Sahyadri Sanchaya, a Mangaluru based NGO organized camps for tribal children in Yellapura, Ankola and Joida who live in the farthest corners of Uttara Kannada district that aims to familiarize them with arts.
Still, students at Nevalase, which is a government primary school located in Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, have to sit on the floor. During the rainy seasons, moisture from rain makes it impossible for students to sit anywhere around the corridors. They do not even have a mat to put on it. The distance from this school to Ankola town is about 40 km. They are yet to organize desks and benches for this small school which has classes 1-5.
“Isn’t this something we should all be worried about?” asked Dinesh Holla, an artist and convener of Mangalore-based registered group Sahyadri Sanchaya that brings together environmentalists. “There are several Government schools in Uttara Kannada like this one. At least 15 such schools are known by us at Sahyadri Sanachaya,” Holla told The Parami News.
Government school children engaged in outdoor activities at Mudiye in Joida in Uttara Kannada under Vana Chethana activities of Sahyadri Sanchaya of Mangaluru.
Some basic facilities are missing from many government schools including those found mostly within Joida, Yellapura, Ankola Haliyal Dandeli Mundugodu; thus making life unbearable for both staffs and learners. Siddi, Kudubi Halakki Gouli communities dominate here as these groups constitute most of their student population.
When I realized how bad the condition of governments’ schools were especially among tribals during my hiking visits through Western Ghats says Mr.Holla who is also an ardent kite flyer and manufacturer. It was in 2006 that he began distributing education materials, such as note books, pencils, pens, bags, and slates, to students of one or two schools in Uttara Kannada district by dipping into his personal savings. “I began on June 15, my birthday,” the artist said.
Holla became involved in international kite festivals through his membership with Team Mangalore which started in 2008. In some international kite festivals notably those held in France he started displaying and selling some of his artwork. “30% from sale proceeds of my artwork went for distribution of education material to tribal students back home in Uttara Kannada,” he said.
With a need for more schools to be involved with tribal children’s coverage, Holla shared the plight of students and their schools with his trekkers friends who also gave out money.
After that period of foundation more than ten years ago now it has grown over time because many like-minded donors as well as institutions came up to support it.
Around 250 Schools Benefit
They have provided computers, TV sets digital slates library racks library books tables & chairs desks benches solar lights umbrellas raincoats among others for many schools over the last fifteen years or so. “So far we have covered around 250 schools”, he says.
In the last four years furniture worth ₹5 lakh was donated by Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers Limited (MCF), Mangaluru to schools. For instance HAL team led by Mr.Manjunath is donating green boards and sports materials while other companies e.g Saffron Technology led by Mr.Mukund Damle have been giving computers. Those are aside individual contributors.
In March 2017, the students of Swaroopa Adhyayana Kendra in Mangaluru were involved in a two days trekking event to Kyatanamakki-Menasinahadya hills near Horanadu, as part of Sahyadri Sanchaya efforts to make students appreciate the beauty and significance of the Western Ghats.
His team members are Rakesh Bolar, Harsha D’Souza, Giridhar Kamath, Vivek Gowda, Snake Kiran, Sudheer, Praveen, Punik Shetty, Sunil Attavara, Raki Gowda, Harish Adyar and Kusum Shailesh. In addition some volunteers co-ordinate the activities at the ground level. Rajeshwari Siddi and Anantha Siddi are from Yellapura who have been working with the team since it was formed. Yashwant Naik is from Joida while Manjunatha Gouda is from Ankola.
The minimum number of students is eight while the maximum number is 80 in an average school. A school situated at Bailandoor in Yellapura taluk has 136 students. “There is no one to mentor them,” said Holla.
Challenges during lockdown
However this effort was hindered by COVID-19 restrictions and a lockdown introduced in years 2020/21. When online teaching picked up and became the order of the day tribal students in government schools lagged behind others. There were many who did not have access to mobile phones.
The empowerment activities by Sahyadri Sanchaya faced that hindrance because of lockdowns imposed in both 2020 and 2021 as well as COVID-19 interventions.
When conditions under lockdown eased off some what by September last year; Holla made children participate into creative activities such as drawing, making a kite or craft, dancing and singing. He named the program Vana Belaku — outdoor activities under the shade of trees.
At that time there were no international kite festivals due to the pandemic restrictions. Holla could not sell his art work, especially his specialised line art work, which reduced funds for the children and the schools.
Then came Panambur Vasudeva Aithal from United States who offered to support them financially for creative activities starting from 2021. Aithal hails from Mangaluru. The creative activities were re-structured and named as Vana Chethana to address the drawbacks in students learning abilities.
English grammar was taught along with mathematics using diagrammatic representation and games. Craft-based teaching was done upon them. Increasing memory power guided them. Organizing contests meant rewarding them.
In a year, these Vana Chethana activities sponsored by Aithal will continue even today and it covers about 35 different schools between September and March.
Aithal told The Parami that he sponsored the programme as it was a creative work to educationally empower tribal students. “Holla has maintained transparency at all levels,” he said.
Used Cycles for Karnataka Government Schools after repair.
What Teachers Say
According to Chandrakant Gouda, a school teacher who had previously been teaching in Mudiye for about five years at Joida taluk and now teaches at Karwar, students’ creativity expanded after they participated in Team Holla’s activities. “Earlier many students could speak only Konkani. Now it is just Kannada and a lot of other things. They keep on asking teachers when will be the next visit of Holla.”
Yashwant Naik, a teacher from Joida said that Sahyadri Sanchaya has been empowering children in joida taluk for 16 years. There is a great change seen in learning powers of tribal students now. They have also arranged scholarships to pursue higher education for high scorers in class 10 exams (naik). Teacher states, “They are doing an excellent job by remaining low profile without seeking publicity.”
Government school children engaged in outdoor activities at Kodasani in Ankola in Uttara Kannada under Vana Chethana activities of Sahyadri Sanchaya of Mangaluru.
Activities done by Dakshina Kannada Class Seven Students
Inspired by the activities carried out by Team Holla, two grade seven pupils from Dakshina Kannada recently made donations towards their activities on their respective birthdays. Anjali from Mangaluru donated all her pocket money amounting to ₹10,000 and Harshika Kaniyoor contributed ₹25,000 for buying desks and benches.
Team Holla gave six old cycles to deserving kids at Yellapura on 2023s. Last year on his birthday June 15th Holla arranged one cycle for Nagoda School student Joidataluka which had been donated by a teacher in Mangaluru (naik). All these students would otherwise have walked around five km to go to schools.
The team has collected about 50 used cycles in Mangaluru for distribution to students in Uttara Kannada. They are under repair and will be distributed by the end of August.
