Visit to Antaranga

25th November, 2023

Six JAAC members from a spectrum of age brackets and professions take time to connect with children

JAAC’s annual commitment to Antaranga led to a trip to Santiniketan in November 2023. Six of JAAC’s core committee members set out with heartfelt wishes, a basket of goodies and an exciting plan to celebrate Children’s Day with the under-privileged children of Antaranga.

JAAC is grateful to the 12 amazing members of its Delhi chapter who sponsored this year’s visit to Antaranga. With their collective contribution, the members of the Kolkata chapter were able to provide a fun-filled, memorable day to the expectant children.

On 25 November, our six-member squad arrived at Antaranga just before noon to much curiosity and excited chatter from the little children. We were received by the gracious hostess and founder of Antaranga, Ms. Sucharita Seal. We were awed by the upkeep of the school and the inviting vegetable patches she had grown to provide fresh produce for the children. Before we knew it, we were drawn into their infectious muddle of laughter, mischief and rambunctious energy.

It was a delight to see Ms. Mahal leading them in games which we were all too familiar with and of this course brought back a deluge of nostalgia. We joined in and forgot the decades we had accumulated, unified in the carefree spirit that only children possess.

The children knew it was to be a special day with special lunch. As the aroma from the kitchen wafted down to the playground, there was a tangible shift in energy. We could keep them on the playground no longer. So, we wrapped up play with a gift of backpacks and stationery for each.

They accepted their gifts with delight before eagerly transferring them to their waiting parents. They made a beeline for the rooftop, and we seated them in rows to serve them the highlight of the day – lunch with meat. It was a joy to see them scoop up handfuls and eat to their heart’s content. Some of the older children looked after the younger ones and only took as much as they could eat, careful not to waste food. When we found a couple of them struggling to eat, Mrs. Bose and a few others stepped in to feed them. In all, it was a satisfying experience to see them happy after a day well spent.

There are few things that come close to the feeling bred by an extraordinary alliance between alumnae when coming together for a common purpose. It feels surprising and special and generates much mileage to stay true to our purpose of connecting, serving and achieving.

The two days we spent in Santiniketan reinforced our commitment to JAAC’s values and gave us some cherished memories as we mingled with the children and basked in their happy smiles.

Antaranga Children’s Day celebration sponsors from Delhi:

  • Gargi Banerjee (2001)
  • Gangotri Biswas (2001)
  • Mimi Basu (1987)
  • Archita Bhatta (1987)
  • Maitree Chatterjee (2001)
  • Trisha Chaudhuri (2009)
  • Debapriya Chanda (2017)
  • Mahua Ray Chaudhari (1986)
  • Aurosmita Pal (2007)
  • Hiya Pal (2015)
  • Poulomi Das (2002)
  • Sayani Basu (2004)

Self-defense Workshop

5th October, 2023

The efforts of the JAAC Governing Body, led by Mrs. Mandira Bose, came to fruition on 5th and 6th October with the help of the gracious Sr. Anna Maria, the current Principal of St. Joseph’s Convent.

On the 5th October, JAAC hosted a self-defense workshop in collaboration with our school. It was coordinated by JAAC members, Ms. Dona Sen Nag and Mrs. Mandira Bose.
The workshop was conducted by Mr. Arup Das, Unarmed Combat Trainer of Kolkata Police along with 3 other members from the Martial Arts Organization of India.  It was attended by over 120 students from classes XI and XII.

The students spent over 3 hours receiving valuable information and practical knowledge on how to keep safe in various social set-ups. The first half of the workshop was a theoretical classroom session exploring different scenarios in everyday life in which women feel threatened or their safety is compromised, especially while travelling or attending parties in which the presence of the female gender is particularly low. While women need to be always alert when placed in these common social circumstances, they also need to be able to distinguish the intentional touch from the accidental touch. He elaborated through a variety of scenarios on how to differentiate between the two and how to respond in these circumstances to re-establish one’s safety by also garnering public support. He made the students aware of certain cues that criminally minded people give when they harbor thoughts to compromise a woman’s safety. If a woman missed such cues and still found herself in a seemingly inescapable situation, he pointed out some vital points in the human body, which if attacked would give the woman just enough time to stun and escape.

The knowledge sharing session was followed by a practical demonstration of simple attack methods and postures that would deter the culprit from engaging further with the victim and allow the victim to take flight to safety.

He shared tactical knowledge on how to avoid such situations or escape from them with the help of everyday objects, such as pens or umbrellas. One need not be trained in martial arts, but by the effective use of certain postures, movements, it would be enough to defend oneself and find respite from imminent danger.

The students showed great eagerness to learn these simple, but effective life-saving techniques that give one more confidence while traveling or facing unprecedented social situations.

The entire effort was orchestrated by JAAC members Ms. Dona Sen Nag and Mrs. Mandira Bose. JACC hopes to keep bringing such meaningful experiences that contribute to the all-rounded development of the students of SJC.

Credit: Ms. Dona Sen Nag, past pupil 2009 and JAAC member, for her account of the event.

Public Speaking Session

6th October, 2023

Staying committed to providing all-round development opportunities to the current students of SJC, JACC arranged a session on Public Speaking on the 6th of October. The session occupied the first half of the day and lasted approximately 2 hours. It was aimed at students of classes XI and XII. The session on Public Speaking & Development of Soft Skills was conducted by Miss Archita Tiwari, currently a Communications Coach in Amazon, who has trained over 6000 students and 1000 corporate employees in Soft Skills. Besides learning to differentiate between Goals and Dreams, she made them realize how goals can be set and success can be achieved. This interactive section was a delight to the observer as the students displayed high intelligence in articulating their dreams and goals, a proud testimony to more than a century-long tradition of SJC’s nurturing young minds with care. The tips on effective public speaking were practical and time tested. The students felt confident & happy at the session's end.
Miss Tiwari, an amazing speaker herself, could make the students feel that a change for good is worth trying. Much like the self-defense workshop, this session was received very positively and resulted in a productive learning experience

Credit: Mrs. Sudeshna Panchati, teacher of SJC, for her account of the event.

Parenting Counseling: Contributing to Build Enriched and Resilient Children

6th October, 2023

Close to 200 parents attended the session on Parent Counseling, which was in the format of a panel discussion attended by such eminent people as Smt. Ananya Chakraborty, Advisor, West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR), Dr. Rima Mukherjee, Reputed Psychiatrist, Kolkata, Smt. Yashabanti Sreemany, Member, WBCPCR and Smt. Sudeshna Roy, Chairperson, WBCPCR. It was moderated by Ms. Suchorita Bardhan, past pupil from the 1985 Batch and a member of JAAC. Each panelist brought important aspects of parenting to the fore. Smt. Ananya Chakraborty spoke about the growing importance of parenting, which included lessons from the COVID-19 phase and online safety. Smt. Yashabanti Sreemany underlined the challenges of parenting adolescents and how best to lay a foundation for their future. Dr. Rima Mukherjee shared experiences and tips around parenting children from their infancy to 18 years and beyond. Smt. Sudeshna Roy advocated a policy for a protected growth which places the responsibility on both the school and the home front for holistic child development.

This insightful session aimed to equip parents with the tools and knowledge required to effectively navigate the complexities of adolescent children, a phase marked by significant emotional and behavioural changes. The panelists recommended active listening, empathy and patience, as essential tools for children to connect with their parents. They emphasized the importance of sports and co-curricular activities. They reminded parents that academic pursuit should not be the only aim in life. The vast world has opportunities for all. Parents should understand and guide them along the path that the child desires to walk along. The entire program was excellently conducted by Ms. Suchorita Bardhan. The session was followed by a round of questions from the parents and wrapped up by a vote of thanks by Ms. Moushumee Basu Roy, Treasurer, JAAC.

This event was a resounding success and received wide coverage in many media outlets. Here are links to these news articles that underscore this achievement by the JAAC governing body:

https://www.republicworld.com//india/let-children-chase-their-dreams-wbcpcr-chief.news

https://www.ptinews.com/news/east/bengal-child-rights-body-chairperson-urges-parents-to-let-their-children-chase-their-dreams/665983.html

https://www.millenniumpost.in/amp/bengal/let-your-children-chase-dreams-instead-of-pressuring-them-to-score-more-in-exams-535931

https://voiceofkolkatapage.com/2023/10/west-bengals-child-rights-body-meets-parents-at-school-to-sensitise-them-for-children-welfare/

https://www.latestly.com/agency-news/india-news-bengal-child-rights-body-chairperson-urges-parents-to-let-their-children-chase-their-dreams-5469788.html/amp

https://theprint.in/india/bengal-child-rights-body-chairperson-urges-parents-to-let-their-children-chase-their-dreams/1794296/?amp

https://www.etvbharat.com/amp/english/state/west-bengal/allow-your-child-to-make-mistakes-guide-them-to-accept-defeat-wbcpcr-chairperson-advises-parents/na20231006185404389389709

https://thebengal.in/2023/10/06/west-bengal-commission-for-protection-of-child-rights-meets-parents-at-school-for-children-welfare/

Credit: Ms. Rita Saha, past pupil, 1969 and JAAC member, for her account of the event.

St. Mary’s Mid-day Meal Program

April - July 202

Place of Visit

St. Mary's, Chnadannagar

Purpose of Visit

Survey to assist for support

Survey Conducted by

Belinda Gomes, Chaitali Chakraborty Jain, Paromita Mehta, Sunipa Sengupta, Yang Ling Chung, Mitali Chakraborty, Meenakshi Pal

Overview

On Saturday, 1 April ’23, the above-mentioned seven-member team of JAAC visited St Mary’s School, Chandannagar. The team interacted with Sr. Gregory, the administrator, the teachers, and the students at the premises of the school. It was an inspiring and humbling experience.

Sr. Gregory, who oversees the school administration was asked about certain details regarding the regular administration and history of the school. Most of the details were readily available and the same was noted against a questionnaire and duly signed.

All teachers from KG to IV were interviewed. 3 students from KG were interviewed and 1 student each from Standard I to IV were interviewed. Being a Saturday, the school gave over at 11 a.m.

Background of St. Mary’s

St Mary’s School is largely an SJC-sponsored primary school and has classes KG to IV. It was founded in the 1970s by the Leadership Training Services (LTS) members of St. Joseph’s Convent, under the guidance of Sr. Nobert.

Current Status

Currently, 100 students are studying in the school. Prior to the pandemic and lockdown, the student strength was about 250 students. However, the same has significantly reduced and most students have moved to schools where children get mid-day meals and other benefits. Class KG holds the maximum number of students currently.

Most of the children are from families where mothers work as domestic helpers and, if the fathers are at all there, then they bring home meager earnings from being rickshaw pullers, coolies, masons, etc.

The upkeep of the premises is undertaken by SJC through its shared services and a lot of effort is put in by Sr. Gregory and the teachers themselves to ensure that the students are enthused about attending school and the school grounds are kept spic and span.

The Need to Support the St. Mary’s Dream

The SJC LTS Society has a major role to play with the assistance of running St. Marys. Teachers are earning Rs.10,000/- per head, per month. Students are not charged any fees and just a nominal amount of Rs.150 is charged annually. One set of uniforms is given to the students. On Wednesdays students are allowed to come in colored clothes so that their uniform can be washed and is ready to be worn for the rest of the week. The last batch of uniform material cost Rs.15,000/- and tailoring cost about Rs.25,000/.

Books and notebooks must be purchased by the students. This causes a financial constraint to the students’ parents and hinders the teacher’s job of teaching.

Some of the students bring their lunch, whereas some students who are identified as financially challenged, are provided a subsistence meal of bread and banana from the school itself.

The teachers in the school are very dedicated and passionate about their job. The students are very keen about coming to school. Each child, who was interviewed, shared their dreams of becoming teachers and doctors. The team even came across the instance of a little girl, who, being exceptionally gifted, was transferred to St. Anthony’s, but is in need of financial help to continue with her academic progress without any further challenge.

Teachers proudly related stories of ex-students who went on to study in secondary schools and were grateful for a strong foundation. We witnessed such a story first-hand. A toto driver who was ferrying us around the town admitted to being a student of Sr. Gregory and St. Mary’s. Such encounters make us believe that there must be similar anecdotal evidence from the marginalized sections of Chandannagar that demonstrate how St. Mary’s has impacted their lives for the better.

The JAAC Endeavour:

For St. Mary’s to revive its formidable status when the school had greater student strength, and for the teachers to sustain their passion, St. Mary’s needed to cater to the minimum requirements that have currently become a standard service provision in govt. run schools. Our interviews identified that sponsoring full/partial mid-day meals could help revive the declining numbers in the school and keep the lights on for the St. Mary’s dream. Toward this goal, we aimed to collect at least Rs. 1,50,000 for 100 students every year.

JAAC had collected Rs. 50,000 through past events. We were looking to mobilize and raise the remaining amount of Rs 1 lakh by the end of July 2023 for the ongoing academic year.

Final Contribution:

On Sunday 30th July 2023, members of the JAAC Governing Body met Sr. Anna Maria and Sr. Gregory at school. They handed over Rs. 75,000 for the St. Mary's cause.

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