Essar Foundation, Vadinar, organizes unique exchange program

In an effort to bridge the urban-rural divide, the Essar Foundation, Vadinar, organized a unique program on December 26, 2011. On the lines of a student exchange program, the event had children from Essar Nand Vidya Niketan (NVN) School, Vadinar, making a trip to Timdi village, and interact with their rural counterparts.

About 150 children from the village school (Classes I-VIII) and about 70 from NVN school (Classes VII and VIII), gathered in Timdi village school to spend the day together.

The program started with the children and teachers of NVN joining the Morning Assembly at Timdi village school. Assembly extended to an variety of cultural programs presented by the children of both schools.

Lunch was a simple Gujarati meal, including 'bajre ka rotla' (Indian bread made of pearl millet), 'aalu bhajji' (a dry potato dish), and 'chhaas' (buttermilk), served in typical rural style. A Transect Walk was arranged post-lunch where the NVN children went around the village with their counterparts. An inter-school cricket match among the boys, and 'Kho-Kho' match among the girls, brought an end to the eventful day.

This was a small effort towards bridging the urban-rural divide, but a beginning nevertheless...