News from the villages, February 2025
11.03.2025 News
The regular programs of the organization, the primary school, the hostel, evening coaching centers, the bio-farm, and museum activities went on normally. The major activities conducted in the month are given below:
1) Visitors: Like the previous year, Stefan Kastner, president of the Friends of Ghosaldanga and Bishnubati in Germany, visited the organization, along with two associates, Johannes and Thomas. During the five-day stay, Dr. Stefan visited all the project areas, the RSV school, Ghosaldanga, and Bishnubati, and had meetings with various groups responsible for implementing the projects. He also participated in the programs organized in the respective places. On the last day of his visit, Stefan and the team were given a farewell at the residence of Rathin Kisku. Being a popular Santal singer himself, Rathin organized a musical program for the guests and his gurus and teachers.
Cajus and Francis from Germany and associated with Indo-German cultural exchange programs visited the organization at the same time when Dr. Stefan was in the village.
Matti Windeler, a student from Germany, visited us for a few hours. During his stay he interacted with the students at RSV school, played football, and had lunch with the teachers. He also visited the museum, and we had a good discussion about our village work.
Marianne Pal Chowdhury, former president of the Friends of Ghosaldanga in Germany and Debu Pal Chowdhury visited RSV along with Ranjit Bhattacharya and Kumkum Bhattacharya.
2) Bishnubati: The museum promotion team presented a talk on the idea of the Museum of Santal Culture at Bishnubati along with a musical presentation at Jadavpur University, Kolkata.
The junior leaders of Bishnubati had a meeting with Stefan da and presented a plan for a fishery project to be implemented at the Bechpukur pond of the village. They also cleaned the pond and the surrounding thicket. The junior leaders also invited Dr. Stefan and the team to the village picnic organized by them. The picnic was held near the Rindanga football ground.
3) Book launch program: Martin-da’s translated book into Santali, ‘Laluwak Kahini,’ was unveiled at Arthshila, Shantiniketan. Santali writer Shibu Soren translated the book ‘Don’t Let Me Down into Santali.’ Both the writer and translator shared their experiences on the book. Prof. Kumkum Bhattacharya was the moderator of the book launch ceremony.
4) Kick For Help: After an interval of few months, the senior girls’ team of Kick for Help resumed their football practice on the ground.