Two years ago, when I first arrived in India, I struggled with the fact that I was working in a rich private school in a developing country. I discussed my inner turmoil with Nitin Patde, one of my new Indian colleagues at Kodaikanal International School.
For 18 years Nitin had been the senior editor of the Hindu Times, one of India’s leading national newspapers. Now he was teaching political science at KIS. He understood how I felt as a Westerner living in his country and he was able to diffuse my anxiety by explaining India’s position in the 21st century.
"For decades India’s professionals have left India to earn huge salaries in the Middle East and in the West. Today, that is changing. Indians are staying at home and they are committed to building a better India.
"Think about it; if you were to go work in a rural school, those kids wouldn’t stand a hope of making a difference in the country. If you teach in this school, you’re educating a generation of kids who have the family capital and political clout to make a real difference."
Nitin’s words gave me peace of mind and I decided to stay and to teach at Kodaikanal International School in Southern India.
There was one more reason for me to stay at KIS; the school’s Social Experience program. The program teaches social awareness by enabling students to participate in a variety of social service activities in Kodaikanal. All high school students, Grades 9 through 12, must participate in 15 hours of interactive community service each semester – or they don’t graduate. Students are involved in community development projects to learn about the realities of life in the surrounding communities.
The department is headed by Nathan Knoll, a fellow Canadian from Victoria, B.C. Nathan’s parents were missionaries in India and he was raised at KIS. One of the few teachers who speaks Tamil, the local language, he’s serious about the school’s commitment to the community.
Knoll stated: "These elite kids have the potential to be future leaders. If we can give them a sense of justice for the plight of the poor, then it might have a tremendous effect on policy decisions that affect the poor and their future in this country."
The department’s objective is to develop a consciousness of the issues related to the distribution of natural resources, the dynamics of poverty, and the social and political forces that contribute to justice and peace. Knoll also wants to provide students with service work in the field. Ultimately, the students develop a sense of responsibility for the society in which they live. This "hands-on" involvement develops constructive, respectful behaviour towards themselves, their families, peers and communities. Students realize quickly that each person can learn from their help.
Kodaikanal International School has created the following activities in Kodai:
Under-Fives Clinic
— This project is a weekly well-baby clinic which targets poor areas of Kodaikanal. The clinic is held at Van Allen Hospital, which provides medical support for the programme. A KIS nurse is present at every clinic to help identify the children’s health needs. Students help to weigh and measure the village children and to record the information on health charts. At the end of the session students make and feed the children a nutritious meal and give mothers a talk on heath related issues. Home visits can also be arranged to provide extra care for malnourished children from low income families.Pre-Natal Clinic
— This project, which also works in co-ordination with the Under-Fives Clinic, offers a complete health-care package for pregnant women in the Kodaikanal area. For approximately $30 all the pre-natal health care, including monthly visits, vitamins, cost of the delivery in the hospital and a tubectomy/vasectomy is also covered.English for Tamil Students
— The students of KIS spend three hours every Saturday morning teaching English to students from local Tamil schools. The Tamil children come to KIS and get a chance to use the facilities at KIS, such as the computer lab and the basketball court, that are not available in their schools.Recycling Project
— Students at KIS have distributed recycling bins around campus and on staff housing compounds. Every Saturday students collect recyclable items and store them in one of the school "go-downs" where the garbage is sorted and later sold to a collector from the plains. In recent years, the Kodai environment has become quite polluted due to the tremendous increases in population and tourism. The students clean up litter, recycle garbage and educate tourists and local shop owners about recycling techniques and how to reduce waste.Mercy Home
— The Mercy Home is a home for the elderly. The students interact with the elderly people as well as help them to repair or to maintain their facilities. Last semester the students fixed the septic tank at Mercy Home and whitewashed the building.Social Forestry
— The students work in co-operation with The Palani Hills Conservation Society to plant trees and protect the environment of Kodaikanal. A major emphasis of this project is to plant shola trees to replenish the natural shola forests of the area.Shenbaganur Orphanage
— Students interact with the orphans as well as help them repair and maintain their facilities. Last year the students constructed a roof over the outdoor latrine and bathing area, built cubby holes for the children’s trunks, and installed a new water system.Polio Home
— As a means of assisting the handicapped become more self-sufficient, KIS students helped the residents of the Polio Home build a computer lab (from old KIS computers) and then gave them computer training. This will enable them to find employment opportunities in today’s technical world.Every Thursday, after school, students attend a planning meeting where they are responsible for organizing the Saturday morning activities. They must decide who will contact the various institutions, what work is to be done, what materials are needed for each job, the refreshments, and transportation.
Then every Saturday morning at 9, students head out to spend three hours at their projects. My job is to chaperone the students. It’s an easy assignment. These kids are motivated and I have a strong admiration for their commitment. I have chaperoned: English for Tamil Students, The Mercy Home, and Shenbaganur Orphanage.
All I had to do for the English for Tamil Students was make sure the classrooms were open and everyone knew where to go. It was a riot to watch my students teach English and be in charge of a class room situation.
Shenbaganur Orphanage is a tough place to visit. Approximately 60 children call Shenbaganur home. The orphans know exactly when to expect us. As soon as they see our bus lumbering down the road they rush forward to greet us with huge smiles on their little faces. Generally, we divide ourselves into two groups: one group sets out to work while the other interacts with the children. The students have created activities such as "duck-duck-goose-goose," drawing pictures with crayons, playing soccer, or just walking around the garden.
Not all of the children are orphans. Some of the children do have families, but the simple fact is their families can’t afford to keep them.
The Mercy Home shelters 21 elderly people. My first visit to the home was last semester. I was there with 15 students. For two hours we folded and glued newspapers, turning them into functional paper bags. For a long time Mercy Home residents have made paper bags out of newspapers to sell to the local merchants. (Plastic bags have been banned in Kodaikanal and shop keepers are fined if they use plastic in their shops.)
Last week we hauled firewood, made steps, and put a wire fence around the garden to keep the animals out. After our work, and after tea, we had all the old timers get out of their seats to participate in "geriatric aerobics." It was too funny. These old gals, dressed in their saris, were grooving to the music with me and my students.
Each experience has had unusual hardships and joys. It’s so beautiful to watch my students show a genuine desire to help those less fortunate then themselves.
Deepa, a Grade 11 student, remarked, "It helps me get involved with people who I would normally never have contact with. I like interacting with different age groups, it’s an amazing learning experience."
Learning is not a one-way process. The underprivileged, the teachers and their students – the future leaders of India – all come away from the KIS Social Experience program with a greater understanding of each other’s needs and what it takes to build a better country.
Janet Love Morrison is a Whistler writer who has been living in India and teaching at Kodaikanal International School for nearly three years.
