The Swami Dayananda Centre for Learning at Manjakkudi, Tamil Nadu has been set up with a vision to provide holistic learning to children from rural India. Over the last 15 years, Manjakkudi has evolved into an educational and knowledge hub and soon this tiny village will have another feather in its cap in the form of an art-science centre for learning.
Numerous scientific studies have pointed that the formative years of an individual hold the building blocks to a fulfilling life. It is in the early years that a child showcases his or her creative and experimentative side to the world. But such potential can only be fully realised in a proper environmental setting.
The Swami Dayananda Centre for Learning proposes to be one such fulfilling environment for children from rural India. We are happy to share that 95% of the students who are set to benefit from this art -science intervention are first generation learners. Their home environment is not conducive to holistic learning.
As a mark of affection to the children of Manjakkudi, acclaimed Carnatic musician, Smt. Bombay Jayashri Ramnath came forward to raise awareness about this project. She partnered with Milaap, India’s largest crowd funding partner to bring in contributors for this cause. Smt.Bombay Jayashri dedicated a lullaby from the Moonchild album—Thangamani Rathiname— to the children of Manjakkudi.
For over seven years now, Smt. Bombay Jayashri Ramnath has been teaching music in a creative way to the students studying in our schools and college in Manjakkudi and Sembangudi, Tamil Nadu.
“Children in India, especially in rural areas must be encouraged to imagine and dream, to listen to beautiful narratives, explore hands on and express, without restrictions. I firmly believe that a child’s emotional, social and intellectual development starts with the first lullaby heard. Just as how the lullaby soothes the child to drift into sleep, every child deserves a loving environment which nurtures and nourishes learning and opens up a world of beauty within,” she says.
The Swami Dayananda Centre for Learning will provide a space where teachers and educators will instill and motivate children to learn via the mediums of art, science, music and value education classes. At the Atal Tinkering Lab, they will have a space to think out of the box, explore and experiment.
In fact, history is rife with examples of scientists who were also artists and have contributed to both science and art in their own ways. For instance, Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most celebrated artist –scientist of the Renaissance era. Back home, the daily morning ritual of kolam is also a reflection of an art-science confluence, intricate geometric designs decorated outside many homes.
The Swami Dayananda Centre for Learning hopes to be one such ideal centre of intersection of the two disciplines.
This cause is extremely dear to Smt. Bombay Jayashri Ramnath’s heart. “I take this opportunity to thank the students at Manjakkudi. From the context of a rural child, my experience has shown that musical education can be a great equaliser. It gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction to be deeply involved in this transformation process and witness the real change among the changemakers of tomorrow.”
