There was one entry in my pocket notebook which never made it to this blog for quite sometime now. The topic also came up for discussion in our recent staff meeting too. However, for lack of any conclusive or satisfactory 'answer' or 'way ahead' it stayed just there. I am referring to the issue of immediate neighbourhood apostolate here in the seminary.
Till last year one of the forms in which we reached out to the children of the neighbourhood was through evening tuition for those from the Telugu medium school. However, once we stopped giving out books and school uniform cloth for free, so did their appearance here. We learnt a good lesson: Children (of course, and parents alike) were not here for the education that we were offering, but for the freebies that they were getting. The Brother did make an effort to revive the evening classes but it really did not happen. So we considered it for the good and left it at that.
For the next year, I have been thinking of how best to reach out. I really didn't get to anything really practical, without cutting too much into our regular community schedule. To make matters worse, this evening I received news that some financial aid has been sanctioned for the educational support of children in the neighbourhood! However, one thing is certain: no more spoon feeding; no just doling out freebies of any kind. It really does not help, least of all the one receiving it.
Till last year one of the forms in which we reached out to the children of the neighbourhood was through evening tuition for those from the Telugu medium school. However, once we stopped giving out books and school uniform cloth for free, so did their appearance here. We learnt a good lesson: Children (of course, and parents alike) were not here for the education that we were offering, but for the freebies that they were getting. The Brother did make an effort to revive the evening classes but it really did not happen. So we considered it for the good and left it at that.
For the next year, I have been thinking of how best to reach out. I really didn't get to anything really practical, without cutting too much into our regular community schedule. To make matters worse, this evening I received news that some financial aid has been sanctioned for the educational support of children in the neighbourhood! However, one thing is certain: no more spoon feeding; no just doling out freebies of any kind. It really does not help, least of all the one receiving it.
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