What: A 5-day journey into the world of rural communities
When: December 14 to 18, 2012
Where: Chaukul Village (Amboli), District Sindhudurg, Maharashtra
It is no secret that the present education system is struggling, and while there have been massive efforts to revamp it through quality education, teacher training and other such means, these have had little constructive effect. As a result, today’s youth are not sure of their own ideals and values, or of their identities. The education system has not prepared them to understand their needs, strengths or dreams. Rather, it has urged them to become standardised products, designed to fit into techno-industrial moulds.
Despite of all the glitter, the five star cultures, consumerist hospitals and schools, culture of greater India is still in rural areas. Our soul resides in the soil of Mother Earth. Our education ought to be related to our mother earth & nobody should be forced to leave his village for bread and butter or consumerist education. None should be detached from Mother Soil for the sake of keeping body and soul together. We had, in days of yore, excellent architects, super human minds, amazing space walkers, all of them in villages and forests. None of the great of that time had to leave their villages for survival and go to foreign countries or cities for higher education.
Objective of Nai Taleem at Chaukul
Many of our younger generation do not know how to live in harmony with nature. For that matter many of them have not seen nature at all. City dwellers must stay in villages at least once in their lifetime and understand how these people live in harmony with nature. One must learn as to how to utilize natural products to the maximum advantage that too without having any side effects or harmful reactions of whatsoever nature to our body or vice-a-versa.
Nai Taleem at Chaukul is a 5-day journey into the world of rural communities. Its intention is not to ‘develop’ them or ‘educate’ them. This 5 days stay in the eco-sensitive village is to regain that which we have lost in the process of getting educated. Nai Taleem at Chaukul’s endeavour is to create a culturally based knowledge hub for worldwide natural learners, unschoolers and other autonomously learning communities and like-minded people.
On December 17 and 18 at Choukul we will hear from Kalaratna award winner Shri. Ravindra Sharma of Adilabad about the fascinating, complex web of interrelations among the traditional cultures and lifestyles, understanding the modern economic crisis from the perspective of Hind Swaraj and exploring alternative spaces for a sustainable world order.
Participants shall stay in the beautiful village houses. Our intention is about sharing a feel of affection and caring among the participants and villagers. Food served will be pure vegetarian organic food. Vegetables and rice are cultivated by Chaukul villagers without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The community of Chaukul, the western ghats of the state of Maharashtra, has just over 460 households. Traditionally they cultivate rice, finger millets, round nut, onion, garlic, potatoes etc. Recently they also started cultivating strawberries. Participants will have ample to observe and learn about this ancient form of agriculture and horticulture. In recent years the community had to look for other work in order to be a part of the national/global cash community. Most of the village men are ex-army servicemen. Chaukul provides a unique vantage point from which to observe and learn about culture change as it happens.
Nai Teleem at Chaukul may give you stories that you will remember long after your photos have faded. You may often start new hobbies such as nature photography, organic vegetables gardening, recycling and composting or sustainable living. Participants can have hands-on on rural technologies with the tribal students from School-Without-Walls.
More About Village Chaukul
Chaukul village is the Land of Culture and Natural beauty. Whatever your interests you will find something for you in the village, as long as you are passionate about learning, teamwork and nature. The benefits are endless.
Chaukul is located in Amboli in the Western Ghats (known as Sahyadri ranges in Sanskrit) which is a mega biodiversity region, with flora, fauna and landscapes. It is also known as Chirapunji of Maharashtra. Choukul is surrounded by think forests and tree canopied hills. It’s in the vicinity of Hanmant gad and Pargad with rich flora and fauna. The river Ghataprabha which is a tributary of the Krishna river has its origin source in the main hill range of Sahyadri near Chowkul village. Chowkul’s ecosystem are unbelievably beautiful. Its colourful flower plateau environmental ideal makes Khamdev mandir pathar (valley of flowers) an idyllic self-contained world. There are 20 Vaidus (bare-foot botanist) in the village.
Useful links
Who is hosting?
School-Without-Walls is a real life education system of Syamantak, a voluntary organisation working in Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra. Education here is based on hands on practical and innovations. You may visit their website for more details www.syamantak.org
For more details please visit Nai Talim @Chaukul at www.syamantak.org or contact:
Kokil Poddar (Bangalore) | [email protected]
Sachin Desai (Maharashtra) | [email protected] | +91 94041-64945