again prayed, for my seeds to grow well.
When I woke up, I was told that Richard had already left for England, Madhav would be leaving for Varanasi soon. It was time for Narayandada and the Mensa team toreturn back to Pune and me to my school. This time when I left the Maherghar, I left a part of me still living there. I am sure that my song will echo there till I return.
In our journey back home, I realized that we had truly lived the spirit of Goddess Durga during the workshop. I had been Prakruti, as I had walked in the forest. I had been a Mother as I sowed the seeds, and I will be the Protector, as I help them grow and blossom into trees. And I wonder if this Goddess Durga will reside in my village, in my Sacred Grove...........
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Sita Pongal Workshop Report Jan 2008
Sita- Wildflower in Tribal Niche
Monthly Report: January 2008
Pongal Workshop (10th Jan – 15th Jan 2008)
Shouting “Pongalo Pongal ! I came to Nishta Kendra on the 10th January. I was very excited as it was a lovely break away from school, right after appearing for exams.
Pongal they say is the South Indian festival of prosperity. True to the name of the workshop, we all tried to show how prosperous we have grown in our thoughts and action. We were taking initiative, we motivated each other and our brains were always bursting with ideas.
This time, I traveled to the Raj guru Nagar bus stand with my teachers starting early in the morning. I made sure I had packed the seeds, stones, leaves and soil samples I had collected. Sachin dada picked us up from there and took us to the Nishta Kendra. During the bus journey I met my friends. We had a lot to catch up on since Karthik Damodar.
As the I saw my Maher Ghar through the window of the bus, my eagerness to start with the workshop grew. Narayan dada, Sashi Tai were already there to welcome us along with a few of my friends who had arrived earlier than me.
It was afternoon, and we all arranged ourselves in the Ananta Kaksh (that’s where the meetings take place). We found our stationary, caps, bedding and bags. We got really big bags! I loved the design on mine. Our group leaders took over and made sure that we were all set for the next four days.
Evening time was free, and I spent it by looking around my Maher Ghar. I found that the library had a lot more books than last time. It had autobiographies, craft books, story books, comic books, and books on science too. I wondered if I would get to read them. I also found a whole new set of games. These games were much different than the ones I knew. A game I particularly liked was Brain vita. I know that some of the boys stayed up late to make a model from the game called Mechnix... I am waiting for my turn.
Some of my friends started doing their group tasks. The Swachhata Gat (Cleanliness Group) had made sure that the Maher Ghar was clean. They put all the buckets and towels in place. The Manoranjan Gat (Entertainment Group) had started to make a list of the library books, taking care of the games etc. At this time Narayan dada called us for a meeting. He gave us special colored bands to wear on our hands. I am in Annapurna Gat and got a yellow colored band. Bagicha (Garden Group) Gat got a green, Paani (Water Group) got a blue, and Swachhata Gat got a white, while Manoranjan got a red band.
These Bands, which he gave us, are special because they make us feel like we are part of a team. Now, we are not just Tribal Mensans. We are Tribal Mensans from Annapurna Gat!!
Then he told us to take a group-wise meeting (gata-shaha baithak) to discuss how we could excel at our daily tasks. He appreciated us for doing them with perseverance, but now he wanted us to learn innovation. When we sat in our meeting, we put up a lot of ideas. Varsha Tai, Muktatai, Ketki Tai helped us too. But every time, our discussion would be a chaos. All of us would start talking, some wouldn’t talk at all. There was no order. After observing this, Narayan dada talked to us about how a meeting should take place. He taught us how to increase participation, motivate everyone in the group and how to maintain decorum. He spoke about how a group leader should take over a meeting, how he should direct it, and yet let all the wild ideas come up. He also told us about how leaders talk, stand, encourage and participate.
When I slept I wondered if there was a leader inside me... What work will I do as a leader of my group? I must come up with new ideas.
We woke up as usual to the sounds of Suprabhatam. I always miss this sound in my school. Then we went to the Dhyan Kaksh to do our morning 'chintan' or meditation. Narayan dada read out two lines from a book by Dr. Appa Pendse. The lines talked about having a dream and doing all it takes to achieve it, to turn it into a vision. He asked us what we wanted to be when we grow up. Most of us wanted to be teachers, engineers, doctors, and soldiers. He then told us that we must work hard to achieve it, make it our goal. We must try to understand what skills are required for our chosen dream, and find a way to develop them. He also narrated to us stories of valour and the spark of intelligence. He talked about his friends Vijay Chandrachud and Aba Hasabnis. I am waiting to meet them, especially Aba Hasabnis.
Before long, it was time for the workshop. Swapna Tai, Shruti Tai, Anjali Tai, Sujal Tai and Sameena Tai have arrived. We were introduced to a new game called “EK” or one. We had to enlist our groups 'one' favorite river, tree, animal, God, food, country, feeling etc. The challenge was that when we select one, we had to consider each ones thought. Different people have different likings, hence our challenge was to integrate each ones ideas. In the Swachhata Gat, everyone except one decided that Maharashtra was there favorite state. Only one of them said Jammu and Kashmir. He defended his case, and then they decided that their group’s favorite state would be Jammu and Kashmir. In Paani Gat, there was a dispute to find out a favorite tree. Each one had a different choice; no majority voting could be done. So, they intelligently listed it as 'fruiting trees' are our favorite, and they had an 'Eki'(oneness). I think every leader should be able to find this Oneness among the people. That reminded me of the discussion last night, and we made an innovative Menu card in Hindi before lunch. We also re-organized the seating arrangement to better suit us for serving everyone.
In the afternoon session, we were told to write 500 observations of the leaf, like we had observed a potato in Karthik Damodar. I came up with 100 but 500 seemed to be difficult. Narayan dada later explained us how we have to come up with basic parameters, and then work on their permutation combinations. Now 500 seems easy. Based on the observations, we made poems, stories and jokes. We are learning to observe and build ideas on our observations. Then came the most loved part of the day! We went out for the 'Daal'. Gaurav dada, Rahul dada and two more friends had come to the Maher Ghar to teach us new outdoor games. They taught us 'Chauras Cricket' (baseball) and 'Dasha Hastantare' (ten passes). I was a little nervous to play 'Chauras Cricket' as I couldn’t hit the ball initially. But I decided to concentrate more. I looked more attentively at it and then! I had it up in the air! .... I managed to make two runs! But the boys were much better at batting. They had difficulty in fielding though. In the game of ten passes, it took us a lot of strategy and team spirit. It was great fun.
When we came back the lights were out, so we had to sit together in the yellow candle light.
Dada told us short Japanese about a father and son separated during an earthquake. The story talked about faith in each other and perseverance. It made me very emotional. Then we song our group songs, an abhanga by Tukaram and the Prabhodhan Geet. We discussed our favorite lines .Keshar, Sarala; Chandana even added a few lines in them! Just as we finished singing, we felt our energy was at a peak, and the lights came back. I laughed at the thought that maybe it was our minds making the light today!
In the morning, Mukta Tai read out the story of Vivekananda’s childhood. Gaurav dada explained to us about how Vivekananda was a man with a mission. Then he took us out for the morning Dal. Ketki tai helped him out. We did a fun but creative game, where we had to come up with innovative uses of a mug. During breakfast Narayan dada told us that today would be a day of exercising. Morning to exercise the body, and afternoon to exercise the brain!
Dr. Tanuja Oak and Swati Joshi had come to visit us. They taught us some basic Yoga. Dr. Tanuja first told u about the importance of exercising, and how best to do it. The she asked us to do Suryanamaskar. We bended, stretched, flexed and breathed. Aoow! I need to practice everyday to get better at it.
In the afternoon there was a fun activity, or so we thought! It was called 'Maha Manav'. We had to describe how our ideal 'super person' would be like, what qualities he would have etc. First we enlisted all the great leaders and great people we know. (Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Kalam, Sachin Tendulkar, and Kiran Bedi, etc.)Then we found what qualities made them so – visionary, spirited, empathetic, etc. Then we combined the qualities we thought best and important to give shape to our 'Maha Manav'. My Maha Manav was a fabulous cook along with being a warrior! Could I be her one day?
In the night we met Dr. Pratibha Kulkarni. She talked to us about how and why to take care of our health. I had a lot of questions in my mind, which she clarified in very simple language.
After that we viewed the movie 'Spirit'. It was about the adventures of a horse. We had to identify all the feelings shown in the movie. It was very difficult to concentrate after a long tiring day. We all ran to our beds.
Sleeping that night I wondered about what all we did during the day. A lot of people had come to visit. Amruta Tai had come here even when her leg was broken! And all the other tais were always around us to help. Why are they so interested in us? Narayan dada always says that we are a topic of research, and we are unique in the world. What is this 'intelligence' that makes me this special? What do I do with it? I was fast asleep.
On the third day morning, Pratibha Tai read out a poem called 'Aag Gadi ani Jameen' or 'The train and the Earth'. The way she recited the poem was so vivid. We could almost see the arrogant train zooming over the mountains inflicting pain on the Earth below. Then Amruta Tai explained us the rhyme, rhythm and feeling of the poem. We were learning how to personify things, how symbolism can be used to express complex ideas simply. It was truly enriching.
Just as we reached our artistic high, we were introduced to Science teacher, Milind Naik. He seemed to be a normal person, until he did all his magic tricks!! He could make a volcano erupt; sounds from broken pipes, letters appear on a white paper! But his biggest magic was, that he triggered our scientific minds. My little friend Sharad tried solving all the puzzles in front of us. Kiran too helped him out. Dr. Naik helped us understand that science can be fun when you start asking Whys? How’s? And Why knots? All answers lie in questions!
By this time Sameena Tai asked us to do something very different. She asked us to do some gardening work. I didn’t know then, but it was an exam! I wish I had such fun exams in school! Sameena Tai was seeing how we worked in a team. She is doing a research about leadership amongst us and how it can be enriched. Slowly I am starting to understand what the theme of this workshop is. This time it was all about exposing us to varied areas where we can explore our leadership and team spirit.
In the evening, we played a few more team games. This time, I made it a point to be more organized in our group. As a result, we won in a relay race. It needs both individual and team efforts... we are learning fast isn’t it?
But Bagicha gat won three games! I am sure they have better strategies than us. I must learn from them. By now, we all have identified something special in each one of us.
Running and jumping on the black farm soil made me tired, and I could barely keep my eyes open to watch the courageous boy in Home Alone!
It was 14th January, and so we all ate 'Pongal'. It was a new preparation. I have never tasted it before. There are so many new things Deshpande kaku cooks for us with help of Dixit kaku! The night before she had made tomato soup. We drank it before dinner. When I go home, I will tell my mother and abba all about it. I want to give it my little brother on a cold evening! He will be very happy I came here!
During breakfast, Amruta Tai talked about what this workshop were all about, what we will learn from them? She also talked about the five Kosha. All the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle are slowly fitting in. It will be sometime before I can truly understand though. For now, I know I have to give my best in the workshop, teach my friends all that I learn and most important of all.. to be more AWARE of my surroundings.
Today we spent the day completing our work, packing and cleaning our Maher Ghar. Sashi Tai gave us some fun tests too. I am eagerly awaiting the results. These tests are very interesting!
By evening we were all set to leave and it was time for our Entertainment programs. We heard many Gawlans, Bhajans etc from the Akash from (Terungan). They are very good at it.
It is always sad to say the goodbyes. Narayan dada made it easier by reading out the 15th Chapter of The Gita before we left. It made our minds calmer. Due to the serene sounds, everything that we did for the past four days got firmly imprinted. It will keep ringing for days.
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