Jagda: Of Little Hearts and Mighty Dreams

A Family, Together Forever

As cliched as it sounds, I am still honestly relieved that we are done with 2020 now. Yes, I know it’s just a change in a single digit, and globally the situation remains roughly the same but still. It’s only two months into 2021, and India, especially, seems to be in a much better place in terms of the pandemic. AASRA isn’t to be left behind then. We have had the integration of new inductees and foundation day celebration to begin the year with. Hopefully, we will have much more to come.

All optimism around the new year aside, 2020 was definitely a hard year for us. For a club that works locally, this situation presented unprecedented challenges. But it’s not in AASRA’s culture to give up and we continued offering our services wherever possible. One of the workplaces where the teaching-learning process continued throughout the year is Jagda.

We began teaching online in July and thanks to the dedicated efforts of the members, we are still going strong. The focus is mainly on class 10 students with each member allotted some particular topics to teach the kids. All other kids are also being monitored and guided regularly to ensure the continuation of their learning. We generally have two members call the workplace to teach every day. While it doesn’t and can’t compensate for in-person learning, this mode of teaching has allowed us to explore online teaching tools, videos available on the web and teaching through ppts and digital notes. We have documented all the study materials which have been used so far and hope they will be useful in future too. There are also plans for regular tests for class 10th students with their board exams approaching.

While this is all about the online classes, things in Jagda are starkly different when we are on campus. We go there 4 to 6 times a week. Each time, it’s the vibrance that catches our attention. For, all the problems can be forgotten with a glimpse of the smiling faces of the kids. The warm and cheerful “Good evening” greetings as soon as we arrive at the workplace can soothe the most melancholic of hearts. The kids playing, drawing, singing and learning their way around life in, safe to say, not the easiest of circumstances, is as inspiring as it is wonderful. Their energy radiates through AASRA. We mention we are there “because they need us’ but what the kids contribute to AASRA’s being is immense and invaluable.

The Jagda workplace is an orphanage, namely “Service To Humanity Foundation” or “Manav Seva Pratisthan”. The ashram also accommodates many children who either have a single parent or have financial problems at home. The orphanage is managed by Dr Acharya, a professor of Dr Ambedkar Institute, Jagda. The shelter is located at his own home. The institution is well-organised with daily time schedules, food charts and other arrangements in place. The environment is disciplined and it reflects in the kids. It also has provisions for internet facilities for the kids to use from time to time and a projector to go with the computer. The living conditions are also quite favourable.

AASRA took the kids’ education under its wings in 2017. The journey since hasn’t been easy or effortless, but it has been eventful and encouraging nevertheless. Early challenges ranged from the kids’ lack of exposure to difficulties in bonding among the kids and members. A few kids’ growths had also been affected due to their difficult childhood. The academic performances were too far from ideal. Even those who passed 10th class ended up not studying any further. However, these are precisely what we have been trying to be there for. Improvements are noticeable on all fronts with bonding with the kids and exposure to the larger aspects of life being the standouts.

Among the more recent positives, last year 3 kids passed the Matriculation exam. Of them, Puja is now studying at Sushilavati Govt Women’s College, Rourkela while Namjan and Jasmine are enrolled in Bargaon Industrial Training Institute. We had two kids, Bikas and Sushil, appear for JNV lateral entry exam last year and although they weren’t selected, we are hopeful that the experience still helps them. There are also many kids whose extracurricular talents are now hard not to notice. Lisa is incredibly talented in art and dance, Aditya is good at musical instruments and Bikas regularly participates in debates, elocutions and quiz competitions and wins. These are only to mention a few among many others who have the skills and talent in a diverse range of activities. Not to mention the academic excellence of kids like Aneesh and Manoj.

However, some problems remain and some newer ones have arisen. There is still a glaring lack of the culture of peer group studying. It is a major hindrance to the learning process. Kids generally don’t think about their careers and are sometimes resigned to their fate. Last year, we were also approached with issues about the financing of the orphanage and the lack of funds. We also apprehend that the lockdown and the pandemic will have its effect on the change in mindset we tried to achieve in kids and some progress might be lost. An extended break in the learning process would have only further extended these concerns and that led to our decision to continue teaching, virtually.

Despite the mention of all these objective positives and problems, it is not the result but the process that we care the most about. We understand that academic improvements won’t happen overnight and it is not a singular entity either. There are many dependent variables at play, so it is more the all-round development of kids and the workplace environment that we aim for. We always try to connect with kids on a deeper level, understand and be empathetic to their problems; and ultimately help overcome them. Interaction and bonding with the kids have been improving all the time. There is a level of trust and comfort when we are around the kids. We understand that each of our actions influences them and hence the opportunity for us to make a positive impact. Their positivity, energy and pure enthusiasm for life are the biggest assets we have and it is the foundation on which we want to build their futures.

In that regard, we have been on a swift upward curve and significant progress has been made across all aspects. The credit goes to all the members, past and present, the guidance of the alumni and AASRA as a whole. But there is a long way still to go to achieve the kind of self-sufficiency that AASRA aims for in its workplaces and it will be our earnest attempt to build a foundation for it while upholding all the values AASRA cares about.

To quote some senior members: