--- Barbara Hjalsted & Niels Erik Wegge
> wrote:
> From: "Barbara Hjalsted & Niels Erik Wegge"
> <
> To: "S. Sundar Kumar Iyer" <
> Subject: hello from Denmark
> Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2005 22:36:50 +0100
> Dear Kumar,
> Although we missed seeing you, we really enjoyed our
> visit to India including Orissa, where we spent some
> eventful and very pleasant holidays touring the
> southern districts with visits to the
> hilltribe-areas.
> The extent of the tsunami devastation only dawned
> upon us later, terrible, but at least Orissa was
> spared this time. They are still struggling to
> recover after the cyclone in 99.
> We also went to briefly to Bissam Cuttack and spent
> a little time at the school and in the nearby forest
> on Jan 1st 2005 where the students were having a
> picnic. It is always a very moving experience to
> meet all the children who seemed happy and
> unaffected enjoying their outing. We shook hands
> with all 70 of them, wishing a lot of "happy new
> years". Some of the parents from nearby villages had
> shown up too. Cooking in huge pots was going on on
> bonfires made right there, and the staff enjoyed it
> all too. We all exchanged a few songs (Oriya and
> Danish) before our taking leave.
> At the school we were shown the sights for the
> forthcoming kichen cum storeroom and were told that
> construction would take place before the rainy
> season (June 2005). Drawings were ready, and a
> contractor from Rayagada had been employed to
> undertake the construction, all materials were to be
> hauled from there as well. And you already know, the
> road to Kachapaju must qualify as one of the worst
> we have ever been on. Great fun for the kids to
> travel in a fourwheeler, but not easy for logistics.
> And then one is taken totally back by the
> unexpectedly well maintained school in the middle of
> nowhere. We also quite like that the meeting point
> under a big tree nearby had been designated "sacred"
> as it was here the "dreaming session" of the Mitra
> villagers took place, here they first envisioned a
> school back in 1997.
> Other future plans for buildings at the school
> include construction of new staff quarters and
> another hostel later this year.
> We also liked to hear that they turned down an offer
> from a German funding agency wanting to promote a
> fosterparent scheme with individual sponsors for
> each child. As well as another offer to educate 15
> children from each village. But it would bring
> equity among the children at stake, and pose
> capacity problems. So fine to maintain integrity and
> keep to the chalked out road.
> Johnny Oommen - MITRA team leader - was not there
> himself, but his right hand Sucharita and another
> community health nurse, Sarojini, showed us around
> confidently and answered all our questions to the
> point as well as added their own statements freely:
> "We have so much to learn from the villagers". Us:
> What exactly are you thinking about? "Their honesty,
> simple ways, respect for and interaction with
> nature".
> It must have been our third visit to the school
> within 5 years, and it is great to see how things
> are developing, expanding and gradually
> materializing. This goes for students as well as for
> staff, all are growing and progressively interacting
> more with the outside world. The graduates go on to
> government high school and the teachers go for field
> visits in Tamil Nadu. Horizons widen! People come to
> the school from near and far to get inspired, share,
> suggest and praise.
> In our point of view they deserve it and all the
> support they can get, morally and in kind. This
> school is run on the villagers terms and conditions,
> leadership is excellent and sensitive, and the
> outcome incomparable: dignified students who know
> "they can".
...
> Anjila, Daniel, Linus
> Niels Erik and Barbara