Santhal Para

("Completed projects")

This project could not be further financed by ‘we care Switzerland’ – the reasons: financing stop

 

Supporting the children of a small village of Adivasi (indigenous people) near the school library in Garharipur (West Bengal/India)

‘We care’ began to support the children of the small Adivasi village of Santhal Para (West Bengal/India) in 2012.

Adivasi Kinder

Adivasi children from the village of Santhal Para in West Bengal

Die Adivasi (Ureinwohner) stehen ausserhalb des indischen Kastensystems, werden aber wie die „Untersten“ in diesem System – die Dalit, die „Unberührbaren“ – ausgegrenzt und erniedrigt. Anlässlich der Unabhängigkeit Indiens 1948 wurde das Kastensystem zwar abgeschafft, doch lassen sich jahrhundertalte Systeme nicht per Federstrich eliminieren. Insbesondere in ländlichen Gegenden ist das Kastensystem noch tief verwurzelt. So dürfen die Adivasi von Santhal Para den Brunnen der indischen Bauern, auf deren Reisfelder sie arbeiten, nicht benützen. Allein durch den Gebrauch würden sie – wie die Dalit – gemäss Kastenordnung das Wasser verschmutzen. ( ► Further information about the Adivasis)

After long negotiations with the Indian farmers in the neighboring village of Takasol, they agreed to allow the Adivasi children to attend the village school, in return, their own children – as well as the Adivasi children – received remedial education.

For the construction of a building, the Indian farmers provided ‘we care’ with a plot of land in Takasol free of charge. They actively helped with the construction and in return received the right to use the building for village meetings and other events.

Adivasi Mädchen beim Lernen

In the following years, three teachers taught about 80 children in two daily shifts. Each child who attended school received a small snack as a motivation. Once a month, a doctor examined the children, vaccinated them, and treated them if they were sick. For almost all children it was the first time that they were examined by a doctor.

Unfortunately, the project could not be further supported financially by ‘we care Switzerland’ (the reasons for this you can read in the PDF mentioned at the beginning) and the school had to be closed at the end of 2019 to our great regret.

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