kids interaction and a school visit!
I got a call from a school and asking me to spend a day with their (higher class) kids and to come and talk to their kids on a particular day 9something like an annual day where there are many programs and shows planned by the kids)
I wasnt very enthused as i was in the midst of too many commitments and serious ones at that..also me talking about safe food, politics of food to kids didnt appeal to me much..
so reluctantly and pushed, i spend time with the kids when they come to OFM.. they were fabulous..very observant and they asked lotsa questions and also interacted well..and they went around and spent more time at OFM talking to all others and went..enroute they visited our friend malathy's org farm too..
then the D day comes..i have to spend one full day (oops, i think of all the pending work..) but set off early that morning as committed..
and on reaching there see a very festive atmosphere but totally different..it was students all over and they were taking care of almost everything! ushering us in, to offering us water, seat etc..
there were exhibitions, display of art n craft, and much more..
I was asked to visit the exhibition of each class, starting from UKG..they said..UKG? on Organic farming? i was amazed at their grasp and what all they had displayed..
the chottu kids (2 per dual desk) wud have some stuff displayed and would answer all my questions on that..
it would be toxic chemicals (the kid in charge said ' these are pesticides..posion.. if u eat them u become verrrry sickkkk') the next one spoke about neem and other extract.. one spoke of seeds..
another one had set u an organic shop like 'ofm' and 'sold' rices, pulses n millets! yes millets..
the higher class students who had come and sepnt a day at OFM had apparently coem baack and shared their take hoe to these kids.. these UKG kids were so intrested they also visited malathy's farm the next day..and took seeds to be sown in their school kitchen garden.. even Malathy was amazed at the questions these chottus posed..
so they took me so proudly to their small organic 'farm' behind and the seeds had just sprouted:-0
aside 1: as i entered the UKG classroom, one kid walked up to em and said my name is --- adn whats ur name? and by the one next to this kid said i know, its ananthoo, i saw ur foto in teh notice board.. then a 3rd one asks me ' are u from UK?' i said no and asked why do u ask so? that one says " bcos u have a long hair' (whaat all they observe!!)
aside 2: i would spend some time at each desk and ask a few questions and believe me, many answers were what one would (or not!) get from college kids!! and at one desk after my questions i asked my standard last question ' can i take a photo' and this one cooly said ' NO"..i thought she was mistaken...so i repeated and she insisted no..i said ok, i will not but tell me why i shud not take foto..she said ' u shud take foto only with my mom' and when i said shall take a foto of ur display (which was neem leaves and other bio-input leaves) she again said NO..when asked why, she ssaid these leaves have dried, so dont take it and went on seriously arranging..such was the clarity:-0
and then was walking towards the next class one of the kids who had come to OFM waved at me and came near and asked ' how am i looking'..am seeing him for a 2nd time in my life.. and he cooly says ' saw? am in a kurta.. am going to act as ananthoo uncle' and walks past. oh! so there is a skit on me!!
each class had very nice displays and stuff to show case.. the teachers so friendly with the students.. it was a great atmoshere..
there were 6 other great people who had achieved lots in their life who also had been visited by diff set of people and the resp groups were enacting abt them too..and then explaining about their work..and what an impact it had..the kids would do that the next 2 days, to all the parents and what a way to talk about the various causes to a set of seniors, from these chottus..they also had created a bio-pic on each of us..
what an idea sirji!!
me being the least achieved fella there, had the advantage of farm and food and so the easy connect..so organic farming was ringing all over..including the lunch that day which was all organic!!
as for the skit: 'ananthoo' goes to a friends farm who was just sparying chemicals on her grapes which A didnt know..so he eats that when offered and then goes home and falls sick..his wife asks him what he ate and he says m he had grapes at a friends farm..and then the wife tells him how bad pesticides are and the poison on our plates (this is bcos when they had come, they asked me how i got in and i told them my wife was instrumental in opening my eyes on all good things- environment, safefood, organic etc)..and then I go about reading and then interacting with farmers..A also goes back to that friends farm where he had grapes and converts her to organic and many more farmers too..and goes on to talk about safe food and....
absolutely delightful..
what a day!!
The school - HLC International is very ably run by Navin and Raji (again, back to the landers from plush jobs in the west), started by smt. Sudha Mahesh.
and final parting shot?
see this below: this is what the kids drew on their own, filled it with different millets and made a beautiful art piece and presented me!
how do u like that?
I wasnt very enthused as i was in the midst of too many commitments and serious ones at that..also me talking about safe food, politics of food to kids didnt appeal to me much..
so reluctantly and pushed, i spend time with the kids when they come to OFM.. they were fabulous..very observant and they asked lotsa questions and also interacted well..and they went around and spent more time at OFM talking to all others and went..enroute they visited our friend malathy's org farm too..
then the D day comes..i have to spend one full day (oops, i think of all the pending work..) but set off early that morning as committed..
and on reaching there see a very festive atmosphere but totally different..it was students all over and they were taking care of almost everything! ushering us in, to offering us water, seat etc..
there were exhibitions, display of art n craft, and much more..
I was asked to visit the exhibition of each class, starting from UKG..they said..UKG? on Organic farming? i was amazed at their grasp and what all they had displayed..
the chottu kids (2 per dual desk) wud have some stuff displayed and would answer all my questions on that..
it would be toxic chemicals (the kid in charge said ' these are pesticides..posion.. if u eat them u become verrrry sickkkk') the next one spoke about neem and other extract.. one spoke of seeds..
another one had set u an organic shop like 'ofm' and 'sold' rices, pulses n millets! yes millets..
the higher class students who had come and sepnt a day at OFM had apparently coem baack and shared their take hoe to these kids.. these UKG kids were so intrested they also visited malathy's farm the next day..and took seeds to be sown in their school kitchen garden.. even Malathy was amazed at the questions these chottus posed..
so they took me so proudly to their small organic 'farm' behind and the seeds had just sprouted:-0
aside 1: as i entered the UKG classroom, one kid walked up to em and said my name is --- adn whats ur name? and by the one next to this kid said i know, its ananthoo, i saw ur foto in teh notice board.. then a 3rd one asks me ' are u from UK?' i said no and asked why do u ask so? that one says " bcos u have a long hair' (whaat all they observe!!)
aside 2: i would spend some time at each desk and ask a few questions and believe me, many answers were what one would (or not!) get from college kids!! and at one desk after my questions i asked my standard last question ' can i take a photo' and this one cooly said ' NO"..i thought she was mistaken...so i repeated and she insisted no..i said ok, i will not but tell me why i shud not take foto..she said ' u shud take foto only with my mom' and when i said shall take a foto of ur display (which was neem leaves and other bio-input leaves) she again said NO..when asked why, she ssaid these leaves have dried, so dont take it and went on seriously arranging..such was the clarity:-0
and then was walking towards the next class one of the kids who had come to OFM waved at me and came near and asked ' how am i looking'..am seeing him for a 2nd time in my life.. and he cooly says ' saw? am in a kurta.. am going to act as ananthoo uncle' and walks past. oh! so there is a skit on me!!
each class had very nice displays and stuff to show case.. the teachers so friendly with the students.. it was a great atmoshere..
there were 6 other great people who had achieved lots in their life who also had been visited by diff set of people and the resp groups were enacting abt them too..and then explaining about their work..and what an impact it had..the kids would do that the next 2 days, to all the parents and what a way to talk about the various causes to a set of seniors, from these chottus..they also had created a bio-pic on each of us..
what an idea sirji!!
me being the least achieved fella there, had the advantage of farm and food and so the easy connect..so organic farming was ringing all over..including the lunch that day which was all organic!!
as for the skit: 'ananthoo' goes to a friends farm who was just sparying chemicals on her grapes which A didnt know..so he eats that when offered and then goes home and falls sick..his wife asks him what he ate and he says m he had grapes at a friends farm..and then the wife tells him how bad pesticides are and the poison on our plates (this is bcos when they had come, they asked me how i got in and i told them my wife was instrumental in opening my eyes on all good things- environment, safefood, organic etc)..and then I go about reading and then interacting with farmers..A also goes back to that friends farm where he had grapes and converts her to organic and many more farmers too..and goes on to talk about safe food and....
absolutely delightful..
what a day!!
The school - HLC International is very ably run by Navin and Raji (again, back to the landers from plush jobs in the west), started by smt. Sudha Mahesh.
and final parting shot?
see this below: this is what the kids drew on their own, filled it with different millets and made a beautiful art piece and presented me!
how do u like that?
posted by Ananthoo @ 8:43 PM
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