father Paolo De Leo, dc
After three years of absence, the young people of the Jarom Association also managed to return to India to lend a hand in the education of the students of the Nawa Maskal School, with a nice period of discussion and study between the Indian jungle and the Italian forest, the rice cultivation cycle, traditional games.
In the meantime, the Nawa Maskal School has continued to churn out well-prepared young people, capable of passing their high school exams with flying colors and thus tackling their pre-university studies in the best possible way.
After the physiological decline in enrollments during the Covid pandemic, the school is starting to grow again in numbers and consequently in enthusiasm. As always, although lessons start at 8.30, there are already those who arrive to play (or even finish their homework) at 7. It is inspiring and comforting to note that coming to school here is a pleasure and not an obligation for students.
The construction of the new gymnasium-hall is still underway, but it finally started again in September. Thanks to an Italian architect who responded to our repeated appeals in three months we will be able to make progress, both in the preparation of the trusses – which will hopefully cover the building by summer 2024 – and in the construction of the raw earth walls, which was interrupted with the onset of the pandemic, and finally in the manufacture of terracotta roof tiles.
Here too there is no shortage of difficulties; the costs of labor and materials have risen exponentially, the delays of the monsoon season have prevented the resumption of work for over a month, the acquisition of wooden beams faithful to what was requested in terms of quality and dimensions continues to be tiring; but above all, who will follow the works when the Italian architect leaves? Will we be able to find any architects or engineers who can come here? And with the few funds left (the margins are now practically nil), we can only hope that no new unexpected events arise.
Meanwhile, projects in the city, in Ranchi, Kumhar Toli are also progressing. The Little School Stefano & Gaetano continues to welcome new children every year (this unfortunately means that there is still a lot of need for help and therefore also for class adoptions, which the Yatra Association does its utmost with perseverance and loyalty); every year we continue to assist children and young people who are already well established in recognized schools in their studies.
The tailor’s shop makes uniforms for our schools and increasingly popular clothing for the Indian market (still little exploited) and Italian market (with ever-increasing difficulties).
The IT center offers training opportunities for young people, both with computer introductory courses and with support in studying and preparing for exams and competitions.
The dispensary finally finds one of its most appreciated doctors, Mrs. Kiran, who at least once a week deals with the cases that Agatha, the nurse – admirable in her always being present every day for many years now – cannot solve alone.
A small note on the Doctrinary community, which in the last two years has begun to welcome a good number of seminarians again (this year coming not only from Jharkhand but also from Orissa), thus keeping alive the hope for a future of service in this land so tortured.
