It’s soon going to be an exchange of ideas based on Ahimsa and Gandhi as the exchange programme between Mahatma Gandhi International School (MGIS) and Lycee International, France, has been finalised.
In April, 14 students and two teachers from MGIS went to France for a creative and cultural exchange programme. “We had a great time introducing Gandhiji and his philosophy of Ahimsa to French children from Class VI to XI, through interactive activities and a short film prepared by students,” says Minoo Joshi, a teacher who was a part of the exchange programme. The students who went to France elaborate on the warmth with which they were treated in the foreign land.
“The French people are really loving and their art is also impressive. Gandhiji is really respected there so the students were eager to learn more about his principles,” says Ahalya Gandhi who visited France.In February 2010, 15 students of Lycee International will come for two weeks to MGIS and collaborate on a series of community service projects and a micro-credit programme for the underprivileged. After this, another team from MGIS will visit France.
My friends Simon Behr, William Puyo and I have come down to work with the underprivileged in Kutch. We plan to start a micro-credit programme for them. Our other batchmates will arrive in February next year,” says Edward de Souchier, a visiting student from Lycée International.
Anju Musafir, the founder director of MGIS, explains the programme, saying, “Lycée International is a very prestigious school in France. What’s special about this particular programme is that there is a lot of student-to-student and teacher-to-teacher interaction.”
She says that the students decide the projects well in advance and work on them together. “Schools in Gujarat are generally not the first choice when it comes to exchange programmes. This is a way of encouraging them to have many such cultural exchanges in Ahmedabad,” she adds.
The above article was published in the Ahmedabad Mirror on 21/7/2009