“The young can walk faster, but the elder knows the road.” – An African proverb
Dear Friends,
One of the most memorable parts of our trip was visiting the villages of two of our students. (Our interpreter was a Jesuit formee who is a Santal.) Our first stop was Jamuna’s village. Jamuna, a confident 10th grader, is a natural leader and has taken her grandparents’ dream of education to new heights, all the while breaking down barriers faced by young women. Jamuna is often chosen to MC events or be the spokesperson for the class. Our warm welcome at her home included all the females of the family washing our feet and a beautiful blessing and anointing from Jamuna’s mom. Jamuna’s paternal grandparents dreamed of education for their sons. They spoke openly to us of the troubles and barriers to getting an education, including how difficult it was for their sons to live outside the village. Only one son, Jamuna’s father, achieved it, earning a government job as a mail carrier. Now he has enrolled all three of his daughters at Gurap–and all are thriving! Their family’s brick home and long-term commitment to educating three girls shows how education takes root and begins to transforms generations. Jamuna’s aunt told us that when they receive a visitor it fills them with joy. Another incredible example of the warm, welcoming solidarity the tribe embodies! “But,” she continued, “because you have traveled from so far to visit our village—we will have joy for the rest of our lives!”
The second village was also the home of a tenth grader, Sourav, who wants to be pilot. Sourav won the outstanding male student award reflecting his academic excellence, exceptional athletic skills, leadership and mentoring of other students, and his overall character. His father spoke of their family’s difficulties being the only Catholic family in the village for several generations. They continue to face many challenges even today, including jealousy over their land ownership—their family land was deemed tribal land and deeded back to them when the caste system was abolished. This envy forces them to have to find work farther away from home. Despite these trials, Sourav’s dad and his family remain committed to education and to their faith. In fact, his nephew Topan is a primary school teacher at Gurap. Topan’s daughter is in the early Tirbe Rising photo in the arms of an older student. (see below) Sucharita is now in 4th grade. Sourav’s older sister is in junior college, earning a teaching certificate. Thanks to education, the family is beginning to add brick homes to their compound of mud huts. Sourav’s father, deeply moved by both sadness and joy, proudly displayed Sourav’s trophies and medals front and center, sparkling in their home’s only window.
Back at the school…
As a teacher, I was touched by small details that showed the school’s formal structure—like the bell system, morning assemblies, and celebrating birthdays with small gifts of pencils while the whole student body sings Happy Birthday. We also marveled at the new first graders, who were already so confident despite being only three weeks into school! At our farewell cultural program, three first graders recited nursery rhymes/poems to the cheers of all the other students, and an 8-year-old girl’s solo dance performance nearly brought down the house!
Hope and joy are always abundant in Gurap. And exponential growth continues thanks to YOU, our generous supporters. Thank you, aima sarhau.
Annette
The Managing Committee
Sourav’s father is one of two parent representatives on the St Xavier’s School Gurap Managing Committee. The other parent is the father of a female student Priyanka, a 9th grader who has been at Gurap since kindergarten. Like all Jesuit formal schools, Gurap has managing directors that include founders, leadership and education experts, 2 parent representatives and two teacher representatives. One teacher representative is a young Bengali women who has been at Gurap since 2019 when she was completing her teacher training. Confident and well-trained, Megha was the first non-Santal on the staff, and she has been a force in the development of the primary school. The other representative is Sucahrita’s dad, Topan, who was already an established teacher at our first visit in 2018. We had the opportunity to witness a brief conversation between the two parent representatives. I was so impressed by the insight and wisdom they shared, and their ability to debate a touchy topic—should boys and girls be separated—with civility. In fact, Sourav’s father instilled a bit of humor saying, “If you keep them separate then there is a lot of curiosity about the other and a lot of interest in playing hide and seek! Right now, these children have grown up together and there is no mystery.”
Leadership Training
Thanks to our relationship with St Xavier’s Burdwan, 100 girls from 8th and 9th grade at Gurap (50 this year and 50 next!) will have a chance to join an exclusive military leadership program. This elite training opens doors to government positions including military, police and civil service. This is another huge breakthrough! Our tribal girls are getting leadership opportunities that are usually reserved for girls from higher socio-economic backgrounds, where leadership and professional careers have been the norm for generations. We couldn’t be more excited about the impact this will have!
A Second Generation at Gurap
The children in the photo above are standing with Sr Jacinta. Currently, Sister is the registered nurse on campus, but some 20 years ago, she was a first grade teacher at Gurap. The dad of these kids was one of her students back then! Today he has a steady paying job in a rice mill. When we asked if their dad was happy they were studying at Gurap, his son stood taller, beamed with pride, and said, “He’s very happy!”
