BASF Youth attended 8th International Youth Peace Festival held in Chandigarh, India

8^th International Youth Peace Festival is being organized in Chandigarh from September 27 to October 2' 2013 that will see youth participation from around 35 countries.

The event is being organized by Yuvasatta an NGO working to steer young people towards implementing Gandhian Ideals of Constructive Progamme based on voluntary effort and individual and community action.

CSEI believes that any conversation about peace is incomplete unless it considers inclusion and equity in a society and intends to push boundaries of such conversations to consider preventive ways of Peace to exist by working for a equitable society. As such participation of Dalit voices is a must so that people participating can expand the understanding of peace and the challenges we face.

Bihar Ambedkar Youth Forum supported by CSEI is a youth lead collective of Dalit youth focused on education and rights of youth. A delegation of 11 Dalit youth from 5 districts of Bihar participated in this event.

The youth have been through a leadership training conducted by an international organization Play for Peace and are also trained in Play for Peace process. They participated in this event to share Dalit perspective on Peace and shared how Inclusion and Equity is essential ingredient of Peace.

Review Meeting for CLAY Peer Educator Fellowship

All the volunteers were asked to share their experience based on plan from last meeting,

Sanjay

He called children to play and also taught them as scheduled.

Initially they was hesitation but after 2-3 days now children themselves ask when he is going to take session

All children are willing to go to school but they said they are asked to sit in different rooms that are not in good condition. Sanjay asked them to go nevertheless and said if you go regularly teachers will treat you well.

We told him to follow up at school and not just ask children to go to school.

Ranjana, Ramanti and Nitu have joined school after making the commitment when they attended the training.

He is teaching them numbers and alphabets in Hindi. He also asked them their parents name to help them learn language

To a question about how it has helped him, he said he is now occupied and constantly thinking about what to do with children. This is increasing his ability to reflect.

Munaa

Talked at length about the death of a 4 year child in their community from an illness, he shared how  his treatment was done from a quack and despite their suggestions parents only took the child to hospital when he was critical and child succumbed finally. Because of it they were not able to conduct session 2-3 days.

A girl's parent came and abused them verbally for the games they were conducting. They tried explaining but they didn't listen. Some other children also went away.

Next day they talked to some parents and they agreed to let children come for study.

He also shared about his wife, who gets abused by her mother and he tries to stop her from doing it.

He was very upset about child's death and said he will make sure it doesn't happen in next generation.

He also mentioned that a young girl who had attended the training(Basanti) did conduct a play session after child's death but she was stopped by a old lady.

Kamlesh

He shared that he had to do some of his brother's work as he is gone to attend Peace Festival in Chandigarh

Conducted 2-3 play session

20-25 children come to play, when they teach there are more children

People in the community blame them for spoiling children/ some parent are abusive and curse them

He still took 10 children to a different place to play and within short time all other children also joined.

Satya asked him to read his report, when he was reading he mentioned that there are changes in children. When we asked him what difference he has seen in children he mnetioned “Veer Kumar' who use to abuse everyone verbally and also get into fight when they started Play for Peace but now the child has stopped abusing after 10-15 days and is fully participating.

Gudia – She was not willing to say anything, but mentioned that when she went back she was beaten and that is why she was not able to do any session

Mamta

Did not do anything in community, but at home she played with 8 children

She is not able to do sessions in the morning due to house work.

Jitendra

Shared how he was beaten by his drunk uncle when he was conducting a session

Uncle also abused him even when he was teaching

When he complained his father and uncle had a fight

Next day when his uncle was sober he apologized and father asked him to not repeat it.

One day while playing a small child got bruised and he spent his own money to get his treatment

He mentioned his brother who takes tuition and also plays card with children and shared that he confronted him and now he has reformed to some extend

He was not able to conduct session on 2-3 days as he had to go to Bihita as someone in family was very ill.

Rakesh – joined us today only. He had quit school  in 9^th grade as mother did not have money when sckool asked him to pay 200 rs for exam.

He had to go with his father to work in Sonipat

He came back from their after some disturbance. He has studied till 9^th and will like to continue.

His brother does not go to school, when we asked him age of his brother, he responded by saying that brother reaches till his neck.

School visit and conversation with Teachers

30^th September 2013

Today Saurav-our cluster coordinator visited 6 schools with the lists of children not enroll in schools from six tola's on 28^th September.

On 30^th Moring at 8 AM Saurav went to visit school and give the list of children not enroll and talk to teachers and principle. And get help from Peer educators in the field.

Saurav reached at Gosaimath at 9 am. Saurav got a list from Sanjay. Checked the list and 3 of them, Saurav, Sanjay and Kamlesh moved to school. At the school Principle was not available who has key of office which has a file and details of SMC members. Informed by lady teacher school will be closed from Saturday itself because of local festival.

Rohilachak-Saurav went to Rohilachak and met Kamlesha and Munna. Because of five years old kid died they could not do play session or talk to anyone and when Saurav went to Govindpur school, Anjani. there they met cluster coordinator Mr. Rajak. And he informed that there will be meeting on Sunday with all school Principles around the cluster. Quoted by Saurav, “ Rajak ji ne kaha  ki ve sabhi ko namankan ke liye hum apne taraf se sabhi ka namankan kara denge.” (Mr. Rajak promised that he will take responsibility to enroll children in schools.  

Saurav made a list of children not enroll in school and hand over to Rajak sir.

Then he left for Anjani and went to Primary school there he met school principle. Principle told Saurav that he had enroll children name but children are not ready come to school. He also mentioned that he goes for visiting tola in gap of two days.

Then he went to Sevati in secondary school there he met principle. Principle said we have the names of children in school but they do not come. He said to Saurva, “Kya aap bacche school me roj lane ki jimmedari laoge?” (Are you willing to drop children to school every?)

The Intent

Education and Inclusion

Highest purpose of Education is to liberate us

Liberates us to access our rights and play our role in being equal and demanding equity

Now Picture this:
70-80% children of all ages not going to school.
Those who go do not have basic reading and writing skills even if they have finished primary education.






This is the story of children from Manjhi (Musahar) Community of 6 tolas in Lalsachak Cluster in Dhanrua Block of Patna, Bihar. During an initial survey we found that 250+ children are not even enrolled in schools contrary to what Government will like us to believe.

 

Through CLAY we aim to bring new realities to manifest in the life of children using experiential learning methodology of Play for Peace.

The first few steps of the programs are

• Understand learning ability of children through a baseline survey(not through a boring test but with an experiential session designed to observe children in action for their ability in reading/writing, comprehension, focus, curiosity, leadership, interpersonal intelligence, logic etc)
• Training peer-educators in Play for Peace and experiential learning to create a learning community
• Offer consistent learning session to children in the age group 10-14 for their growth
• To focus on developing leadership among children and also making them active players of their surroundings. 

We also hope to build an environment where all Manjhi (Musahar) Children in their communities experience learning as fun and hopefully join schools.

For this we need to work with school and the teachers to make sure there is no discrimination in schools. We are hopeful that 

we will be able to work along with teachers to impact the learning environment of schools to make it fun and inclusive.

Watch this space for more updates....as we take our baby steps.....as that is all we know!