Link for article published in the newspaper:
http://nie-images.s3.amazonaws.com/gall_content/2021/11/2021_11$file02_Nov_2021_190424347.pdf
Memories are for a lifetime. The more we live in a situation, the more our memory gets stronger. I am sure you must have had your bit of happy, sad, scary, or funny memory. Some of them would be as great as meeting someone or achieving something or some could be as simple as eating ice cream on a hilltop with your friends. Yes! we all are able humans who can think and remember everything we do on a daily basis, from the first breath of air to the last.
Do you know why I am talking about memories? This is because we have etched a memory today.
Forty children of standard 6 and 7 of KHS Baner and Vidya Valley school have collaborated with Jeevit Nadi, to not only find out measures to make our rivers better but most importantly, to create awareness amongst the people in various ways.
Ambica Prabhu, Rupa Bhatt, and Mona Singh are the teacher mentors from KHS Baner and Megha Gupta, Jayashree Ghorpade, and me (Rashmi Bindra) are the teacher mentors from Vidya Valley School, and this whole project has been conceptualized by great enablers- Lakshmi Gandhi (Principal-KHS Baner), Jyoti Kumta ma’am, and Ipsita Rodricks (VVS).
There are many virtues that a river can help us learn.
From being turbulent to being calm, from nonaesthetic to cultural, from mythical to belief, from stagnant to being flowing, from disastrous to be a lifesaver.
The most important point is how each life, be it big or small depends on it.
I once read, “Rivers never go reverse, so try to be like a river, forget your past and focus on your future.” This is so true. We should forget what has been done and focus on what has to be done and how it has to be done.
I am not sure where the path will lead us to but, In the end, this is for sure our children will be sensitized and become aware, social, and sensible citizens.
The team has come together they have finalized the journey. Just like the river changes its course there might be some changes or some bumps on our way but the thought is that if we could change the mindset of 10% of the people then we will consider ourselves to have achieved our goal.
On this thought, we decided to do some hands-on to partake in the job of breaking traditional learning and entering into the zone of learning via doing. So, around a very busy area in Pune, we found a place that is quite far away from this hustle and bustle. A place I never thought existed in Pune city. Lush green trees, beautiful flowers, creepers and climbers on the trunks of huge sturdy trees, moss-covered wells, tall grasses, the canopy of trees with the rays of light falling down creating a halo effect, birds building their nest, few animals doing their chores, a colony of bats and yes, our very own river which had pulled us towards itself. Ram Nadi confluence is what I am talking about. A place we could sit and have a peaceful time, a place to have lovely camping, a place where children could jump and hang from the branches of the tree and play hide and seek is now unfortunately filled with heaps of plastic /glass bottles, leftover cigarette butts, carcasses of boxes, old worn-out clothes, leftover household waste, and whatnot. It was a site we could never forget so children along with teachers’ mentors took a walk by the river and cleaned a bit of the land. We also understood how the river paves its way and creates a niche. It was a site of great learning about biodiversity too wherein we spotted some birds and different trees. We will be doing it quite often now.
We are all excited to do our bit because it’s already very late and if we don’t begin now will have no rivers, probably small automated water capsules, and some memories of fun by the river.
All I know is, it’s our place- our Earth. If we can’t keep it clean who else would?
It’s always said, “Charity begins at home!”
-Rashmi Bindra
