Who says learning only happens in classrooms? With rolled-up pants and sleeves, and eyes wide with curiosity, a group of government school students in Gendehalli village in Belur district, Karnataka, traded their school desks for a day in the paddy fields, thanks to a unique initiative by the Rotary Club of Coffeeland Chikkamagaluru, RID 3182.
“We designed the programme to introduce children to the joys and challenges of farming, help them appreciate the hard work of farmers and foster a deeper connection with nature and food sources,” said Sudha H D, the club’s Vocational Services director. She led a team of 36 students and 37 Rotarians and Anns to Aldur Pura, a lush, scenic hamlet, 15km from Chikkamagaluru for this immersive learning programme.
The farmers were happy to teach their enthusiastic guests the art of cultivation. The children and adults stepped barefoot into the slushy fields, thrilled to plant their first rice saplings under the open sky.
“I have watched and enjoyed such scenes only in movies, but when I had this first-hand experience I realised how difficult it is to work in the fields under the scorching sun, with my feet and hands soiled with slush. I truly appreciate our farmers; my friends and I have resolved not to waste food hereafter. We now understand the hard work that goes into the making of each grain of rice,” said Vani Gowda, a Class 7 student.
Club secretary M Anand briefed the team about the ancient roots of paddy cultivation in Asia, and its crucial role in India’s food security. He spoke about the challenges faced by farmers, from climate change to wild animal intrusions. “Our aim was to build respect among the young minds for agriculture as a noble and vital vocation, and understand the value of food that comes to their table,” he says.
At noon, the guests were served authentic Malnad cuisine, specially prepared by Sudha and Ann Shreya Nagesh. The meal was served under a canopy of trees in the village. “We enjoyed the food and the ambience. It felt like we had time-travelled to a different era,” said Vani.
Club president Nagesh Kenjige and past assistant governor B K Gurumurthy extended full support to the initiative.
Sudha, a government school teacher, has plans to extend the programme further. Over the coming months, she hopes to introduce students to coffee and pepper cultivation, the region’s signature crops, and also offer them a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Channapatna toys and the working of a printing press. “Sometimes the best way to learn is not from a textbook, but from the land itself,” she smiled.