Most of the students supported by Kanasu Trust come from tribal communities. As indigenous people living in forest areas, they have little notion of "personal", and everything is usually shared by all. No child goes hungry, as long as there is a grain of food in the hamlet. How do we balance this notion of extended "family", within the modern notions of savings?
N has been in Bangalore for more than three years. Working his way up from office boy, doing his BCom by correspondence. In this time, he has helped S, his younger sister who had recently dropped out of school, to resume her studies. S is now doing her 10th. B, another younger sister who had dropped out many years back, is also with him now in the city, working and earning a living. In this, he has had our help, and that of his younger brother.
However, his savings in this time is nil. Every couple of months, his parents visit him and take away all his cash. He is earning a decent income now, and should start saving, but his father fell down and hurt himself. He rushed home, and gave them all he had. Then, his uncle fell sick, so he took a loan and gave them money. Subsequently, another relative needed money, and he took his sister's earnings to help them out. And so, the story goes on...
How now, do we balance his community's notion of "us" against his own need to "save" for the uncertain future in the big bad city?
-- Budget a certain amount for "family" and "extended family", and save the rest?
-- Take away his entire income so that he actually has nothing left to help them?
Ideas welcome!
Showing posts with label ethical problems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ethical problems. Show all posts
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Philosophy of education, ha!
Education is an area of interest for me. Especially, philosophy of education. When I went there what stuck me acutely was how it was not about education at all. It was all about livelihood. I doubt if they could divorce education from livelihood. Education is a ticket to livelihood for all of them there.
Thinking about philosophy of education seemed like a privilege of the privileged alone. In the Soliga lands, the need of the hour is employment. People are increasingly turning to education not because they want the further generations to be enlightened human beings, but because there is no other way they will secure jobs if they are not educated.
Exposure to the world outside and the loss of rights over their ancestral forests, have together skewed their self-esteem and self-image. Simultaneously, education (a programme designed by the state) has attained a lot of importance. Sometimes, I wonder if employment alone should be a reason for education. Or should education be for reasons for self development. But where is the time for the latter when one is busy trying very hard to make ends meet.
What a horrible world we live in with its really unfair structures. Some perspective, this! It is indeed sad that even thinking about education is a privilege of a few privileged people!
Shobha S.V.
Thinking about philosophy of education seemed like a privilege of the privileged alone. In the Soliga lands, the need of the hour is employment. People are increasingly turning to education not because they want the further generations to be enlightened human beings, but because there is no other way they will secure jobs if they are not educated.
Exposure to the world outside and the loss of rights over their ancestral forests, have together skewed their self-esteem and self-image. Simultaneously, education (a programme designed by the state) has attained a lot of importance. Sometimes, I wonder if employment alone should be a reason for education. Or should education be for reasons for self development. But where is the time for the latter when one is busy trying very hard to make ends meet.
What a horrible world we live in with its really unfair structures. Some perspective, this! It is indeed sad that even thinking about education is a privilege of a few privileged people!
Shobha S.V.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
We got taken for a long ride...
It was quite shocking.
The receipt number is the same.
The amount is the same.
The date and month are the same.
Only the year has been changed -- from 08 to 09.
We discovered that one of the students we support was cheating -- us! He had sent us last year's bill and claimed money.
We were upset and felt betrayed. After all, we all spend so much time, energy and money to ensure these boys get a decent education... coming as they do from families of coolies who drink away their earnings...
What do we do?
First, we tried to understand why he did it.
1. We ask for receipts, receipts, receipts. Perhaps the college did not issue a receipt and we were asking for receipt. What else could he do?
2. We only pay for educational expenses (fees, books, uniform, hostel, etc.) -- not debts incurred by the family, not daily wear clothes, not the occasional movie, not... not... not... Perhaps, he needs the money for any or all of the above... especially debts as boys a decade younger are earning an income, whereas he is not.
3. Perhaps he needs a mobile?
4. Or even a new pair of shoes...
5. Or perhaps, he just saw a bunch of do-gooders with money to burn...
I do not know the reason, but do we stop supporting him?
He is midway through his course. The money invested so far will be wasted as he will certainly drop out. Do I have the right to do this?
I tried meeting him, but he is sick and has gone home.
Plan of action:
1. After his return, go to his college and hostel and get first hand information about the fees paid this year.
2. With this information in hand, meet him and ask why he did this?
3. Explain that this has demotivated all of us to such an extent that we would like to close the Trust and stop the work entirely.
4. Make him and others sign a bond that they will repay all the money they have taken for their studies. This was a verbal agreement till now.
Or
Scream at him and get it over with.
Option 2 is always easier, isn't it?
But the big question is: How do I trust him with money henceforth? Need to work out a method whereby I pay the college directly, and not him. How fair is that? Life has no answers right now...
The receipt number is the same.
The amount is the same.
The date and month are the same.
Only the year has been changed -- from 08 to 09.
We discovered that one of the students we support was cheating -- us! He had sent us last year's bill and claimed money.
We were upset and felt betrayed. After all, we all spend so much time, energy and money to ensure these boys get a decent education... coming as they do from families of coolies who drink away their earnings...
What do we do?
First, we tried to understand why he did it.
1. We ask for receipts, receipts, receipts. Perhaps the college did not issue a receipt and we were asking for receipt. What else could he do?
2. We only pay for educational expenses (fees, books, uniform, hostel, etc.) -- not debts incurred by the family, not daily wear clothes, not the occasional movie, not... not... not... Perhaps, he needs the money for any or all of the above... especially debts as boys a decade younger are earning an income, whereas he is not.
3. Perhaps he needs a mobile?
4. Or even a new pair of shoes...
5. Or perhaps, he just saw a bunch of do-gooders with money to burn...
I do not know the reason, but do we stop supporting him?
He is midway through his course. The money invested so far will be wasted as he will certainly drop out. Do I have the right to do this?
I tried meeting him, but he is sick and has gone home.
Plan of action:
1. After his return, go to his college and hostel and get first hand information about the fees paid this year.
2. With this information in hand, meet him and ask why he did this?
3. Explain that this has demotivated all of us to such an extent that we would like to close the Trust and stop the work entirely.
4. Make him and others sign a bond that they will repay all the money they have taken for their studies. This was a verbal agreement till now.
Or
Scream at him and get it over with.
Option 2 is always easier, isn't it?
But the big question is: How do I trust him with money henceforth? Need to work out a method whereby I pay the college directly, and not him. How fair is that? Life has no answers right now...
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