Objective -

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Project ELAICHI presents a Tribal Learner’s Toolkit for the Santali Community of West Bengal which aids the understanding of indigenous Santali children in their world views through arts and aesthetics while exploring one’s own self and community. The aim of this toolkit is not only to protect the constitutional educational rights of the indigenous children but it goes beyond in democratising knowledge as a part of their basic fundamental right. It envisions to investigate, unpack and include the epistemological values of indigenous knowledges, especially oral knowledge and cultural practices to make it into an integral part of the formal environmental studies curriculum today.

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Challenge -

 

The primary challenge related to any indigenous community is the local language barrier which we urban society is fully unacquainted of. To be able to fully understand and make meaning of their culture, practices, customs, folk tales one needs to be fully informed of their local narratives. I needed to prepared with a comprehensive material that spoke about their folk tales, festivals, religious practices, social laws and etiquette and the kind of knowledge they feel is missing from their course of study material in formal institutions. 

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Case Study - 

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Rolf Schoembs Vidyashram - Non-Formal Santal Day School

Bolpur District, Kolkata

West Bengal, India