By Sr. Manjusha Kandulna
Saint Marie Eugenie believed that “To educate is to set a person Free” and to “Transform the World.” Her Philosophy holds that Education is an ongoing process of personal and societal transformation, where the inherent goodness within each individual is uncovered and allowed to flourish, ultimately leading to a more just society and extension of God’s Kingdom on Earth. (Website of the congregation)
Yes! This Philosophy gives direction to us Assumption sisters of Indian Province to fulfill the mission taken in the Church in order to spread the Kingdom in our Time. Dnyan Jyoti Kanya Ashram School is the First Formal Educational Institution, started in 1996 in line with the Congregational and Provincial project of That Time. It is Private Government aided School Only for Tribal girls. It is a Residential School where 689 girls from first, age of 6 to twelfth, age of 17 study at present. It is in the Tribal Village not very far from the city where we face Good as well as Challenging aspects of our time. As we have journeyed Thirty years, we have witnessed many Good and Challenging Times which were gifts of our Multicultural and multireligious Heritage.
This Mission gives the best opportunity to be at the peripheries, making an option for Tribal girls and their society. Our Primary aim is to be with and Create awareness by motivating for academic excellence, Character Formation and Social Responsibilities. Even though three out of Five of us belong to Tribal community we encounter lots of cultural differences. We are challenged daily to be educated to educate. Since we are the direct collaborators with the Government, we get good opportunities to read the signs of our time and means to be creative in responding the challenges.
Here is one of the Department programs in which all the Ashram schools had to participate by arranging various directed programs in their respective schools. It was from 2nd September to 13th September. ‘JAN JAGRUTI ABHIYAN FOR ADIVASI’ Awareness program in the honor of 150 Birth Anniversary of a Tribal Leader BIRSA MUNDA was to be held. It provided a good opportunity for students to know about the Tribal Leader and draw inspiration and get motivated to know the rich heritage of their culture and their responsibility to safeguard. It was also a good and challenging time for teachers as guides specially for non-tribals.
There were programs of participating in Rally, competitions in singing, short drama, Fashion show, Speech, drawing, Rangoli, Handicraft, Essay writing, Quiz competition and inter-school Forest-vegetable Festival. A Prize distribution on the last day created an atmosphere of joy, inspiration and self-confidence. Through these programs students showed their interest and appreciation of their own culture. There was platform to expose their creativity and self-confidence.
Rangoli: This art is very special to India. The rules for this competition, it’s Theme and number of students were fixed, only dead things no artificial color could be used. students discovered and used their skills of leadership, creativity, intelligence and experienced the joy of Communion, synodality and caring of earth. This group activity helped to know each other better, learn to be patient and have let go attitude for better or group’s sake. This also helped to know the importance of rules, discipline, attentiveness, sense of Time and each one’s uniqueness.
2.Traditional dance Competition: Under fixed theme that demands everything to be limited with rules and that is great challenge. By doing students learnt to hard work, be inconsistency, have courage, loyalty, let go prejudices and maintain harmony.
3.Forest Vegetables Festival: This was a very important opportunity for students and guide teachers. Among 23 schools to be one was something great. It was a learning moment for all present. There was interest to know “what new?” The medicinal and nutritional values of each forest vegetable Were presented well. Every student was amazed and many were interested to know the recipes of vegetables. All were Praising Nature and proud of being at the heart of Forest which provides seasonal vegetables all through the year.