Here’s a story to help us recall our mission to care for all creation and to help us celebrate Earth Day.
St. Mary’s Mission School, Sokho planted two hundred tree saplings over the last two years in the vacant land adjacent to the school building for shade and to prevent soil erosion. It is a high school, up to Class X, in a remote rural area. Once it is dark, wild elephants still roam about in the nearby thick jungles.
The school principal, Lilly Beck, SCN said, “I would like our students to learn about the importance of planting trees and protecting them”. She said that she buys a certain number of tree saplings each year and lets the students plant them and care for them. The students water the plants during their environmental class time. Sister Lilly hopes that within five years, together with the students and teachers, to make the school compound a green area where the birds can nest and students can enjoy shade during the scorching summer heat.
The other SCNs, Miti Mariam Tamsoy and Roshila Dungdung, also support this endeavor in the school in line with the SCN call to care for Mother Earth. Caring for Mother Earth is a project of the entire school: teachers, students and staff.
St. Mary’s Mission School, Sokho is run by the diocese of Bhagalpur and administered by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. There are over 850 students from class one to ten with hostels for boys and girls. The girls’ hostel is situated in the convent compound with 120 children. It is supervised by Stanisla Hembrom, SCN.
From its very humble beginning in 1992, St. Mary’s Mission School has grown to be a prestigious school in the locality. This is the only mission school in the area. Many of the school alumnae are placed in high positions in the society with government jobs, and some of them support to pay the school fees of poor children.
The local population consists mostly of Santhal Tribe and Kharwars. Karwars are often considered a marginalized community, historically associated with land cultivation and living off of forest collection. Both groups are indigenous communities and Scheduled Tribes (ST) found primarily in Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal. They live with dignity. However poor they may be, all try to pay the school fees of their children. Sister Lilly said that when she comes to know that any of the parents of a child is sickly, she tries to give them some concession in the school fee.
Mid-day (Manna) meal is sponsored by the diocese. Everyone who comes to the school has a hot meal. Each one pays one rupee a day for the meal. This money is used to purchase vegetables, lentils, spices and firewood. The school is bubbling with life and every year they get plenty of new admissions.
Interviewed by Malini Manjoly, SCN
SCNs shown above: Lilly Beck -School Principal; Stanisla Hembrom- Teacher; Miti Mariam Tamsoy- Teacher; and Regina Ekka – Nurse.