Oh Marica...oh Marica!

SCHOOL ON a Saturday is great fun. Children can return home by afternoon and look forward to the Sunday which means one-and-a- half day of prancing, elders permitting. And, when there is entertainment in the school itself, the weekend couldn't have had a terrific start.

That was the scene at Marica School in Masab Tank where the 170- odd children between classes one and eight and their teachers were all outside their classrooms on the small open ground. From the children's laughs, shouts and general jaunty mood, it was apparent they were having a good time. Not surprising because it is not often that their teachers and some parents join them in a game. A `tambola' game was in progress and as each number is called out by the teacher duo of Sunita and Firdaus, there is one delirious child, teacher or parent jumping in to gather a prize.

This game had a noble cause as the proceeds of the tickets were being contributed for the local Margadarsi Mahila Sangham, a social welfare organisation for women, to enable them to set up a papad making unit with the money generated from the game. "We invited the parents also for the game and while the elders paid Rs. 10, the children paid Rs. 5 for the ticket," explains L. Geeta, a teacher. It so happened that the women's organisation approached the school's founder-principal, Marine Christine Rochemonteix, for a little monetary help and she readily agreed.

"The money is not much but we wanted to make some contribution and instill the sense of charity among the kids," she says. The organisation has sought around Rs. 1,000 for buying the basic material for setting up the papad unit and they nearly got as much from the contributions of children, teachers and a few parents.

What did the kids have to say. "It is a good experience and entertaining as well," avers Mohd. Sufiyan, a class eight student. His mate, Mohd. Nihal Parvez, adds thoughtfully, "there is some internal happiness as we are helping those in need with our contributions." Some of them were also richer through prizes gained in the form of colourful pens, comics and the likes.

Their teacher Geeta says this is not the first time they have taken up such a cause. Sometime back, they raised funds to donate a sewing machine to a villager. "We do not want to say no to anyone who seeks our help," she avows.

By V. Geetanath

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Section  : Southern States
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