By Jyoti Patale, Eastern India Team Consultant
Cover photo credit: Satyajeet Sabar
Knowledge can exist outside formal education, yet traditional knowledge is often overlooked in today’s educational models. To address this, Keystone Foundation runs the Village Elder Program. Through the Forest Education initiative in Eastern India, we have conducted village elder program in 4 villages. The program bridges the intergenerational gap by connecting children with traditional knowledge holders. This encourages the transfer of forest-based wisdom, and nurturing children’s curiosity about their natural surroundings.
Satyajeet Sabar (CRP Forest education), Bharati Sabar and Namita Sabar (CRP-EI) recently organized programs in Kashidih, Jharkhand and Makarkendi, West Bengal. Dhanajay Mandi (Agriculture consultant-UD) and Deepali, Kalyani Sabar (CRP-UD) and Rampada did sessions in Pukurkata and Mola village, Purulia District, West Bengal.
Learning from Elders and the Forest:
In these sessions, children learned about the seasonal availability of forest resources. They were introduced to various wild foods and their cultural significance. Using the field guide book of trees, the children engaged in identifying trees by examining flowers, fruits, leaves, and bark. They were guided by village elders who shared their insights into medicinal plants, roots, mushrooms and forest life.
Children, along with community members, collected Chiru Ghas (a type of grass) and discussed how it is used to make brooms. They also gathered Chiga Aaloo and Banpui leaves from the forest, and the elders explained how to eat them. The elders also taught the children how to identify medicinal plants and explained their uses to them.
The initiative highlights the need to include traditional knowledge and experiential leaning about environment in education, helping children better understand their surroundings. By combining outdoor activities with lessons, the Village Elder Program helps children appreciate local biodiversity and learn the importance of the plants and animals they see in their daily lives.
