A group of high school students who had been engaged for a few years in a Bahá’í educational program that builds capacity for service began having a number of conversations about their educational aspirations. One of the challenges they and their peers faced was access to suitable environments for study outside of school hours. The closest library, for instance, was located almost three kilometers away, a significant travel distance that was often not safe in the evenings, especially for girls. The group also reflected on how youth often felt isolated in their studying and how much more effective it would be if they could study together.
A collective response to a local challenge
A few weeks later, the group attended a gathering offered by the Bahá’í community for all youth in the village to reflect on their unique role in contributing to the betterment of society. They raised and explored the idea of collectively creating a library, and discussed the importance of involving their parents and others in the community. A series of consultations with parents and elders, who all lent their support to the idea, led to the identification of an extra room in a village temple that could be used as a venue for the library. Seeing the need for finances to set up such a study space, the village head pledged funds and donated magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Youth collected and contributed books, while others donated items for furnishing. Funds were raised in the community and, over time, more books were added, including high school textbooks, storybooks, and scriptures from various religions.
Creating a space for youth to study and support each other
To administer the effort, the youth decided to elect annually, through secret ballot, a chairperson who could voluntarily facilitate the needs of the library in consultation with others. Initially, a small monthly fee was set for meeting basic costs related to materials and equipment.
Over the following years, more than 100 youth became members of the library. Gradually, the library influenced community life in a few noticeable ways. While in the past youth would prepare for exams individually, leaving behind many who struggled on their own, the library helped nurture a culture of collective study and mutual support among young people. Those involved had to learn to create an uplifting and inclusive environment. One of the girls who would often visit the library shared:
“On coming here, what I like the most are the relationships. We interact and openly talk to each other. No one feels nervous or awkward in the group, or worried that others will make fun of us if we say something incorrect. Both girls and boys are respected and given a chance. We have also done many practical projects as a result of which many concepts in science have become much clearer for us.”
As the youth were advancing in their studies, many of them were simultaneously concerned about the academic progress of those younger than themselves. Several informal tutorial classes emerged in the evenings and the youth teaching them would meet regularly to discuss enhancing the standard of the education of their village. They gradually became more conscious of the significant struggles of children and younger youth studying in the public school and thus started a second line of action: a special tutorial initiative for children and junior youth.
Overcoming crises and reaching higher levels of unity
Challenges and temporary setbacks are inherent to the development of any sustained community-based initiative. As specific difficulties emerged, the youth who were facilitating the work of the library reflected regularly on the importance of applying spiritual principles such as unity, patience, and selfless service. With the advice and encouragement of local Bahá’í institutions, they redoubled their efforts to deepen bonds of friendship and to learn to collaborate with individuals and institutions from diverse backgrounds. In doing so, they saw that crises can be opportunities to reach higher levels of unity and effectiveness.
This conviction was put to the test four years into the functioning of the library when it became clear that the facilities that were being voluntarily offered would no longer be available and that the library might need to close. This incident was an occasion for the community to consult again on the nature and purpose of the effort. In reflecting on the experience gained until that point, they observed that the library not only assisted youth to have an adequate space for study, but also inspired the emergence of other educational initiatives and provided an opportunity to promote collective action in the community. The influence of the effort also spread beyond the community, as a number of youth from neighboring localities joined the library and the head of one of the villages arranged to build one for young people in his community.
Following a number of discussions and community gatherings, an expanded vision emerged. With the support of local institutions, the library was shifted to a larger hall at the center of the village. This location was more accessible for all ages, for girls and boys alike, and was also better suited to serve as a space for a range of educational activities, including the tutorial classes for children and junior youth. The consultations gave rise to a new name: Samudaaya Shiksha Kendra—Community Education Center.
Increased demands and expanded reading of reality
Soon after, the country began to experience the first wave of lockdowns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure of schools meant the initiation of many new tutorial classes in the vicinity of the education center. To coordinate the increasing number of activities in and around the center, the loose arrangements that were in place formalized into a five-member education team.
In order to enhance its own capacity, the education team drew on the technical support of a Bahá’í-inspired development organization operating in the region that had experience in the area of teacher training and supporting community schools. In recognizing that the education center was just one of many educational actors in the community, the team analyzed more deeply the existing system of education, including the contribution of public schools, private schools, tutorials, local childcare centers, moral education classes, peer study groups, and online classes. In addition to the lines of action already under way, the education team set before itself the objective of strengthening bonds of collaboration with others who were similarly concerned about education in the village. In what can at times be a competitive environment, the team sought to foster a spirit of mutual collaboration and support in service to the common weal. As an initial step, the education center began to host reflection gatherings for individuals involved in education to share their experiences and learn from one another. When it came to their attention that a public school in the village stopped functioning because of inadequate facilities, the education team mobilized others in the community to ensure that the school continued to serve the village.
As the community education center’s activities continue to evolve, the friends coordinating its work have described a number of areas of learning for the coming years:
“We are planning to organize a community gathering where we can consult with everyone about how to improve the community education center, how more of the young ones of the village could take advantage of it, how more girls could come to the center for school and college studies, and how a spirit of cooperation and mutual assistance can be enhanced. The education team is also trying to learn how to increase the quality of the tutorial support and how to strengthen an environment of learning and mutual support among all tutors and teachers in the village.”
A number of factors have been important for the evolution of this effort. From the outset, it reflected the aspirations of the community, and it has grown organically according to locally available resources and capacities. Reinforced by ongoing support from the community and its institutions, at the heart of the process has been the effort of a group of youth to cultivate within themselves certain capacities such as the ability to operate in a learning mode and promote environments of unity in diversity. All the while, the youth have supported one another to advance in their tertiary education in a nearby city while continuing to reside in and serve their community.
