Ex-student, aiming to become a cricketer!

Ex-student, aiming to become a cricketer!

On 29th August 2013, we sent Premjeet who is an ex-student (graduate of our school in class 2012) to Ranchi in Jharkand state next to Bihar.

He will take a training to become a professional cricketer there.

To be a cricketer is his future dream since he was a child.

I and teachers discussed many times about his cricket training, there were argument both for and against it because he has been studying in an institute aiming for IIT.

Once he stops to study, recovering study is very hard.

While he takes the 6 months of training, he won't keep up with his study had been continued 12 years.

He had come many times to see me, and  "This is my last chance" he said.

I talked to principal and we decided a rule that he will take a test of cricket with principal and if he won he can get a permission to go to the training.

The result of the test was....he was defeated by principal.(the principal is good at playing cricket though)

I and principal thought he will give up.

But, he didn't give up.

He came to see me again on the day 2 days before the closing day of the application.

I gave up to make him give up by his passion.

I gave a condition to him instead of a permission of the training.

The condition is to take tuition class and to continue study in Ranchi with the training.

I told him about hardness of the reality that only a handful of people can become professional cricketer, and there is seldom possibility to pass to go to upper league even after taking 6 months training.

He went to Ranchi, and found a room to stay and tuition class too.  It was first time for him being and doing anything alone without family.

The training monthly fee is surprisingly cheap, but it is almost half of his family's monthly income.

He bellowed a bag from a teacher to bring his cloths.

I've heard that some teachers said that madam(me) is too much kind for him about giving permission of the training.

In fact, I would like to give him a chance to learn the hardness of the reality.

It is easier to remain dream as a dream, but it comes to realizing a dream, you will experience of pain of failure.

You can pretend and excuse with any reason or condition if you leave your dream as a dream ever.

I also experienced many failures through challenging dreams come true.

Those pain memories gave me good chances to train my foot to walk on the road of life.

I hope that he will be stronger person going forward and doing his best even he experience painful time in any situation.

I was looking him since he was 6 years old, and I saw him off feeling like myself as his mother.

Marriage of the students

Marriage of the students

In May 2013, there were wedding ceremonies of our few ex-students continuously after Pinky madam (sewing class teacher).  May is one of the most big marriage season in all India.

Pinky madam was an assistant teacher of sewing class, is middle of 20s, have trained herself cooking and housework etc. to get marry, and wishing to marry in her this age.  She was glad to have her husband to be.  Of course, he was selected by her relatives and her parents.

And, I attended wedding ceremony and engage ceremony of our ex-students.  The ex-students are 18 years old.  In India, female can marry in the age above 18 years old, and male can marry in the age above 21 years old legally, below that age is prohibited.  They(girls) are 18 years old, and it is legal.  We can say that they won against old customs of child(early) marriage.  They were even able to study in a college.

Despite being illegal, child marriage is common in rural area in India still now. Here the area around Bodhgaya is also same.  It is said that villagers have marriage ceremony twice.  First time in their childhood (around 8 years old), second time after girl had started menstruation (around 11 to 15 years old), before that time girls live with their parents, after starting menstruation girls shift to husband's house.  Who to marry is depend on their parents.  I think that the reason why this kind of customs have been kept is to maintain marriage between same caste.  If boys and girls fall in love by their own mind, the person who he/she loves doesn't necessarily always same caste, rather, the possibility that he/she is same caste is lower.  So, I think that parents in villages force to marry their children with same caste before the children become to have feeling of love.

Many girl students quit our school because of marriage forced by their parents between 13 to 15 years old till now.  An ex-student who married in 13 years old became a mother of 2 children now, and one of them admitted to our school this year.  An ex-student S married in 16 years old, could take matriculation exam on the next day of her wedding ceremony, but gave up higher education.  Her husband and his family didn't allow her to take higher education.  She was good at study, and had been forced to marry without her agreement, she is hard to accept her marriage life still now.

I and teachers have explained to the parents of our students about the problems of child marriage and its illegality many times on some occasions.  The ex-students who married in 18 years old and their parents understood and kept the promise between us.

Pinky madam who is 20s trained herself to be a good bride.  And the ex-students in 18 years old seemed to have fears and embarrassment, but accepted their marriage arranged by their parents with slight of hope and feeling of giving up.

A few years of difference.

2 to 5 years.  If the parents could wait untill their children become adult enough by both of mind and body, how their children could marry happily...

I hope they can live happily with their partners and new families.  I sent them into new life with prayer.

Volunteer staff, Ms.Ritsuko

Ms.Ritsuko has joined Surya Bharti School as a volunteer staff since 1st August.

She is a nurse in Japan.

She teaches Japanese language and will work together on Mother & Infants Health project in a village.

We went to visit students' house in villages together.

She has already become friends with teachers and students with her soft and generous atmosphere.

I hope she will enjoy here in India with us for 2 months!

5 students got scholarship of Super 30 institute Patna

On 17th April, I got report from teachers of Surya Bharti School.

The final results of the test for Supre 30 institute (2 years course for preparation of engineering test aiming for IIT) came out.

Thanks, Lord!  Our 5 students came up in the top 286 students who will receive partially scholarship and admission qualification!

Other students also got a qualification of admission.

This test was taken by about 25000 students from all over Bihar.  Many of them studied in famous brilliant private schools.  So, it is great that our 5 students came up in the topper 286 among 25000 students!

What surprising me most was the students who got high result were out of my expectation.

Whenever I visit their houses, they were helping parents in farm.

One of them lost his mother few years ago, and the other students have a mother always sick, and the other one's father was paralyzed, they help family very much.

They have studied hard with their best efforts everyday staring at their future, in order to get out of poverty and to make their family happy.

My tears had never stopped by hearing such a great report then.

They will challenge to take engineering test towards IIT, 2 years later.

They are very diligent students, so I'm sure that they will do their best when they study at the institute in Patna which has brilliant teachers there.

Let's become engineer, get good salary and give your family full of delicious foods! (I'm saying to the students.)

I'm very proud of them and I pledge to support their further study in future too!

Sewing training course for women(girls) in villages has started!

On 16th April, we started a sewing training 6 months course at Surya Bharti School.

Since then, we had also trained women in villages at our school, but the timing and numbers were not fixed.

I discussed with teachers and assistant staffs in charge of sewing class, and decided to open 6 months sewing course and we will give the students certificate after they complete the course.

At first, we planned to hold the course at a public building of a village (previous building of our school) where we have health education for mothers.  All of sudden, an incident happened last month...!

Our teachers and staffs held a health education class in the village as always on that day, they announced about opening the sewing class.  Then a politician type woman came there with her female group and she shouted "We don't allow your sewing class here! You should give me permission for my grandson to study at your school before opening the sewing class!" 

I missed to see it because I went to another place for other work on that day.  I heard about it from the teachers and staffs on the other day. 

They said the women was even brandishing a stick, yelling  "Give my grandson admission of your school or I hit you!"

Reika madam told her "We are just staffs of sewing class and health care project.  We don't know about the admission of Surya Bharti School.  The seats are limited.  Can we advise principles and directors to make other students who has several brothers go to our school quit so that your grandson can get admission?"  Then she shrank. 

After hearing this incident, I changed the place for sewing course from there to our school.

Our 6 months course has 40 limited seats.  We divide them into 2 parts.  On the opening of the course, almost 40 women and girls gathered from villages.  I found some ex-students among them.  Some became mothers, and some finished our school last year.

As seeing their faces, it reminded me a memory of the moment when we started our school in 2001.  Their body became bigger, but their innocent minds are still same.  Surrounded by their smiles, I felt like I was in the moment of starting.  

Japanese special class "Doraemon"

On 13th April, we had a Japanese special class. This day's theme was "Doraemon".

I introduced a website of Draemon(official site) and used the contents to learn.

Firstly, I connected to Internet and opened the page on my laptop.

Clicking each picture emitted sounds related its scene. (It's interesting for students.)

And I explained the story in Hindi.

After that, I explained the meanings of sentences and words one by one with printed paper of the site.

Actually, I had thought I would teach them about 2 level words of Japanese test. But, it was 43 degree Celsius at noon at that time, in this hot situation, it is very difficult to sit long, so I chose only Doraemon that day. (more difficult for me than students...)

I asked them "Do you know Doraemon?", then almost of all said they know.  There are few TV in their villages, and they go to the house to watch.

The story was also familiar and easy to understand.

I explained what's the difference of conversation styles between girls and boys with each characters.

Whenever I asked questions, the assistant teacher Prakash sir raises hand faster than students, and I said to him "You are professional teacher, so please let students answer."

Then he put his mouth with both hands surprisingly, and his face was telling "Oh, I am a teacher...!" It was funny moment...!

The day was very very hot, and everyone studied hard!

After the class, a student"S" came to me and said "I persuaded my parents. My planned marriage will be cancelled!" (Please refer the previous blog)  

I was surprised because I was thinking he can't cancel it after discussing with his parents.

The night before the day, he tried hard to persuade his parents and relatives to agree with his desire to study further and not to marry right now. 

It will be cleared after they send all the gifts(laptop etc.) and money for the planned marriage back to her family.  He said the family (of wife to be (planned)) understood the situation and they will come to take the gifts back.

I've been thinking that I have to attend his marriage party....!

His face was fine and was showing his concrete decision to concentrate his further study.

Sorry for his mother that she will have to wait for few years till future daughter in law come and cook for them.  I hope he will study hard more few years to take a good job and then he will make his parents more happier...!  I pledged to support his further study by seeing his firm decision.  Do your best toward being an engineer!

Marriage of a student

A student whose name is "S" is the most enthusiastic student in our school, and I'm expecting his future success.  One day, he talked to me about his marriage forced by his parents after school.

Then, I decided to visit his house to negotiate his parents with 3 teachers.  But, both of his parents were out of his house at that time.  We were talking with neighbors about his suddenly arranged marriage while we were waiting his parents come home.  The neighbors said that it is impossible to persuade them to give up their son's marriage.  

According to my thought, if he marry, I will have to stop to support his further study.  The person should have responsibility to take care of his wife to live after their marriage.  I was expecting his future and it is hard  for me to decide but I should decide.

We waited half an hour in front of his house, then we went to bazaar(where there are shops) to look for his parents.  And, we found them. They were in a shop and selecting the things to prepare son's marriage there.  (S told us they sold goats to make money for shopping.)

S's mother said, "Please come to our son's marriage party.  I am very old and anytime I may die.  But son's wife will come then my heart will be peace.  Whole my body has pain by disease and it was very difficult for me to cook everyday.... Now, coming son's wife will cook for us!...After son will marry, his wife will take care of us, so you can bring S(son) to anywhere to study!" with tears.

Then, I told them what I think.  "When a person marry someone he should earn money for her to live.  It is more important than study.  If he marry, he will have to get a job to feed his family, after that, he can use the rest of money for himself to study.  If he marry now, I have to stop our support for his further study.  Instead of that, I will introduce him some job." I said.

The mother was surprised to listen what I said that she had never thought.  And she cried more.

I asked "S", "what do you think about your marriage?", then he replied, "I don't want to marry now. I would like to study more.  But my parents don't listen to me..."

In fact, his parents are very old. "S" was born after they became aged so they looks like his grand parents.  And they are out of shape.  I can understand their thinking.

I asked "S", "How old is she? Do you like her?" and, "I don't know.  I've never see her and her photo too." he said.

He had already been gifted laptop computer as a marriage gift from the family of his wife to be.   I think "S" couldn't defeat the allure of the laptop.  He thought he can study more by using the laptop.  Some friends of him were saying he was very happy with it.

"S" is almost 18 years old.  He is allowed to marry by laws in Japan, but actually, here in India, a man who is below 21 years old is not allowed to marry.

When will the old custom in villages be changed...?

The date of his marriage is planned to hold in next month.