Monthly Report of February 2021
11.03.2021 News
The month of February was of cultivating the summer rice crop called ‘Khora dhan’ by locals. Ever since this second phase of rice cultivation began in West Bengal about forty years ago, people of our area are cultivating less Rabi crops like mustered, wheat, potatoes, onions and vegetables and producing more rice because of high yielding. These varieties of rice are not cultivated with the monsoon water but with the underground water that are pumped out by submersible machines. These are high yielding varieties and need chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Due to cultivation of this rice the ground water levels of our area have gone down and most of the water bodies such as ponds, canals and rivers have dried up. The small canal that flows beside our RSV school used to have several natural fountains of underground water a decade ago now remain dry most part of the year destroying bio-diversity of the area. The excessive drawing of ground water and usage of chemical fertilizers are responsible for this environment change.
Realizing the problems in agricultural farming our organization since many years has been trying to create awareness about the negative effect of excessive use of chemical fertilizers and propagates the idea of bio-farming among the farmers and students through our project like bio-farming, bio-orchard, vermicompost. Several families in the villages have now started using vermicompost in their farming especially in their vegetable gardens.
But, seeing the huge challenge we feel the government needs to bring a paradigm changes in its policies in handling the situation. We can only inspire the farmers to re-look their habit of farming by demonstrating practical experiments in our school farm.
Primary and high school Coaching Centers:
The evening coaching centres had continued their classes. The Saraswati (Goddess of learning) puja was celebrated on 16th February and thus the evening classes were suspended for 3-4 days. In Ghosaldnga and Bishnubati the special food ‘Khichuri’ was served to the villagers. Though Saraswati puja is a Hindu festival but nowadays Santal youth also celebrate in some villages.
RSV Primary school:
RSV school continued to hold classes not in the school premise but in the villages of the students. It was seen with the arrangement of ‘one class on alternate days’ the students were becoming irregular in coming to school and get disconnected with their studies. Therefore, in the new arrangement teachers of RSV are going to the villages of the students and support the teachers who are already teaching in the evening centres.
Teacher in the students' village
Like every year this year also RSV picnic was organized by the teachers and students of the organization. Due to corona pandemic this year the venue of the picnic was at RSV campus.
RSV picnic
Hostel and coaching centres:
The hostels are still closed for the junior students but coaching classes for all the high school students continued in the morning.
Teacher-student discussion
From 12th February, the state government has reopened the schools but only the students from class IX to XII can attend the classes. Therefore, our senior students too have started going to school from their homes.
The vegetable, garlic cultivation by the students were very good. 50 new ducks were also introduced in the pond along with four swans at the hostel campus.
duck rearing at RSV
Bio-orchard:
Mustard was harvested. Now it will be oiled from oil mill and used in the school kitchen.
Ginger at RSV
Kick for Help:
The football training for boys and girls has continued as usual. Keoda Young Star Club had organized a two day football competition on 23-25 February for Boys’ and Girls’ team. Both the teams of Kick for Help participated in the competition.
On 28th February, the boys’ team played in a friendly football match with Surojit Sriti Sangha, Trisulapoti, Bolpur at the Ghosaldanga football ground.
Vocational Training and Youth Development Programme:
Raju Murmu’s practical examination on Fitter trade at Narendrapur is over and presently preparing for his written examination; Sumitra Murmu from Bishnubati has joined as a hotel house keeper in Alcald Company at Bolpur and Pradip Hansda from Bishnubati will soon join as a part-time in the same company.
Community Health programme:
The Health centre at Ghosaldanga continued to function once a week headed by Dr. Sitaram Banerjee, Dr. Satyban Roy and team.
Health check up
Mansa Baski who admitted at PG hospital, Kolkata with head injury after falling down from the cycle has returned home at Bishnubati after successful treatment.
Three children aged between 9 months to 2 years from the villages were admitted at the St. Mary’s Child and Mother Care hospital at Makrampur this month due to fever, cold and malnutrition, are doing well now.
Dr. Monika Golembiewski came to Ghosaldanga and Bishnubati to treat the patients for the first time ever since Corona pandemic spread eleven months back.
Dr. Monika at Bishnubati
General information:
Boro Baski has been selected to deliver online lecture on the subject- ‘Guardians of the forest’ begins from 3rd May to 11th August 2021. His session will is on 17th July 2021. The link of the course is given- https://www.forestguardians.co/
Boro Baski
8th March, 2021, RSV school, Ghosaldanga