Tarumitra(Groupe)

*Participant name

Robert Athickal (chaperon)
Prema Chowalloor (chaperon)
Abhinav Abhi
Chynelle Stephen
Kavya Dutta
Nandita Kumari
Ridhii Aggrawal
Sindhu Kumar Sharma
Urmila Prasad
Utkarsha Das
Ruchi Kumari
Shaswat Sinha
Gayatri Garima
Prema Chowalloor

*Theme(s) of your group/project

*Others

*Massage

Asansol Convention

Asansol, WB, 30 Oct: Tarumitra-KFT combine organized a two-day residential  Convention  at St. Patrick's Asansol........
173 students and teachers from 15 schools of Kolkata, Dhanbad and Asansol participated in the unique camp in the spacey forest-ambience of the school. A team from Patna conducted the camp with well prepared PowerPoint presentations of the ecological crisis and exposure programmes under the guidance of the wild lifer, Bro. Frank Gale.........
It may be mentioned that the twin schools of St. Patrick's and St. Vincent's have delineated a 15-acre plot of land to house a Bio-reserve for varieties of plants and trees that are facing extinction. The students moved around in groups to see for themselves the intricate weaving of the web of life. As part of their contribution, they planted fifteen selected trees at the edge of the Bio-reserve.Students from eight De Nobili Schools, two Carmel Schools from Dhanbad, three schools of Asansol and two Loreto Schools from Kolkata congregated to discuss the widespread desertification occurring in the Coal belt of Jharkhand-West Bengal States. They watched in awe at the high resolution Nasa pictures of the Coal-belt. The students from Jharkhand expressed their serious fears at the rampant desertification taking place in their state.
Sr. Prema of the KFT team felt that it was time to promote a world view and a spirituality that is earth-friendly drawing from the rich ancient traditions of the Indian religions. Earth-dance of the tribal tradition was presented as a way of communing with the web of life.
The most significant part of the camp was the drawing up of action plans by the students for their personal and community life. Many expressed their resolution to keep a strict watch of the personal use of electricity and water. Ms Chinky Liu of Loreto Kolkata and Udipta Bhattacharya of De Nobili FRI were elected to lead the..camp...........
Earth Day

Darbhanga Aug 6: Students of Holy Cross School celebrated the Earth Day in a very a special way .  Students of Class 10 offered prayers at the assembly.   Tarumitra students presented their action for  the academic year which included some innovative responsibilities taken up by students . There was a Jal Mitra to look after the taps and water, Safai Mitra to look after cleanliness and Vidjyut Mitra to stop the improper use of electricity.   Tarumitra organized a slogan competition to create some useful taglines.About 400 students along with some teachers, Co-ordinator Mr. Bijay Victor Felio and the Principal Sr. Alice Thomas took out a rally at  8 am from the school towards Darbhanga railway station.  Students kept on repeating the slogans related to protection of earth and environment.   The chief guest Mr. Om Prakash Kheria, the mayor of Darbhanga was welcomed. Thereafter Nukkad Natak on cleanliness was displayed by the students which was highly appreciated by the chief guest, local public and media.  The winners of the slogan competition received certificates from the chief guest.

Delhi Info-Desk

Delhi. 30Nov: International Women's Congress Organized by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Delhi, invited Tarumitra  to set up an Information Desk on Tarumitra activities. The venue was at the conference hall of Asoka Hotel. The students of St.Xavier's (Badali) Delhi   participated in the programme in an effective and resourceful way.  There was continous influx of NGOs who were working for various causes, to the desk.  Many NGOs both Indian and International appreciated the beautiful work done by the students to save the environment.
 
Siliguri Plantation

Siliguri, WB 30 Dec: - Tarumitra group of St. Joseph's School celebrated Vanamahotsava.  It began with a prayer, prepared by the group. The school netsworks with the Siliguri Horticultural Society.

The members of the  Society arrived with trees and shrubs for planting. Karnika Roy writes, "The use of the plants were explained. Students took very active part in planting"

Guwahati Show

Guwahati 30 Aug: Tarumitra Students of Holy Child School celebrated the World Environment Day. They did it in collaboration with YSM and Media, two other groups in the school. One of the students spoke on the occasion highlighting the importance of working for the protection of the earth. She said that the Earth does not need our help to survive, instead we need the help from the rest of the creation for our own survival.   This as followed by the drawing competition in which a number of students took part to paint the environmental destruction.  At the end of these competitions, the students were enlightened about the danger that was facing them and they discussed  ways and means  to make this world a better place to live in.    

Eco-sensitization 

Bhagalpur:30 Sept A Three Day Camp in Carmel Convent School, Bhagalpur was conducted  under the direction of Sr.Angela D'souza AC the principal of the school. Sr.Prema from Tarumitra Ashram staffed the camp activities assisted by Urmila and Utkarsha who were delegates to UN Conference in Japan.   Seven neighborhood schools enthusiastically participated in the camp. The high lights of the camp were: inter school competitions, plantation programme, visit to the nearby forest reserve and exchange of friendship belts with the trees. 350 students participated in the camp. They drew up innovative and interesting action plans.

Earth Celebrated  in Sultanpur U.P

 Sultanpur 30Sept: As part of an effort to celebrate nature, Stella Maris high school organized an eco-week.  Sr.Grace Mary, the principal introduced  a sensitization programme for the entire school consisting 1200 students. The District Magistrate was present to inaugurate the programme. She appreciated and encouraged the students to take a stand to save mother earth. The students realized the seriousness of the   environmental changes that are taking place today and prepared very constructive and practical action plans.
The school had also invited the staff members of the nearby schools for One Day Eco-Sensitization Programme specially arranged  for teachers. 48 staff members participated in the camp.
Fascinated by the programme the Principal of Tiny Tots Public School invited Tarumitra coordinators to address  the staff.  They too resolved  to make the school campus cleaner and greener.
There was also  yet another Environmental Sensitization Programme in which the doctors of the local area and the hospital actively participated. They were 30 participants and they made a plan to make Sultanpur green.
Sr. Prema and Ms Vineeta from Tarumitra Ashram staffed the sensitization camps.

Need Champa trees...

Bettiah. 10 Jan: New Year began for Champaran Tarumitras with a number of camps. Two day programme for the teachers of St. Theresa's brought 50 teachers of the school which is considered one of the oldest schools in the district. The teachers along with the Headmistress Sr. Shalini  felt that environmental education must be part of the entire school rather than a single teacher.

Instead of making Environmental Education exclusively the work of a teacher, the staff here has planned it as a process in all the subjects of the school. For example, the teacher who takes care of the Maths, science, social studies, bhasha, music and physical education would try to give an environmental color to their subjects. All who heard of it felt that it was timely and innovative.
The teachers have made a plan to get the students involved in solving the problem of waste disposal in the colony here. They would support the students in their effort to find a solution to the problem of the colony waste. Fr. Robert Athickal who staffed the workshop felt  that the teachers understood the  whole purpose of enviornmental education as visualized by UNESCO in the Tbilisi conference.
 
Sr. Neeli, the Principal of the PEd College got her staff and students for a day on preparing a curriculum on Environmental Education.

The Headmaster of the K. R Jesuit High School, Fr. Francis Palliparambil SJ along with the Animator  Denis Rodericks organized another camp in the city for the students of K.R and St. Xavier's Higher Sec School. Aided by seniors student Sadre Alam and Abhi and Sindhu (Delegates to Japan) the camp was a total success. They have chosen a plan to bring back the locally extinct Champa trees into the campus (District Champaran gets the name from the Champa trees).

Over 1500  students of St. Theresa's and St. Stanislaus assembled in their spacious hall for the last day of the series. The students have decided  to meet the local MLA and MP concerning the repair of the road in front of the school which has become a health hazard........
   
Loreto Networking

Dharamtalla, Kolkata,  Sept 25: Tarumitra students of Class 8 representing Loreto Dharamtalla traveled to Faldi High School, Barasat to join the students in plantation.  The students of Faldi high school welcomed the Tarumitras and made them feel at home. 
Loreto Tarumitras carried 150 saplings given to them by the Forest Department.  The students chose Barasat because of the felling of 150 years old Mahogany trees to widen Jessore road. Hrishita,  Stephanie  and  Batul reported to Tarumitra Times that the group planted 15 saplings in the school premises while the rest were distributed among the students of the school so that they could take it home and give it personal care.
The boys dug up the pits while the girls did the plantation.   There was active participation by the teachers, principal and students.   Extreme care was taken for the welfare of the plants by building  systematic tree-guards around each sapling.  The saplings were endemic ones such as Shishu, Radha Chura, Gulmohar, Chhatim Mahogany, Ashok,  and Sawarna.
Hrishita Dutta said, "We would like to remind you that this is just the beginning of making Kolkata once again a 'paradise of the earth."
Students to Check Vehicular Pollution
Patna. 10 Jan 2006:  The two-month long campaign to bring in some sort of control of the rampant air pollution is yielding amazing results.  Tarumitra started the campaign when the Government issued them the license to check vehicles and issue certificates (PUC).
The specially arranged vehicle with the machines to check  pollution levels moves into various schools and get the students to help out in the work.
Students  take part in the work with great enthusiasm. They learn to run the machines and turn out to be help for the senior students who man the programme.
"Tarumitra students are playing an important role to sensitize the parents on checking vehicles." Said the Transport Commissioner of the Government.
Tarumitra plans to recruit many more students from the Government run schools in the future.