I visited Vikasana again, this time when the school was in session. As I arrived, I was led into one of the circular classrooms where the group of 37 students and 6 teachers were joined in singing. The children sat cross-legged their bright faces emoting as they sang Kannada (local language), Hindi and English songs. The children all come from very poor homes. So, I expected their appearance to betray this fact. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by their clean and neat appearance. Hair neatly combined and clothes clean if not always free of minor tears. They all sang, whether or not they knew all the words. I was amazed when they sang On the wagon and Edelwies. Their book also had Puff The Magic Dragon.
They sang together for about 40 minutes and then rose to complete some cleaning duties before starting their first group class for the day. As they rose, I was amazed how they all went on to their cleaning duties without having to be told or reminded. I observed this to be their mode of working all throughout the day. Even the 3 year olds, got on right away to folding the mats they were sitting on. They were so keen to do this that sometimes two of them folded the same mat from opposite ends, meeting in the middle and then giggling.
I started by sitting in the little ones’ class. They started with “creeping and crawling”, one of their yoga exercises. This was followed by jumping, then head rolls and so on. They did yoga for 20 minutes including some meditation that ended with Aum breathing exercises. Seeing 3-4 year olds doing Yoga is a real treat!
Next, I walked around to take some pictures when I was pulled aside by a group of 11-13 year olds. Sunil, Asha and Mani wanted to know where I was from and what I did. I told them about PSCS. The conversation soon digressed to why they liked Vikasana – because it offered many more activities like gardening, handicrafts, singing, pottery than other schools, because they have more freedom to study how they want. The 3 of them were clearly very grateful for what they have at Vikasana. They told me of how they get up on their own at 5 every morning and do Yoga. Then they read the Bhagwat Gita in Sanskrut. This surprised me. I asked them if they understood the Gita. They said they didn’t always. I asked them what they did when they didn’t understand it. They said they would read a translation or ask Malati akka. I asked them why they read it even if they didn’t always understand it. To this, Asha turned to me and asked me why they should read Math books. I told her I didn’t know why any better than she knew why. Then Mani turned to me and said that Math will help him when he does a job. Asha promptly followed by saying that the Gita will also help them as they move forward in life. I was amazed by their questions and willingness to engage in such an open conversation with a complete stranger. Asha, Sunil and Mani then went on to work on their Math, sitting at a 3 foot tall table under the shade of trees. Classes are often conducted outdoors, thus providing enough interruption from nature. Being amidst nature as much as possible, watching it, learning from it are integral to learning at Vikasana.
Soon after this, it was break time. All the children came out to the central play area, drank a malt drink made from several grains and then went on to play. Little ones and big ones mingled. The giggles and yells of children filled the air. Some of them climbed trees, others hassled with my camera. They created a game by asking me to take their pictures and then wanting to spot themselves in the digital preview.
As break came to an end, I made my way to a social studies class for the oldest (15 – 16 year old) children in the school. They all sat on the floor, in a semi-circle around the teacher. They were learning about Indian National Goals as identified in the Indian constitution and laws. The medium of instruction went back and forth between English and Kannada. While the children all understand English, they are not completely comfortable speaking it. I made sense of their discussion based on the context. Manjunath, the teacher took every effort to make the material relevant to the students. When they talked about National Integration as being one of the goals, he walked them through how the Indian cricket team is formed and how it represents several communities. When they talked about the Empowerment of Women, he asked the girls in the class what that meant to them. They identified with not being dominated by men. He then cited a recent news story of Masoom (an actress) who said that there is nothing wrong with pre-marital sex. He asked the girls what they thought of this. They said that they thought pre-marital sex was wrong. He then asked them why. They got into a discussion on issues around promiscuity and AIDS. Manjunath made the subject matter so simple. He kid around with his students. A general air of freedom and laughter pervaded the class.
By this time, it was time for lunch. I ate with Malati akka, sitting on the floor like we do in India, eating rice and daal with my hands. It was by far one of the best meals I have eaten in days. After a while, restaurant food gets old. I long for homemade food.
I ended my Vikasana visit watching the children play cricket. Boys, girls, young and older all played. It was a delight to hear them scream in delight on catching the ball, giggle as they missed hitting it or getting indignant when they got out.
While it is hard to pinpoint all the things I took away from my experience at Vikasana, 2 things stand out – The children are hard working and diligent in all regards from studying to cleaning. I asked many of the teachers why that is so. I also asked Sunil about this at one point. They say that this is so because education is the only way for them to have a better life than their parents’. It also raises their social status and earns them respect as Sunil said.
The other thing that stands out is how open the children are. I was touched by how they welcomed me into their groups and activities. They would come around and find me to join them in play, for lunch or to be part of a class. I wondered why. Something that Chitra said to me comes to mind – a well-protected heart (one that has emotional security) doesn’t need anything, whereas a needy heart is open, seeking affection and care wherever it can get it. Perhaps, this is why the children of Vikasana are so open and friendly. Whatever the reason, I came away feeling warm. Their faces are now etched on my mind. I will remember them for a long time to come.
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