Knowledge Fair (ঞ্জানের মেলা)(সেচেদ রেয়াঃ আখড়া )

[LEBU MURMU]

On 22nd February 2026, the Suchana team organised a Knowledge Fair with two Adivasi communities from the villages of Kewdaha and Govindapala, where we are implementing the ARC project. The event was held at the inauguration of our office premises.

A total of 18 Manjhi Harams from 6 Adivasi villages attended the program. Three members from each of the four neighboring villages were also present. Along with them, adolescent boys and girls, fathers, mothers, and other community members from nearby villages participated in the event. In total, more than 120 people attended the Knowledge Fair.

Purpose of the Knowledge Fair 

We started our ARC initiative in two Adivasi villages one year ago. During this Knowledge Fair, we created a platform where villagers could share the initiatives they had taken, the issues they identified in their villages, and how they addressed them. They also shared how the SALT facilitators supported and encouraged them to recognize their strengths and work collectively.

Community Initiatives Shared

1. The Manjhi Haram group shared how they organized a football tournament using their pension money, which united 16 villages with the aim of bringing villages and youth together.
   
   
2. Adolescent boys cleaned muddy village roads, especially during the monsoon season, to prevent accidents.
   
   
3. Adolescent girls started free tuition classes to reduce school dropouts.
   
   
4. Youth installed bamboo dustbins to maintain cleanliness in the village.
   
   
5. Young people expressed their willingness to reorganize the orchard and save money for village development.
   
   
6. Mothers raised their voices against the irregular attendance of the ICDS didi. As a result, she is now more regular and responsible.
   
   

These experiences were shared openly, and participants provided valuable feedback and reflections.

Traditional Inauguration Ceremony

The event began following tribal traditions. A copper pot was filled with water and offered first to the eldest person present as a mark of respect. The others were then offered water one by one, and their feet were washed in a copper bowl. The program officially started with traditional songs.

Group Sharing Session

Representatives from Kewdaha and Govindapala villages explained the development work they had undertaken over the past year and the challenges they faced. They also highlighted how SALT conversations guided them in recognizing their strengths and improving their villages.

Reflection Session

Two questions were placed before the participants:

1. What did we learn today?
   
   
2. What initiatives can we take in the coming month?
   
   

Key Reflections from Participants

• Manjhi Haram Dhano Murmu (Govindapala Village) said that he learned that if villagers unite, many positive changes can happen. He was impressed by how youth cleaned muddy roads and how elders organized a football tournament using pension money. He emphasized that with willpower, everything is possible.
  
  
• Mangala Baski (Kewdaha Village) shared that she learned people can achieve anything if they recognize their own abilities and focus on what they can do themselves.
  
  
• Suchitra Murmu (Adolescent girl, Kewdaha Village) said she learned from the children of Govindapala village who made dustbins to keep their village clean and worked together effectively.
  
  
• Phetang Murmu (Manjhi Haram group, Nangal Village) expressed happiness in participating. He said “SALT conversation” was a new concept for him and helped him understand that it brings people closer and builds strong relationships. He appreciated the visible changes made in one year.
  
  
• Krishna (Manjhi Haram group, Tatina Para) shared that if people truly want to do something, they must stay strong and focused. He admired the girls providing free tuition and emphasized the importance of teamwork and sharing problems to find solutions together.

• What initiatives will you take in the next few months?

• Meenakshi Baski (Kewdaha)- There is a lot of dirt in the bottom of our village's tap, we will try to clean it. We will clean the area around the school.

• Sarma Hansda:- We will clean the pond with everyone in our village.

• Suman Hemram (Kewdaha)- We have taken the initiative to continue the education of the children of the village. So that the children can continue their education well and they also take the initiative for the children of the village when they grow up.

• Suman Hemram (Kewdaha)- We want to promote the mother tongue in the village through education and our Santali culture is disappearing day by day, we want to maintain our Santali culture.

• Rohit Murmu (Kewdaha)- Just as the Adolescence girls in Govinda Pala village have built dustbins to keep their village clean, we will also build dustbins to keep our village clean.

• We want to make a kitchen garden in every house so that the young children or every member of the family gets nutritious food.

• Sukol Murmu (Manjhiharam, Kewdaha)- We will try to make sure that the children use mobile phones less and pay more attention to their studies.

We will pay more attention to the fact that the young children do not drink alcohol.

• Madhumita Mardi (Gobindapala)- Just as the Adolescence girls in Keudah village are giving free tuition to the children, we will also give free tuition to the children of our village.
• Dhanu Murmu (Manjhiharam, Gobinda Pala) - Just as the Manjhiharams of Keudaha village are doing some work for the village, we will also do the same.
• Fhetang Murmu (Manjhiharam, Langal village) - What I have learned from here is that within 1 year, I will work with some educated boys and girls in our village.

Conclusion

The Knowledge Fair successfully created a space for reflection, learning, and collective motivation. Participants realized that by working together and recognizing their strengths through SALT conversations, significant positive changes can be made within their communities.