Vasundhara Site Visit 2002

Rohini GuptaJuly 11 – July 14, 2002

Activities Visit to Kolgaon Madhyamik Vidyalaya (Middle School), Kolgaon, Kudal – July 11th, 2002 Updates at the Sindhudurg District Science Center – July 11th, 2002 Visit to Maoli Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Chendavan, Kudal, as part of Science-on-Wheels program – July 12th, 2002 Visit to Walaval Primary School as part of SOW’s Primary School Program – July 12th, 2002 Visit to C.B.Naik’s work on watershed development in Nerurpar village – July 12th, 2002 Visit to Kalane Middle School, Kalane, Dodamarg, as part of Science-on-Wheels program – July 13th, 2002 Sightseeing at Amboli – July 13th, 2002 Meeting with teachers, community leaders and local Vasundhara supporters at the Sindhudurg District Science Center – July 14th, 2002

At Maoli Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Chendavan, Kudal

Teachers unloading SOW van to prepare for the day-long activities

School premises

Maoli Madhyamik Vidyalaya – 8th & 9th classes all-day program

9th standard students reading a measurement

Learning the Archimedes’ Principle

A team of 10 Vasundhara teachers left in the SOW van that morning. We dropped 3 teachers in 2 primary schools each near Maoli Middle school. At Maoli, Manisha and Sandeep engaged Class 9th and Mahesh and Dhuri engaged class 8th for all-day Science experiments, discussions, exhibitions (in class and then in a large lecture hall that the school had made available for the day that was converted into a science lab by the Vasundhara team). Lunch was offered by a local village family – the level of hospitality and warmth in rural India is something truly unique and beyond description!

Maoli Madhyamik Vidyalaya (8th & 9th class all-day program

Students are divided into two groups – girls and boys. Here, the boys are performing various experiments in the ad-hoc Science Lab. In parallel, girls are studying the exhibitions and displays and taking notes. After some time, they switch.

The students had taken a fascination for my digital camera. Here, the girls are operating my camera and the boys are posing for the picture!

C.B.Naik’s work on watershed development in Nerurpar village

Watershed built using government grants and local volunteer involvementSindhudurg is in the Konkan region of Maharashtra and gets ample rainfall during monsoon. Yet, people travel for miles to just get drinking water in the summer.

Overflow from watershed is further collected downstream

Sindhudurg District Science Center

Vasundhara teacher at the computer at SDSC. Also met a Vasundhara supporter who is starting an IT training center in Sawantwadi. India’s IT revolution needs to reach Sindhudurg!

Science on Wheels program’s reach within Sindhudurg district. There is some discussion on having Mini-Centers across the district so that they can become local hub of science-related activities. Volunteers (teachers, former college lecturers have expressed interest.

Vasundhara Team

Vasundhara Teachers:Vasundhara Teachers:Front (left to right): Manisha, Suchita, Neelam, Shubangi, Kanchan, JyotiBack (left to right): Prabhakar Dhuri, Gurudas Ajgaonkar, C.B. Naik, Mahesh Parabh, Sandeep Avasare

Meeting with teachers, community leaders and local Vasundhara supporters at the Sindhudurg District Science Center. Such local support is critical to Vasundhara’s success. Naikji is fairly astute from this perspective.