I recently read an article in Time of India entitled 'Return to the Raj', describing a growth in reverse migration of British Indians. Some say that they come back to India for a 'new opportunities and quick success' - a life of 'power, position and leisure' naming some high profile characters such as Bollywood Superstar Katrina Kaif and former Miss Great Britain, Preeti Desai. The reverse migrants of the population are predicted to be the new future ‘elite’ of India. It saddens me to think that as human beings this is what we chase and aspire to have. Though I am not a reverse migrant I don’t think I could opt for that quality of life in a country where the needs of the poor and marginalized are far greater than needs for designer labels, top-brand mobile phones and tablets, mansion-style houses and the consumerist lifestyle.
Friday, 11 November 2011
Diasporic Dilemma
I have wondered whether there are different (implicit) expectations of diasporic volunteers than other ‘international volunteers’. An issue that diasporic volunteers may face is being judged at face-value: to those who don’t engage in conversation with you, you are a native. You should be able to communicate in the vernacular with ease, you should be able to manage the food, and you should be able to move about freely and independently with ease.
When these expectations are not met, those who aren’t aware of your cultural background may find it difficult to reason why. Then there may be some who are perfectly aware of your background but may choose to overlook that - this can work in your favour or against. Of course there are also different gender-based cultural attitudes which can add a new dimension to these issues. As a (young) female diasporic volunteer
A volunteer, by nature, comes for service, and part of that nature includes a certain willingness to adapt, and be flexible. And therein lies an underlying issue for diasporic volunteers – in their eagerness to cooperate and adapt to a culture close to their heart there is potential for themselves and others to overlook, neglect or ‘conveniently’ ignore their intercultural struggles.
Project Report: Bosco Plus Finishing School
India’s growing job market corresponds to a growing population of youth ready to join the world of work. One of the demands of today’s market, particularly in urban areas, is proficiency in communicative English; for young people who have been educated through vernacular media this proves to be a small but significant hurdle to overcome. Knowledge of the English language is not always lacking, but speaking and using the language confidently is something that our young people aspire to for the means of securing a job.
Bosco Plus Finishing School is a two-month residential course designed to prepare young people for the workplace, with a special focus on English training. This year’s course was conducted in Don Bosco Technical Institute Hassan and enrolled 25 students at the beginning of the course.
The purpose of this programme was to enhance employability of students through intensive training and place them in jobs at the end of the two months. The course consisted of English, Computer and Life Skills lessons and included project-work, leadership training, games and cultural activities. This year’s programme had the added feature of community-living with DB Tech Hassan (boarders and religious) giving a new dimension to the learning experience to all involved.
Process
The inauguration of Bosco Plus took place on Tuesday 16th August and the timetable commenced shortly thereafter. The schemes of work were delivered primarily by 2 trainers and included a few life skills and computer lessons taught by guest trainers.
English Classes – These lessons covered a range of spoken, written and reading exercises delivered as group, paired or individual activities. Some of the main topics that were focused on were basics of English grammar, letter/email writing, phone conversations, debate, forming an argument, persuasive language, report writing.
A key topic of focus was preparation for the workplace: starting from the job-hunting process and leading up to interview skills and job offers. Students were taught how to prepare CVs, job applications and perform in interviews. Each student completed an up-to-date comprehensive CV ready to present for their first jobs.
Students were encouraged to actively participate in lessons through asking questions, presenting answers and contributing examples during the main activity of each lesson. Daily vocabulary lists were also given and assessed on through daily spelling tests – this helped to build up students’ vocabulary and their competency in using more varied language.
Life Skills – The main aim of these classes was to help students identify the soft skills they possess and are continually developing, and to be able to apply them in different life settings. This focus on identifying transferable skills-sets proved particularly important as many students were applying for their first jobs without any work experience.
These classes were mainly delivered as group tasks/projects and lecture style Q&A sessions culminating with a community service project where students were asked to plan an initiative to serve the local community at Hassan; and closing with their planning and coordination of the programme’s closing ceremony.
Computer Classes - These lessons were designed to equip students with basic administrative skills of using computers. Students were taught the basics of using Microsoft Office applications and were given a new job-orientated task to complete each lesson e.g. writing a letter of complaint, completing an accounts table, creating an advertisement publication
Activities
The daily morning assembly was mainly student-led with presentations of news stories from the previous day and morning talks delivered by trainers.
Students enjoyed games time each day (volleyball, basketball, cricket) and organized recreational activities from time to time e.g. Onam team games, competitions with DB Tech Hassan boarders (singing, volleyball, indoor games)
Our students also had the chance to initiate and participate in cultural programmes for institutional special events e.g. Teacher’s Day, Provincial Visit, Ayodha Pooja .
We had two highly popular trips this year, to the historical site of Sharvana Bellagola and an outdoor cooking experience at Kandali Farm. Both trips were very well received and successful in helping to build team-spirit amongst students.
Over the duration of the course a few students discontinued in order to pursue different career pathways; 19 students completed the course and received certificates during the closing ceremony on Friday 14th August. Most students, on completion, were able to make a smooth transition into jobs organized through BREADS - 9 students were successfully appointed in jobs with TechMahindra, Chennai; 4 with Tata-Yasaki; 1 with Mangalore High School; and the remaining 5 have opted to independently find job placements through family, friends and Don Bosco networks.
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Hostel Boys of Hassan
I soon became accustomed to the routine of the boarding house and very much appreciated the company of these smiling faces and greetings as I moved about the house from day to day. I was always greeted with a ‘good morning, good afternoon, good evening or good night’ or a gesture of ‘namaskar’ from each boy, usually followed closely by ‘oota aaitha?’ (have you eaten?) - this became common practice in showing their genuine concern for me and testing my Kannada skills!
I learned many things from these boys and really appreciated their company and willingness to include me in everything. I am happy to have been there for them as they were for me. Thanks to them I am now a keen basketball, volleyball and caram player (please note that keen is by no means good, just always willing to play). I have learned ‘solpa’ (a little) Kannada - including a couple of songs and prayer responses. I enjoyed Sunday nights, where after supper, the main quad transformed into a dancefloor with a booming bass amplifier. Boys were more than happy to show off their film-star dance moves and when dancing got a bit too energetic I did sometimes make the excuse of being too full – quite happy as a spectator. But probably most importantly, I have learned about their lives, the ups and downs, their hopes, their dreams; and I have gained their friendship along the way.
Our trips – Sharvana Bellagola, Kandali Farm
Sharvana Bellagola – a histrocial Jain pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Gomateshwara Baghvan Bahubali. Kandali Farm - a chance for Bosco Plus to show off their cooking skills.
Celebrate good times, come on!
1) Inauguration ceremony of Bosco Plus – 16th October
2) Arrival of Don Bosco’s Relic – 26 August- one of my highlights of the course. Our institute hosted the casket containing relic of Don Bosco’s right-arm for one night. All students and staff were involved in preparing the place for the casket and public’s arrival. Many of the faithful and curious came to visit the relic and participate in the events organised. A particular highlight for me was seeing so many children from Don Bosco institutes playing and praying in the presence of the ‘friend of youth’.
3) Ganesh Chaturthi – 1st September – The birthday of Lord Ganesha – the period of celebration for this festival is variable according to different temples, but usually lasts around 10 days.
4) Teacher’s Day – 5th September – another one of my highlights. This was the first time I saw my students perform songs and dances, after witnessing all the efforts they had put in practices (within a short space of time) they really ended up stealing the show.
5) Feast of birth of BVM – 8th September
6) Onam – 9th September – a main festival of harvest in Kerala, commemorating the yearly visit of the legendary King Mahabali. The festivities of this day were arranged by the Malayalee contingent of our group -those who were missing their celebrations at home decided to bring it to Hassan. We celebrated with traditional Onam games, ‘pookalam’ (flower mat), Onasadya (a traditional feast usually comprised of 22 side dishes), songs, plays, dance and a visit from King Mahabali to distribute gifts.
7) Provincial Visit (Fr Thomas Anchukadam sdb) – 12th September
8) Ayodha Pooja - 5th October – a festival during Dassara where people give thanks for tools and vehicles that make their life easier at home, work, factories and offices. Blessed food and sweets (prasada) are distributed and pumpkins are smashed and kept at entrances to ward off the ‘evil eye’. We celebrated this a day early on the 4th so that students could go home for Dassara holidays afterwards.
9) Dassara – 28th September - 6th October – a 10 day festival celebrated all over India by many different names and a major festival of Karnataka (particularly at Mysore). Different prayer ceremonies (pooja) take place on each day.
10) Closing ceremony of Bosco Plus – 14th October