Probini-supported Karasole, West Bengal, India School

Sachi G. Dastidar

 



Probini Foundation of New York is helping Karasole Sishu Bikash Mandir (Children's temple) build a new school building. Karasole is located in a remote, poor, forested, tribal area of the southern Paschim (West) Medinipur District of PaschimBanga (West Bengal) State of India. The school was started by faculty, staff and neighbors of Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur. Probini Foundation's Drs. Sachi and Shefali Dastidar visited the school in January of 2012 with Professor Rabindra Nath Chattopadhyay to ascertain the need. The school is about 2 hours drive from Kharagpur City of PaschimBanga (West Bengal) state of India. Kharagpur is about 100 kilometers southwest of Kolkata (Calcutta). Probini is now building a new school at the site as the old school is overcrowded.

 

The School

 

Karasole Sishu  Bikash Mandir School

 

 

Ferry across the SubarnaRekha River with Shefali Dastidar (L), Sumedha, and R N Chattopadhyay (R)

 

 

Students in the Classroom

 

One-room School

 

PaschimBanga (West Bengal) State; Medinipur District is in the South

 

Karasole Village is south of Nayagram, across the river, close to Orissa border

 

 

Karasole Parents

 

 

Karasole Parents and Neighbors

 

 

Sports Competition

 

The First School

 

 

Sishu Vikas Mandir, Karasole Village

      Nayagram Block, Paschim Medinipur

Professor Dr. R. N. Chattopadhyay

Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, PaschimBanga (West Bengal), India

              The Sishu Vikas Mandir, a non-formal school for the children of Forest-Protection Committee (FPC) members was first established on 24^th November, 2002 at Karasole Village of Nayagram Block of Paschim Medinipur district of PaschimBanga (West Bengal) State of India. The Participatory Forest Management (PFM) Project Office of Architecture & Regional Planning Department of IIT Kharagpur was initiated at Nayagram Block, in 1993 with its  multiple activities like craft production from natural resources, formation of Self-Help Groups, technology transfer for rural livelihood generation, establishing market links with different national and international Organizations, establishment of non-formal schools etc. The school at Karasole was originally established by the initiative and financial assistance of this Ford Foundation sponsored Project. Prembazar INITIATIVE, an NGO with its activities at Nayagram and other Blocks of Paschim Medinipur District took over the responsibility of this school in 2004 when the tenure of PFM Project was over. It has, since then, been working in the villages of primitive tribesmen particularly women with the noble missions of (i) Literacy Drive for illiterate tribal folk, particularly women, (ii) Bringing the School Drop-outs to this school and linking them to mainstream of school education after attaining necessary standard, (iii) Helping poor school children with coaching back-up and (iv) Vocational training to parents of these children for livelihood improvement besides assistance to students from poorer families with books, clothes nutritional aids etc.

            On 24^th November, 2002, Prof. Amitabha Ghosh, Director, IIT Kharagpur, accompanied by Registrar, Dean (SRIC) and other officers paid a visit to the PFM Field Station at Nayagram. He visited different Craft Centres at different villages, different Nurseries (Medicinal Plant and Tuber-Crop), interacted with the artisans and the FPC members on current issues, interrogated then about national and international market links etc. Later, Director inaugurated the Sishu Vikash Mandir at Karasole in presence of BDO, Sabhapati, Range Officer, Beat Officer, Officer in Charge, Nayagram Thana, Panchayat Pradhan and other dignatories. The PFM Project personnel explained the particular reasons for the establishment of such a school in such a remote village with so much labour and endeavour.

            Nayagram Block is known to be the poorest Block in the entire Paschim Medinipur region. Along with poverty, illiteracy and ill-health have cast a dark shadow of depression and desolation over the area. The Santhals, Lodhas and the Mahali tribesmen mostly dominate the area among whom the Lodhas are the worst affected lot. Karasole is one such Lodha village, where poverty, illiteracy, ill-health and ignorance are the gnawing features. In order to erase such bruises like illiteracy, school drop-outs, ignorance of craft technology etc. the PFM Team ventured to establish this school at Karasole. It was hoped that the sparks of light would enlighten many disheartened souls to come to limelight and light the lamp of optimum in the morrow. Every year, this NGO distributes books, slates, pencils, chocolates and clothes to the poor children.

            The school activities, like regular teaching, conducting art and music classes, conducting sports (annually) were quite satisfactorily performed by two teachers (one from Project Team and another from local tribal community) till November 2004, when the PFM Project completed its eleven years tenure. But observing the good progress of the school, the Project personnel decided to carry out the responsibilities of the school with the assistance of an NGO, which again, is fortunately run mostly by retired IIT Professors and some important dignatories, like doctors, bankers etc. The NGO named, Prembazar INITIATIVE has since then shouldering a big responsibility of work at Karasole School at Nayagram. As mentioned earlier, the Lodha inhabitants of this village and the nearby villages are mostly illiterates. Some of the young members of the NGO are carrying out this task of literacy drive voluntarily. The goal is not only to rule out illiteracy, but to educate and guide the young students reading in class IX or class X, so that they can look forward for a promising future. In order to instill the spirit of dynamism, the Organizers also organize Annual Sports Programme, Cultural (folk) programme, observation of Days of significance, Saraswati Puja and other assemblies for the youngsters at the school premise.

               The children of Karasole school could show some signs of excellence through their academic performance, folk culture and athletic activities. Accordingly, the Prize-Distribution Ceremony is organized every year in recognition to their excellence in sports, cultural attainments and of course in academic performance. The Ceremonies are participated not only by the NGO personnel, but by the members of local administration of the Panchayat Samiti, Forest Department, local schools etc. The distribution of prizes is usually accompanied by a cultural programme including folk songs & dances performed by the tribal children under the guidance of the INITIATIVE members. The pupils as well as the tribal inhabitants of the villages get much impetus from this event. They also exhibit their improved taste in culture by presenting Rabindranritya (plays of Rabindra Nath Tagore) and Rabindrasangeet (Tagore song.)        

            The study of Environment Science has become a compulsory curriculum for students of all ages. 5^th June is observed as the ‘Environment Day’ in all corners of the country. This day is also observed by INITIATIVE in a solemn way at the field station and the school premises at Nayagram in which veteran teachers and NGO personnel and children assemble and read out short composition on ‘Environment’ with much enthusiasm and interest.

             In this way, every year Karasole non- formal  is keeping up school with the schedule of ‘Children’s Day’, ‘World Environmental Day’, ‘Saraswati Puja’, ‘Annual Prize-Distribution Day’ besides Independence Day, Republic Day etc with vivacity and is showing a new vista of better education, better socio-cultural setting and better mental development.

             It was a noble, at the same time gracious gesture of Prof. Sabyasachi Ghosh Dastidar, who on behalf of Probini Foundation (an NGO of global recognition), has donated US $ 300.00 in January 2012 in the larger interests of the poor children of this tribal school of Karasole. He, along with his colleagues visited Nayagram, visited Karasole School and he could feel the real pathos which lies very deep in the soil and soul of this rustic area. It is a bit of fortune that himself residing in the pompous city of New York, he has the desire to erase the bruise of these agonized tiny tots at least to a certain extent. It is expected that very shortly books (at par with the syllabus and book lists of different classes of West Bengal Secondary Board of Education) will be distributed among the children. We hope to see the beaming smiles of these depressed and distressed lots of this remote area of Paschimanchal (western area), who are expected to be the makers of a redeeming generation in future.