By Bridget Horkan | Project Leader
Nourished by the support of our family of supporters around the world, who are a much valued part of our team, we have been very busy providing post summer holiday educational support to children in the villages surrounding Auroville. Our projects are in, or next to, the sections of villages that are most excluded, we aspire to provide quality and holistic education that will foster equality, dignity and full potential for all children. We are very happy to see that children are also coming to the service from surround areas thus creating a space where children from all backgrounds learn together without discrimination. We all enjoyed a hectic activity based summer camp and are now back to school routine with daily after school support and weekend activity programs including environmental exposure.
Recently, Muthukumari, Thamarai's yoga and health trainer originally from Moratandi village, lead a health awareness program that included medical check up in 12 schools including with our Thamarai children. The health check ups indicated high levels of anemia. Muthu has been advising the schools on ways to increase nutrition and ensure safe drinking water and we have increased our attention on heightening nutritional value in our daily snacks for the children in Thamarai as well as exercise and yoga.
Savithri, who was a child in Thamarai in 2006 and now a postgraduate, is the team leader in our new after school facility in Edayanchavadi village, see photos attached. Savithri works fulltime now in Thamarai because she wants to give the present day children what she received in her childhood. The new after school was opened after a learning in action program where children and facilitators learned what fun floor construction could be during summer camp and the result is a beautiful mosaic floor with designs from the children. The children also created a gate with Vignesh for the sports ground that we are in the middle of developing. Soon we will have sports equipment and a regular daily program for all children. Our youth facilitators have also just finished a leadership program with Dr. Monica Sharma who is the author of Radical Transformational Leadership. We see them growing in confidence and the inner knowing that they each are an agent of change for society. Please see our most recent newsletter attached for other activities we have been up to.
You have all been part of this work, heartfelt thanks for supporting us to open access and opportunity to children and youth who may not otherwise have such opportunities, we aspire to create mindful abundance where there is scarcity and confidence and agency where there is disempowwerment. Thank you for being part of the Thamarai journey.
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