Alice Project In Arunachal Pradesh

Sogyal Rinpoche The Patron of Alice Project School in Arunachal Pradesh

Sogyal Rinpoche

Alice Project in the Wonderland of Namdapha

Alice Project in (A.P.)

The Alice Project school in Bodhisatta village Deban situated at the bank of swift and clean Noa-Dehing river, in the eastern tip of the Indian sub-continent amid misty blue mountains of  the dense evergreen forest neighbor the famous Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh. The school opened its doors July 31, 2009 as a result of the efforts of Mr.Valentino Giacomin Executive Director and  Luigina de Biasi the Co-director of the Alice Project. Imparting free education to the poor children isolated in the rural area of Deban where there is no electricity, medical facilities or communications and the nearest market is 24 kilometers away. On the other hand the beauty of the place attracts visitors from far away and is an ideal place for tourists, visitors, ecologists, researchers of many kinds, environmentalists, nature lovers and trekkers. The local people are very cooperative and friendly and welcomes visitors with warm smiles.

People who also made the school possible

Several people in the village offered their help the dream of the school become a reality. It is impossible to mention them all. We acknowledge, among the many, a few people for the kindness they gave (from left to right) Sita Devi, who generously offered the land on which the school now sits. Tarani Sen, who kindly donated the land for the indigenous Medicinal Herbs Conservation Project. Montu Karbari, the Headman of Bodisatta, who encouraged and supported the founders of the school with his far reaching vision. Nilo Bahan, the shaman of the village, and his wife, who also offered their land for the future development. Also a significant contribution was given by Sogyal Rinpoche’s Rigpa Center in Amsterdam. (Van Ostadestraat, 300, 1073 TW, Amsterdam – Holand)

Many Came Out to Help Make the School Possible

Almost all the people of the village offered their manual labor for the construction of the school. It is important to mention the enthusiastic cooperation of the young people who volunteered to safe guard the school during the night and helped their parents on the construction during the day.  The “boomi puja” (breaking the earth or the first brick of the foundation) was performed by local priests in May 2009 and the building, made of bamboo and soil, was ready for the new 2009/2010 academic year. Seventy five students from kindergarden to class III (3rd grade), were enrolled soon after the school opened. Children come from the Bodisatta and the villages around. Many parents from villages far away are asking Alice Project to accept their children in the school, which is why Alice Project is planning the construction of a hostel for the children to live in allowing more students to attend classes.

Future Plans for a Hostel for Girls

“We are especially concerned that girls have access to education,” says Vinay Kumar Chakma, the Director of the school.  We are planning to build a hostel near the school for 15 to 20 girls. In addition, we have requested the families in the village to ‘adopt’ girls from distant villages, allowing more girls to receive an Alice Project education.

A School for Everyone

Teachers of the new school, trained at Alice Project in Sarnath.

The School is following the Alice Project methodology and the Arunachal Praedesh Board curriculum. “We are trying to be recognized by the A.P. Government”, says Vimaleshwar Chakma, Principal. “We already have a Non Objection Certificate (N.O.C) from the local leaders, who understood the importance of the methodology, not only for the chakma people, but for the children from other communities, which is already happening in the Alice Project Schools in Sarnath, Varanasi and Bodhgaya. Our school is opened to everyone who wishes to receive a quality education as well as good academic results.”

What is Alice Project?

Alice Project is an International recognized educational method which combines the traditional curriculum with spirituality. It is the brainchild of Valentino Giacomin and Luigina de Biasi, former school teachers from Italy, who bought a piece of land in Sarnath, India in 1994 and built a school and today nearly 800 children from kindergarten to class XII (12th grade) and Degree College (Community College) study daily.

His Holiness The Dalai Lama with the founder and the students at Sarnath. 2006

In 1908 His Holiness the Dalai Lama, after a divination, encouraged Valentino to leave his job as journalist and to dedicate his life to education in India. His Holiness accepted the invitation to be the patron of the institution in 2008. The Alice Project gets its name from Lewis Carol’s famous book for children, Alice in Wonderland. It’s the story of a young girl (Alice) who goes on a fabulous adventure into her subconscious mind, meeting many of the extraordinary creatures of her psyche and returning safely to the world of conventional reality once again. The Alice Project aims similarly to invite the child on a guided tour of inner and outer realities, to show them the full spectrum of their identity and to return them safely to ‘reality’ once more. But this time, enriched with new knowledge about themselves and the world able to understand and cope better with challenges and contradictions of their everyday world.

We Need Your Help for Our Future Plans

Yearly upgrading the schools – Increasing teaching staffs (including female) – Girls Hostel Constructions – Toilets – Boundary (wall with bricks for safety) – Weaving and other vocational training courses – Primary Health Unit – Solar Energy – Indigenous Medicinal Herbs Conservative Project.

Contact

Valentino Giacomin, Executive Director, Head Office of Alice Project School, Sarnath Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Ph. +91-9973918773, +91-9648207853.

Branch Office Alice Project School at Bodhgaya: Publio Valle – Dandawa, Sijua, Bodhgaya – Gaya, Bihar, India. Ph + 919472112791

Branch Office Alice Project Arunachal Pradesh: Vinay Kumar Chakma, Bodisatta, Deban. P.O-Deban via Miao, Dist. Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh, India.Tel.03807-201012

Bank Account: Awakening Special Universal Education – Bank of India, Branch Bodhgaya – Gaya, Swift Code BKIDINBBCOS – Fcra: BKID0004479 –A.N.447920100000010.

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