The so far 3rd sponsorship seminar took place on the 20th of September 2009 in the rooms of the Marzahn Nord congregation, where our office is located as well. Once again, more than 20 participants showed up, many Tagore school students among them, from those classes that have taken on a sponsored child.
Alexander and Sebastian report about fact that there were 47 children in the programme in the school year 2008/2009, which is about the same number as in the newly started school year 2009/2010. Again there have been problems with some of the children. Some of then decided to leave school and rather work. After long discussions with them, they have been replaced by 'new' children. We are more cautious and more meticulous now with the choice of the children and try to find those, who are not only living in poverty, but who also have a strong will to study in school.
In terms of area, the sponsorship programme has strongly expanded and there are now children at four different locations visiting 10 different schools.

Our year-long partner Jolen Hansda decided in summer 2008 due to financial and family reasons to take on a job for World Vision. However, with Mukut Bodra we found a reliable and committed new partner, who is also associated with the partnership between Chaibasa and Berlin for many years alreasy.

At the end of the seminar the sponsors discussed, whether the existing small remuneration is sufficient for Mukut's work and how to handle probable future work for other projects of the Indian Forum. It was decided, not to increase the current annual rate of 50 Euro for a child and, if necessary, to take money from the general donations for the remuneration of activities that go beyond the sponsorship programme.

Sebastian describes the current situation of the programme with photos

On Saturday, 30th of August 2008 the 2nd sponsorship seminar of the Indian Forum "Mahatma Gandhi" e.V. took place. 22 sponsors participated. First of all the sponsors were informed, that the Indian Forum is now a registered association of public benefit since August 2008. Furthermore the Rabindranath Tagore School from Marzahn was introduced and praised for its commitment as new partner school of the Lutheran Schools in Chaibasa.
Afterwards Sebastian Keller gave an account on the sponsorship programme. Since this year we have 47 sponsored children in India. In addition our programme was extended to two more schools in the closer vicinity of Chaibasa. The Medical Fund, that had been decided upon on the last sponsorship seminar, was also discussed. Several children could already be helped by it. A rabies vaccination for a boy who had been bitten by a dog has been financed by it for example, and the treatment for a girl who got a skin disease.

We did not have quite such a pushing

Problems were also discussed of course. Sebastian made clear again, that the main purpose of our programme is to send those children to school. We do not want to replace their parents and should therefore incorporate them a little more. Beside that we can not offer full day care to the children.
Furthermore, Jolen Hansda took up a job at the NGO World Vision. He worked for us for free, but needs money now to start a family. In addition he earns experience there in bookkeeping and professional development work, which he wants to bring in to our programme. Mukut Bodra, a student who lives on the school campus, agreed to support us in helping the children. We also have a contact person at each of the other two schools, who care for the children.
As jealousy is a common problem between the children, when some of them receive gifts from Germany, while others have to go home with empty hands, we decided not to take any gifts with us in the future. However, we will continue to take letters with us. Our costs that we have to pay for visits and administration of the programme (stamps, telephone calls, etc.) were also disussed. The sponsors agreed to better support us in these matters. This should not influence the annual fee, but donations for our expenses, that we have to pay from our own small income so far, are always welcome.
Conclusively, the want to thank all sponsors for their commitment, especially the participants of the seminar for their active participation in the discussions and their friendly cooperation.

The sponsors listening to the report

Anke and Heike with the cheque

On tuesday the 29th of April 2008, the Tagore School, partner school of the Lutheran Schools in Chaibasa, celebrated a big courtyard festival. Beside district councillor for education Stefan Komoß, the Indian embassador took also part in the festival.
The Indische Forum was represented with an own stall for fresh Indian tea and all kinds of decoration as well as with several information boards, at which the visitors could inform themselves about the projects of the Forum. All earning of the stall's sales were taken as donations for our further work.
The handover of a donation cheque over 1296.62 Euro to the Indian Forum was also part of the several hours long stage programme. The money has been raised by the Tagore School and originated from different sources. A major part came from a school run, a part of it was given by the classes and several hundred Euros were donated by the company 'Menütaxi' .
We want to say thank you to all donors! The money will be used for the acquisition of desks and benches for the schools on the Lutheran Compound Chaibasa, where especially the smaller students have to sit on the cool stone floor so far, using their satchels as desks. It is expected to be sufficient for the equipment of approximately three complete class rooms.
 

Recent photos from India

At our annual meeting on the 9th of February 2008 a decision was made on the spin-off of the Indian Forum from the Ecumenical Forum as an independent registered association (e.V.). After long debates, own articles of association were passed and have to be approved by the local court now.

Subsequently the actual annual meeting took place. Here we offered lots of information on what we achieved during the last year, especially on the school partnership with the Tagore School, on the sponsorship programme and on some of the smaller projects as well as a brief summary of the Forum's finances.

Of course we also dealt with the ideas and expectations of the members for the future of the Indian Forum, came to agreements on priorities in the partnership and development cooperation and showed recent photos of the people and their surroundings in the respective projects in India



 

l.: Voting on a paragraph in the articles of association; r.: Drinking a toast to the foundation of the Indian Forum as a registered association

On saturday, the 25th of August 2007, a meeting of the sponsors was held for the first time. With coffee and cake available, the sponsors could get information about their sponsored children's life, about the situation in Jharkhand, about our partner organization "Reyad Umbul" and about the Indian Forum. Questions could be asked and constructive ideas were made for the improvement of the sponsorship programme.
For example the creation of a medical and emergency fund for the sponsored children was initiated. Beyond that, the meeting offered the sponsors the possibility to meet each other and to share their experiences with each other.
All participants were really happy with the sponsorship seminar and so it is planned to repeat it next year.

Fried vegetables from Alex for the farewell

On Saturday, 29th of June 2007, between 10.00 and 14.00 the official closure party for the Mahatma Gandhi School was held on its school yard.
Many students, teachers and alumni came to this event to reminisce, eat and drink together and just to talk to each other once again.
In addition to that, an auction was held and an acrobatics performance took place.

The complete profits were donated to the Ecumenical Forum (under which roof the Indian Forum is operating), in recognition of the support during all the years.



 

On 2nd of May 2007 the existing school partnership of the Mahatma Gandhi School with the Lutheran High School Chaibasa was handed over to the Tagore School in a festive ceremony, whereby the partnership was extended to the whole Compound of the Lutheran Schools. The handover was attened by the educational city councillor Mr. Stefan Komoß, by the Lutheran pastor Mr. Ernst-Gottfried Buntrock as well as by the principals of both schools and emissaries of the Indian Embassy in Berlin.
The framework of this event was formed by a cultural programme, which was performed by the students. In addition the students let fly the hot-air balloon of the Mahatma Gandhi School, on which backsite the face of Rabindranath Tagore had been painted.

Ernst-Gottfried Buntrock hands over the partnership symbolically

Indians and Germans together on stage

A German Indian cultural programme could be organized in autumn 2006 already for the 2nd time. The first time had been in the previous year.
This cultural programme is mainly aimed on getting to know each other a little better by means of German and Indian dances and on the construction of bridges over cultural differences, misunderstandings and prejudices by way of fun. That way an intercultural dialogue is created without timidness of the "foreign".
Not only students and teachers from the schools and hostels take part in the organization of the programme, but also lots of people from the surrounding areas come together, to take part or just to watch. The timing is usually exceeded by spontaneous performances and the celebrations go on until late in the evening.

In the year 2005 the Indian Forum took part in the annual church district day of the church district of Lichtenberg-Oberspree under the title: "We don't just live from bread alone", to present their projects to the visitors and to sensitize more people for the subject of development aid and development work in India and to fill them with more enthusiasm for it.
 

During their stay in Germany our Indian friends, together with members of the Indian Forum, presented the partnership work, that connects Chaibasa with Berlin-Marzahn for many years. The Indian Embassy had offered rooms for this event, so that the programme, consisting of a lecture, a photo show and singing, was accessible a large number of people.