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7/26/2019 Adharshila Learning Centre Newsletter_July - December 2014
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ADHARSHILA
LEARNING CENTRE
The children have an active role in running theschool. At the beginning of the year 20 children were made
karyakartaas, incharge of various activities of the school like
mess, newspaper, Shiksha, guests, T.V . The karyakartaas meet
monthly (Swashaasan meeting) with teachers and discuss the
issues related to their department. There is a general meeting
where all children participate and tell the problems they are
facing.
The Saturday Baal Sabhas were done quite regularly in the past
months. Different groups are given responsibility to conduct the
Baal Sabha. There are individual performances and the group also
shares what they have learnt during the week. Basically this is a
forum for children to show their talents and shed their inhibitions.
Anniversaries, Jayantees or important days are also celebrated
here.
Running the Show..
Issue 3, Session 2014-15July 2014 - December2014
AdharshilaLearningCentre
Incorporating Democraticprocesses in running the
school is one of the strong
aims of Adharshila.Student
meetings, newspapers and
trying to develop an atmos-
phere where children can
speak out to teachers is very
important for Democracy in
Schools.
Adharshila Learning Centre is a
place of learning where children
live and learn.
Situated on a hill in Sakad, a
tribal village in the Barwani dis-
trict of Madhya Pradesh, Adhar-
shila strives to build a strong
foundation for the intellectual
and physical development of the
child and help them realise their
dreams. It explores alternative
ways of learning and teaching.
Started in 1996, Adharshila has
grown into a residential facility
for 100 children upto middle
school. Most of the children be-
long to the Barela tribe.
Weekly NewspaperThe weekly newpaper is another forum for the children to air
their views. They write about their tussles with the teachers,
problems in the mess, teacher - teacher fights and village
news etc.
The school participated in the National Convention against Privatisation
of Education which will directly hit the chances of the poorer sectionsto go ahead through higher education.
Saturday Baal Sabhaa
7/26/2019 Adharshila Learning Centre Newsletter_July - December 2014
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animals is a day children
wait for. Everyday thre
kids have this duty which
means a day off from the
school.
The hearth near the
kitchen sitting is also a fa-
To try and have elements of
childrens home life at Adhar-
shila is very important to us.
We believe that hostels are not
the best places to learn, though
they have their advantages.
Guvaliya duty, to take care of the
vourite place for small chil-
dren after school.
The children are left with
free time and not pressured
to always do something all
the time.
Rhythm of home life at Adharshila
Organic Farming provides a
great learning environment and isvery engaging at least till class 6.
In the smaller ages children are
not worried too much about the
fruits but as they grow older
their level of interest depends on
the plant growth. For eg. the Ama-
zon group (6th) lost interest in
the papaya plot when they saw
The Bhopal show of Bhanai by the
Naatak India Company was made
possible due to financial support by
friends and friendly organizations.
A new feature of this years
performance was that four ex
students also participated. Good.
Swabhaav, a group
from Kolkata spent
20 days with the chil-
dren and prepared a
play Bhania Raja,based on a folk story.
The play was shown in
schools and villages in
Barwani district. The second play Bhanai was staged
in Bhopal (400 km) at the Cultural Resistance organ-
ized by All India Shiksha Sangharsh
Yaatra.
Page 2 Adharshila Learning Centre
that most of them had turned
male. The children love to culti-
vate small vegetable plots.
Besides providing vegetables
for the 110 member mess and
three households the organic
farm is a demonstration of turn-
ing two acres of barren land to
green area comprising of vegeta-
ble plots and a tree plot and this
done using only organic farming
techniques.
The farm also gives us anopportunity to propogate
traditional seeds and preserve
biodiversity. We now have about
8 varieties of beans, cherry
tomato which is a wild variety on
which more than 100 fruits can
be seen at a time: and about
more than 150 varieties of treesAdharshila Organic Farm
Theatre Workshop
A 15 day workshop was done
by Swabhaav group from Kol-
kata and a play Bhaniya Raja
was prepared. All the middle
school children participated in
the workshop. Four shows of
the play were staged in schools
and villages around Sakad. The
workshop was facilited by
SRUTI, Delhi.
7/26/2019 Adharshila Learning Centre Newsletter_July - December 2014
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Children and teachers
devote one day in a
month to wall painting.This is part of a project
to create a text and
graphic rich environment
in the school. It is espe-
cially beneficial for the
small children who grow
up seeing words and con-
cepts that they will learn
in later years.
Wall Painting DayThis year we started a Recycling Day. Lot of paper is
torn and collected in the dustbin. The senior children
of Octopus and Nile groups made a softboard in their
classroom. The smaller children love making paper
mache balls. Mixed with cowdung one can make beau-
tiful toys.
We have been trying to do this for many years. Retry-
ing this year again. Usually it works for one or two
times.
The leaves and other organic farm waste goes to make
amrut mitti by composting or they go directly to mulch
vegetable plots.
Celebrating local festivals also helps children to keep
connected with village life and their tradition. We celebrated
Navai when the first beans ripened, then Village Diwali -
colouring and worshipping the bullocks.
Another local festival is the poola where children go to seethe bullock cart race in Chaatli, a nearby village.
Recycling Day.
July 2014 - December2014 Page 3
Working with the hand is a
very strong value that is
created in Adharshila. Senior
children are responsible for
plumbing, electrical amd
masonary repa ir work.
Tinkering is a key word here.
!!BrightIdea!!RecyclingDayWallPaintingDay
Celebrating Local Festivals
C
R
A
F
T
Artists wanted !!
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Adharshila LearningPage 4
Suresh Dudwe an ex student got admission in M.Phil. through a rigorous en-trance test and viva in the Wardha Central Hindi University.
Kamal Dudwe of the first batch completed his MA Economics from BHU in
first class. Also cleared the preliminaries of MPSCS exam and a written
exam for PhD at Allahabad University.
Prakash Walvi another ex student has joined Adharshila as activity facili-
tator. He is also documenting adivasi culture of his area. Interested in
learning photography and film.
Suresh arole through his hard work has made his place in a local NGO
working for differently abled people while doing his graduation. He is
thinking of doing MSW.
The Harvest
Togetherness
Majalii, an ex student and now one of the senior teach-
ers was trained to give first aid and treat malaria,
stomach upsets, dysentery, headaches and simple wounds
Healing TouchWe are also trying to promote home reme-
dies, herbal medicines and homeopathy.
Mostly this is the route before we head for
the doctor in the city.We saved the aloev-
era fence just in time as its jelly has be-
come a favorite with kids and teachers
alike for shampooing the head.
Your best wishes needed for our Heroes
We are not satisfied with just school. We want our children to achieve their full potential.
Sports Day
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Some Hi Tech.. Adharshila RadioLast year we started an initiative to broadcast short conversations via
mobile. These broadcasts were to promote the idea of organic farm-
ing. This year the senior students scripted and recorded short audios
for the Adharshila Mobile Radio Program. They chose a social issue
of their concern like organic farming, addiction, education etc. Once
we have more than 10 audios we will go on air. They will hopefully
learn editing in the next term.
Two professors of the Work and Education group in the Azim PremjiUniversity accompanied by the leaders of their Madhya Pradesh team
came to look at Adharshilas work.
A group of co-ordinators and teachers from Talimi Haq School, Kolkata
stayed for 5 days for an exchange of ideas. Besides education we also ex-
changed food ideas !
Harishchandra, Punjab - A Govt. school teacher, runs an idependent
school with wife.
Ashok Choudhary, Chariman, Adivasi Ekta Parishad
Dr.Jitendra Vasave, specialist on tribal languages, Gujarat. Rajesh Kanouje, Mukesh Dudwe and Gajanand Brahmane - Activists of
Adivasi Mukti Sangathan.
Page 5July 2014 - December2014
Interactions With Other Institutions...
Teacher Training - Two day workshop with teachers of schools run by Khedut Mazdoor Chetana Sangath
in Vakner, District Alirajpur, M.P
Curriculum Development for literacy program of women members of self help groups in Ajmer district,
Rajashthan
Material development for bridge course children based on RTE and organic farming techniques for Lok-
mitra, U.P.
Interaction with youth and children of refugees in Jammu.
Two lectures at Azim Premji University, Bangalore.
Manpur Shivir- Talk and discussion on Problems of Education in Tribal areas organized by Adivasi Ekta
ParishadSambhavana Education Workshop - We were invited to conceptualise and conduct a 3 day
workshop on Education and Social Change. Had a first time experience of workshop with cityfolks with
diversed backgrounds.
Children of the school participated in Birsa Munda Jayanti (15thNov. 2014 ) in Sendhwa.
Visitors...
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Adults
Adharshila is run primarily by a local team of
adivasis -
Badribhai
Devika Behen
Majali (Ex student)
Shanta
Kesarsingh(Ex student)
Shobaram Kanouje
Prakash (Ex student)
And volunteers
Nidhi from Bhopal, Amrita from APJ Institute
did her internship and Pappu an ex student
came to help during his holidays.
The team is guided by Amit and Jayashree
and supported by local adivasi activists, pri-
marily Gajanand Bhai, Rajeshbhai, andMukesh bhai and Adivasi Mukti Sangathan.
Children
There are 102 children, divided in 8 groups
starting from the youngest -Beej, Yamuna,
Kaveri, Brahmputra, Amazon, Nile and Oc-
topus.
There are more than 15 karyakartas who
look after the various jobs - TV shows, mess,games, visitors etc.
Who runs Adharshila
About us.
The Adharshila Learning Centre was started
in 1998 by the Veer Khajiya Naik Manav Vikas
Pratishthan.To provide quality education to children of
marginalized sections of society.
To propogate the ideas of Equality, Secular-
ism, Democracy and Progressive thought.
Adharshila runs on contributions made by
parents of children studying here and friends
of Adharshila. Many friends contribute by
volunteering.
ToDonateorVolunteer
Contact
adharshila.learningcentre@gm
ail.com
09685843272
08889289196
ADHARSHILA
LEARNINGCENTRE
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