HT : Providence intervened for these kids : Sept 27, 2007

Providence intervened for these kids
 Brother D'Souza's school in Shillong takes in students whose parents earn
less than Rs 800 a month. It's an effort that needs to be replicated. The
teacher remembers a certain Shah Rukh Khan in this context There's a
vegetable patch just outside the classrooms that the children tend to. They
learn how to grow food and cook it. They make paper, candles and
confectioneries for sale. Some of them do a beautician's course at the
school itself. Others tinker around in a garage that Br D'Souza is still
trying to set up
 SAMRAT

J UST BEFORE the release of his latest film, Chak de India, in which he
acted as a hockey coach, Shah Rukh Khan gave an interview to Gulf News. He
was asked if he had looked to any real-life coach for inspiration.
Shah Rukh told them: "When I was studying at St Columba's, I had a teacher,
Brother Eric D'Souza, who used to teach us soccer, hockey, cricket and
various subjects apart from sport. He would be more an ideal teacher than a
coach and has been instrumental in turning me into the person that I am."
This teacher now lives and teaches in Shillong, Meghalaya. He spends much of
his time trying to turn children too poor to afford an education into
productive members of society. To this end, he has started a school named
'Providence'. Children who gain admission here are given a free education,
and the books and stationery they need for their studies. Only children
whose parents have a monthly income of less than Rs 800 a month are allowed.
There are 200 such children in the school now. They range in age from four
to 15. Br D'Souza says in most cases their parents bring them to him after
hearing about the school from someone they know. The school itself runs in a
few previously unused rooms on the campus of the relatively posh St Edmunds
School. Everything in Providence is an unsolicited donation from someone.
The whole of Providence runs on help from providence.

When it started in 2000, Providence was a route to get kids into
age-appropriate classes in other schools, says Br D'Souza. Only, that didn't
work. "What's the point of getting them into ageappropriate classes
elsewhere? So they go there and drop out because they can't pay their fees?"
he says. Then the idea of train ing the children so they could get a
certificate from the National Institute of Open Schooling emerged. Along
with this, Br D'Souza also decided to impart trade skills to the children.
It would give them a better chance in life, he says.

There's a vegetable patch just outside the classrooms that the children tend
to. They learn how to grow food, and cook it. They make paper, candles and
confec tionaries by hand, for sale. Some of them do a beautician's course at
the school itself. Others tinker around in a garage that Br D'Souza is still
trying to set up.

"We are finally going to evaluate whether the Class 10 exam is necessary for
them," he says. "We are not sure if society requires a Class 10 academic
certificate." So what, instead of a certificate, does he want to give the
children?

"We want them to have litera cy, numeracy, financial literacy, and
communication and media skills. For example, I want the student from the
confectionary to be able to make the confections, keep the accounts,
communicate with potential cus tomers in the local languages and English,
and carry on the trade. I want them to be able to have the good time that
many people in India are now having."

Brother D'Souza's inspiration for this radical departure from the regular
academic path comes from an unlikely source: the Brazilian Left-wing writer
Paulo Freire. "Have you read 'Pedagogy of the Oppreessed'? he asks me. "I
don't want to train the oppressed so they can rise ten levels and become the
oppressors." That is why he is placing a greater emphasis on selfemployment,
he says.

He has an even greater criticism of the formal school system. Students of
the formal school system are losing their connection with life, he says. "I
believe there is a universal language of nature which we have fallen out of
touch with."

The school draws heavily upon volunteer efforts. Many young people give
their time to teach there. Brother D'Souza says this is important too. "It
gives the goodness of youth a chance." Jodie, a 20-something girl from
Ireland, has been teaching there for two years - without pay .
So what is your wish list for the school, I ask. "That the kids get the
start in life we worked for," he says. "That they never oppress anybody And
there is a ." third: "That other schools elsewhere provide similar
opportunities to those in need."

For long, Brother D'Souza spurned media interviews. He was my class teacher
in school, but he wouldn't let me do a story on his work, or take a
photograph of him. This time, he agreed, because he's had his fifth heart
attack.

He wants the work to go on, with or without him. And oh, he wishes one of
his best students - a certain Shah Rukh Khan would start to help the poor
and downtrodden. "I don't hear of him doing that," he says.
samrat.hindustantimes.com


Publication : HT; Section : Oped Page; Pg : 15; Date : 27/9/07
URL :
http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/artMailDisp.aspx?article=27_09_2007_015_002&typ=0&pub=264