BHONGA SCHOOL – AN UPDATE …… JANHIT VIKAS TRUST, TARA
- Sch. Francis Fernandes, S.J.

Education is one of the main focus of the Bhonga schools, however, the children from the 13 bhonga schools that we run, had the privilege of a number of extracurricular activities. These activities were focused towards bringing out the hidden talents from within the children, helping them to grow in the spirit of challenge and sportsmanship and thus boosting their self esteem and self confidence.

While the objectives of the activities went far beyond our expectations, there was a certain cheer and frolic in the children that remained all throughout. To add more excitement to the events, there were plenty of freebees given in the form of prizes, gifts and eatables. All this was possible with the help of a few generous souls who contributed to meet some of our expenses. There was also a group of youngsters from the CLC youth wing who volunteered their services.

To begin with, two sports days held in order to accommodate all the children from the bhonga shala’s which are scattered over a vast area. The students of the bhonga shala’s which were in close proximity had their sports days together. The first sports day was held on the 17th of January where seven bhonga shala’s came together, while the second was held on the 25th of January where six Bhonga Shala’s came together. The children were highly motivated and put in their best in all the events in order to score points for themselves and for their schools. Size and age did not matter as many a small child out beat the bigger ones. Separate games were held for the boys and the girls, but each in their own capacity sweated it out to the last.

The 13th of February was a red-letter day for the children of the Bhonga Shalas. This day was much awaited and longed for by the children. The reason was simple; the day was set aside for their ‘Baal Melava’. As soon as the date was announced the preparations for this great event began in full gusto. The bhonga school teachers and the supplementary class teachers got their students together to plan the stage events they would put up. Suggestions came from the children and the teachers trained them in song, dance, poetry and even stage skits. As the day grew nearer there were extra classes for practices and rehearsals, the children never got tired and the teachers were motivated by the enthusiasm of their children.

With the children of thirteen Bhonga Schools and seven supplementary classes coming together, the Baal Melava saw a crowd of over 300 children. They were all welcomed with a cap each, which read on it the theme of the day ‘Education is my right!’ The day was systematically planned into four parts; the first part was the cultural and variety entertainment program, which took off after a solemn lighting of the deep and a few encouraging words from our chief guest Fr.Andrew Rodrigues, S.J. (who did his regency here). The children staged 28 different items. It was an amazing sight to see the young talents come out in the open. There was music, dance, rhythm and drama. The second part of the program was a satisfying meal, which each child partook off. This was followed by the third part; every child was given an opportunity to select and play five games out of the eight games stalls that were very crafty laid down at the venue. The child who won a game was awarded with a prize. The forth part of the day was the distribution of gifts. Every child present for the program was gifted with a coloring book, a set of sketch pens and a box of crayons. With a cap on their head and a bag of gifts, the children returned to their homes to share their joys with their parents.

On the 22nd of February a Vaan Bhojan (a fellowship meal surrounded by nature) was organized for the children of a few of the bhonga schools. The place chosen was at a radius of three kilometers from their respective places. There were games organized for the children and a sing song session where the children came up with melodious tunes of their traditional katkari folklore. The teachers carried snacks and lunch for the children which they relished. The children were highly disciplined all throughout, they were conscious of the cleanliness of their surroundings and the elder children looked after the younger ones.

At present the children are busy getting set for their forthcoming tests which will go a long way in determining their promotion to a higher class in the coming academic year. The events of frolic and fun are catalysts to help the children to discover themselves and also to motivate them to give in their best even when it comes to study.

Janhit Vikas Trust wishes to thank all those who have helped in some way or the other in enriching the lives of these simple katkari children.