Out of 95 kids presently enrolled in Roldih, 93 came today -- the last day of the month. But attendance on the whole has not been very good throughout the month. I mentioned this to Bhola and so he is now summoning the parents of all the children who missed more than 3 days of classes in August. A "talk" with the parents may do the trick.
I also wonder if the drop in attendance also has anything to do with the fact that we are no longer giving "incentives" (soaps, pencils, etc) on a weekly or monthly basis. One of the reasons why we stopped giving weekly and monthly "prizes" for attendance because we can't afford it. The other main reason is that we didn't want that to become the main reason for children to come to school. I did get to hear that some sick children were forces to come to school by their parents so that they wouldn't miss out on receiving the shampoo sachets that we gave out every week! Apparently, the mothers were more interested in the shampoo sachet than the education of the children.
This is the last week for the volunteers. They'll be leaving on Saturday. Hopefully, I'll make it to Roldih before they leave. I'm looking forward to the long ride. And hopefully this time I'll get to rest a bit before I have to return to Bolpur. Bhola's wife is doing OK. She' being treated for jaundice and is apparently responding well. Bhola's father, by the way, knows about herbal medicines that are a "sure cure" for jaundice.
It rained a lot on Bolpur yesterday. But today it's sunny, dry and hot. I hope it will be cloudy tomorrow so that my guests have a pleasant ride and it won't be uncomfortable if they wish to go sightseeing somewhere. Unfortunately, tomorrow is Wednesday and the university and all the shops will be closed. Maybe they'll just wish to rest after the long drive.
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