... for they have their own thoughts - Multiworld India

2005 Goa, India15windows for me. I met friends who would help mefind answers. This made rebellion not a necessity. Ididn’t have to waste time rebelling and rejecting.The relationship which I had with co-teachers,books, nature was not foisted or imposed on me butopened new worlds. They gave me guidance,provoked me, left me alone at times. They didn’t atany time stop my growth in the areas in which I wasinterested.We started CFL with 3 children and in 3 years thenumber rose to 200. The children who came to CFLare either working in the morning or throughout theday, so when they come to school they actually geta break. They are allowed time to engage in meaningfulactivities. Other children include some whowere left on the streets. Some of them were sent byschools to tuition centres or extra curricula activities,they never got a break and they never had spaceto think or to do anything in life.GERARD D’SILVA, E MATS, BELGAUMI have been a resident of Belgaum, Karnataka, forthe past thirty odd years. I am a writer of mathtutorial and text books for high school. In my sparetime, I trek and play music. My latest production isthe Spark-Math books for classes 6, 7 and 8, publishedby Macmillan.JITENDRA, SIDH, MUSSOORIEI am Jitendra Sharma, a member of SIDH (Society forIntegrated Development of the Himalayas). I havebeen mainly associated with our youth programmes.These are week-long and one-yearresidential courses called Sanmati and Sanjeevani. Ialso work with the school, classes 6-10 that are heldat our Bodhigram campus in Kempty, Mussoorie. Ithink/reflect on education/ life and try to apply myunderstanding to my own life. I feel life long commitmentto education and am working towards givingconcrete shape to what we understand by shiksha. Iam 33 year old, married with two little sons.SANJOY AND DAMYANTII have been a student of Gandhian thought andDamyanti is an artist. We keep an open house forchildren of the neighbourhood and are experimentingwith organic learning.After working with different organizations andindividuals with different age groups around thecountry we have developed invincible faith thatthere is lot more learning outside the four walls ofschool. We realized that if children are given anopen space, they naturally develop skills andcreativity. We are convinced that organic living isone of the innate paths that lead towards harmonyof self, society, surroundings and is the most naturalway for learning.MOHAN SURVEI work with Vikas Sahyog Pratishthan (VSP), a collectiveof voluntary organizations in Maharashtra Statethat nurtures diversity of existence and approaches.VSP is interested in developing innovative interventionsand has evolved a learning forum calledShodh.ASPI AND YASMIN SHROFF‘Possibilities’ is a process of feeling, experiencing,and understanding the principle that each one ofus has immense inner strength, natural wisdom andan inborn nature of happiness and love.Possibilities Unlimited Foundation works with allage groups, rural and urban communities throughworkshops, dialogue and action; events such as