[Dialogue] Living Memorial

[Muriel Griffin]

Thank you, Mary, for sharing this story of your work.
It is an inspiration to see how your loving care for the lives of the students brings a harvest that will benefit them and their families for years to come.
You make the story Pune continue years after we first learned of this place in India.
May you keep strong and always creative and filled with hope.
Thank you again,
Murie Griffin
________________________________
From: Dialogue <dialogue-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net> on behalf of Mary Kurian D'Souza via Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2020 11:01 PM
To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>; Wanda Holcombe <wandah70 at gmail.com>; Dawn Collins <collinsdawn747 at yahoo.com>
Cc: Mary Kurian D'Souza <marykdsouza at gmail.com>
Subject: [Dialogue] Living Memorial

My very dear George and Wanda,
When I was in Chicago for a meeting three years ago I looked at the postage stamp garden from our Uptown Five days in 1974 at the corner of Sheridan and Lawrence. We had the Uptown Fire Department water the garden during that summer. In its place now is a beautiful Japanese garden. It survived all these years and is a beautiful spot. That space is still beckoning people to live their lives in beauty and compassion.

The Aragon Valentine's Ball. That was gutsy. To take such a huge, closed up building and revive its role as a community space.

As priors on my floor at 4750 North Sheridan you and Wanda kept a watch over me. I remember going to a store to buy soap in the evening. You stopped me right there at the entrance and said "never go out on your own after dark". We (Heng Tsu Chen and I) knew that we could come to you to sort out our concerns.

I remember the ITI in Mumbai. You were the dean of the programme. The large hall with the huge decor pieces in a school at Andheri. That is where I experienced the depth of who the Ecumenical Institute was. Those were formative years of mine also. You have played a key role that has given me a base for any and all the work I am now engaged in.

I now teach women so they can finish formal schooling. More importantly, I empower them to create their space and role in a changing society. I plant small forests of native trees to slow down climate change and hold water in the ground. I counsel women who have been abused by friends or family.
And I am a mother to two young adults
I constantly yearn to live out of my deeps
All of this has been influenced by who you are and have been in my life.

Dear Giant of the Deeps, I wish you well on the journey here and across the river of transition.

My deepest gratitude and respect.
Mary
Pune, India


This is a report I have yet to complete to mark our achievement of this year.


Celebrating the achievement of our learners.

Aditi Learning Centre

Class 12 results


We are particularly pleased with the results of Trupti and Nilima.

Trupti was with us for only 7 months. The atmosphere and approach to learning at our centre made a huge difference to her grades and her life.


The other 4 learners have huge issues at home.

A sick and bedridden mother, dysfunctional families and unstable financial situations at home. Yet, they have all passed their class 12 examinations.


Arpita Machinder Lalgude      300/650          46%

Dipali Chinku Gaykhe               377/650          58%

Nilima Balu Pingale                 437/650          67%

Sapna Vishwas Gaikwad         311/650          47.8%

Trupti Ravinder Katke             460/650          70.7%

Ujwala Bopal Mormare          311/650          47%



Class 10 results

Gauri Pramod Bhadale           Marathi           68%

                                                Mathematics   60%

                                                Social Science 57%

Tai Andre Khandu                   English             53%

                                                Mathematics   47%

Vaishali Kanhu Balgude          English             35%

                                                Mathematics   54%

These are three women who are married and all three of them have 2 children going to school. They are returning to learn and complete their class 10 examinations after a break of over 10 years.

One, who is in a joint family situation, kept her return to learning as a secret from her in -laws with whom she is resident.

Another had to appeal to her grandmother to request her parents-in-law to protect her decision and her participation in the learning process

They attended classes over 7 months while managing and fulfilling all their responsibilities at home.

They are all breakers of cultural stereotypes that keep women confined to the home.

All three of them anticipate studying and completing their class 12 examinations.

Gauri was introduced to the Aditi Learning Centre program by another learner who was unable to finish her studies for class 10 because of financial instability at home.



 Shwetha Andre Subash           English             62%

Pooja Ravinder Gaikwad         Mathematics   49%

These two students had not completed their 10th grade in the previous academic year and had kept it a secret from their parents. Here the reason for the secrecy is more to protect themselves from the anger of the parents and an inability to communicate with them.

One of them was in such great despair that she would just stay in bed. A teacher visited her at home, combed her hair and counseled her to re-engage in learning.



Both of them plan to prepare and appear for class 12 examinations



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