Pehel | Bihar

Bihar is a highly populated state with high rate of poverty, violence, illiteracy and crime. Women and young girls have found it really unsafe due to the extreme nature of gender based violence and prohibition in exercising their basic rights. As per NCRB, Bihar tops with 22.5% of the communal riot cases registered nationwide in 2017.

As per the report, about 214 people were affected in altogether 163 cases of communal riots registered in Bihar in 2017 against overall 723 cases with 1,092 victims across the country that year. It is more shocking when compared to the figures of 2016 when Bihar ranked third (139 cases, 165 victims) in communal riot cases and fourth (79 cases, 146 victims) in 2015. (Bihar: Fear of Lawlessness Haunts People, Nearly A Dozen Killings in 24 Hours | NewsClick)

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Begusarai has been at the centre for theft, eve teasing, rigid patriarchal structures. It's very common to see young boys loitering in the streets eve-teasing and use of slangs are quite common. The literacy rate of rural female is 21.07 % and rural male is 46.2 % in Begusarai. (Begusarai district full details (bihar.com)) 

In the above context we have started a community learning space cum library space as part of School of Nature’s initiative Pahal with the intention of building a smother inter-relationship amongst the fellow humans of different caste, creed and religion, increase the level of learning and establish the intra-connect with the elements and aspects of nature around. We have started this initiative in a village of district Begusarai, Bihar. Our learning space is currently a private school with a couple of broken rooms and a dedicated local teacher. The school is surrounded by 3 villages which is a lot effected with the caste dynamic and all sorts of discriminatory practices. It’s also a place where rapid development has led to the decline and decease in the relationship with ecology.

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As part of the initiative, we are training the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th graders who come from the village and nearby town, to volunteer as facilitators in the community library and learning space.

As part of the programme, we plan to engage with the children and teen from the age group ranging 11 to 18 year olds initially on the topics of ecological education, relationship with soil, agriculture, reading and writing in English and Hindi, sex education, gender discrimination (stereotyping of gender based roles, etc.) and working with hands (gardening, etc.)