Pep Talk Perk Up?

When the visitors reached Jobdi Tola yesterday, they found that everyone had gone to watch a football match. So they decided to follow suit. They enjoyed watching the game and also saw some familiar faces in the crowd. People are beginning to recognize them. And they, the people.

According to Sharad, it was a grand affair. They had put up loudspeakers on bamboo poles and there was running commentary of the game. Once the game was over, the same loudspeakers kept blaring Hindi songs! It kept us awake till late into the night. They were on all night. So apparently the revelries went on all night. Must have, because at 3:00 am a group of drummers decided to beat their drums near every habitation. I heard them drumming in Roldih. Then they “performed” outside the project’s gate and then later I heard them playing the drums in Burhikura. The loudspeaker fell silent this morning.

Everyone on the project had a disturbed night. Maybe that’s why Bansi fell asleep during lunch! He was in his room. But we didn’t know that. Suman searched for him all over. We assumed he had gone out. But when we finished lunch, we saw him coming out of his room. I thought he was ill. But he said he had fallen asleep. I had fallen asleep this afternoon. When I woke up everyone had gone on village visit.

Last night after dinner we had a meeting. We evaluated the work done on the project over the past one year and the first quarter of this year. We also chalked out our plans for the next quarter. Firstly, we have to have a school which should be the BEST in Jharkhand. Not just a school which is “better” than the other schools in the area. The teachers need to take a more active interest in the children. Be ready for school before the kids show up. Spend time with them before school starts. Spend time with them during break and then “see them off”. So far the teachers have come out of their rooms a few minutes before Assembly and would not be in sight during the break. They don’t have to play with the kids. But they can always drink their tea where they can keep an eye on what the kids are up to. And be accessible if a child needs them.

I saw Nilambar sitting under a tree on the “hill” when the gates were opened. He was there during the break and also was standing at the gate when school was over. That’s good.
The other target is that by the end of this quarter, the team should have visited the homes of every child who comes to school and if possible they should also have visited every home in all the villages from where children come to our school. The target for the quarter after that would be to do a survey of the villages. But let’s see if the target for the current quarter is met. I had a lot of hope when we stated the village contact programme in September last year. But it fell flat as the people who were to do it left after a month and no one else showed any interest after that.
During the meeting I also told them how I started work in Cheo and the things I had managed to get done because I had a team of people who were willing to work. Of course, they used to goof off at times. But by and large they were a committed lot. Some of them have died. A few have moved on, but are community leaders of sorts. Ramnath in Cheo is one of them. He runs the Cheo project as his own. I told the team here that I expected the same commitment to the project. It can’t be a “job”. A social activist was on call 24-hours.

Sharad too participated in the meeting. He told the team that in the short while he’s been here he’s been impressed enough to wish to become part of the project and that he’d always be there to provide support. He told them they should use this project as a platform for personal growth and as a good opportunity to serve the community. He told them that “we should all learn from the vast experience that Siddharthji has” and do something positive in a place where corruption is the rule rather than the exception.

I hope the meeting will have inspired the team. Except Bhola, no one had anything to say. But they all looked pensive. Bhola said he would devote as much time as he could to the project and the community. He said he quite enjoyed the village visits as it is giving him, a local, a new perspective regarding the area and the people. The meeting lasted till 10:00 pm – way past everyone’s bed time. And then the infernal loudspeaker did not allow anyone to sleep!

It’s been a routine day so far. School. Lunch. Rest. Village visit. Bhola had stayed over last night. And when he woke up this morning he was told that his uncle had been arrested on some trumped up charges. He had to rush off to Godda.

The well-diggers did not show up today either. Yesterday they promised they come to work today. But there was no sign of them all day. When Bhola had called them he was told they come to work in the afternoon. It was their way of saying we are not coming to work today!
Well, whatever happens, happens for the best. I am only hoping that the well will get done before I Sharad leaves the project or at least before I leave for Bangalore.