Reconnect to your Roots
Reconnect to your Roots- is one of the major project of GIRMITIYA FOUNDATION. During the 19th Century Girmitiyas or the Indenture Indian Labourers were brought to Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, East Africa and in the Caribbean, mostly Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Jamaica who has their ancient connection and legacy with India. More than 3 million of Indians worldwide are part and parcel of India. Connecting the present generation of Girmitiyas with India is what we call Reconnect to your Roots. “Connecting Contemporary India to Diaspora in Girmitiya countries: Link to Past for a Shared Future” Girmitiya Foundation is helping to connect them with their roots; it will open a new vista of relationship between two set of community separated and the foundation have helped more than 50 households to unite with their ancestors. The major aim is to connect Indians worldwide with their Indian culture and legacy so that the Girmitiya families can visit India and see the rich legacy and culture left behind. Today after the struggle of more than 100 years or so, although they are settled, they still crave for their roots and identity WE in Girmitiya Foundation firmly believe that “We cannot change the past but we can choose our future and we must choose a hopeful future together.”
Girmitiya Mahotsav
Mahotsav word itself is self explanatory. The sole aim of Girmitiya Mahotsav is to preserve cultural heritage, to strengthen the ties between India and the indentured countries, to provide an international platform to the artists of India and indentured countries, as well as to organize intellectual discussions so that the indentured lineage from all over the world can be brought together on the platform.
Our Village Our Heritage
India is a land of villages. India's soul resides in the village itself. Village is a strong heritage of Indian culture and cultured lifestyle. The ancestors who had migrated from India as indentured laborers were all from Indian rural background. Despite all the hardships and challenges, they have lived the Indian philosophy of life and preserved it with great solemnity and respect. The purpose of "Our Village Our Heritage" program run by Germitiya Foundation is to preserve the heritage of ancestors and to connect the present generations with rural heritage. At the same time, to save and promote the real identity of the dying art-culture and song music so that the present generation can join and enjoy it.
Promote Hindi, Bhojpuri Language, Folk Music, Art & Culture
To maintain our culture, create a peaceful space so that people can learn Hindi, Bhojpuri speaking & folk music & dance and meanings of different rites related to our Mother language. Promote literature and provide information on the cultural life and the rich heritage of India.
Eco Village
The mantra of “ Eco Village” is to bring awareness among the people for nature conservation, greenery and cleanliness in the villages of India with which the Girmitiya history is associated. The history of indentured laborers is mainly associated with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Setting up of “Girmitiya Village” is not just a plan rather it is to establish a new indentured village within a village. Where indentured descendants from any corner of the world could live as their own village, and can feel the legacy of their ancestors. Spiritual center, cow rearing, rural lifestyle with modern facilities, farming, traditional reception, cuisines of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh can be made available to them easily.
Through Eco Village, the environment of the villages will be kept, clean and green, for which awareness campaign will be conducted amongst the people. The objective of this project is to promote fertilizer-free farming in a scientific way so that migration of people from villages can be checked. People can be made self-sufficient in the villages by training them for farming through livestock and
Scientific method.
Education For All ( Model School/ Skill Development)
Aim of the project is to help such children in education who are financially weak or are unable to complete their education due to any unforeseen reasons. Also, under government schemes, youths will be trained for self-employment. The light of education can show the way to progress in one’s life. To stimulate students to learn in a cheerful enabling environment and to expand the school with state-of-the-art facilities for the children of poor families in rural India model schools will prove beneficial. The main objective of the Model School is to give right direction to the career of the children till they complete their studies up to class 12th. Many children go astray due to not getting the right guidelines and the studies remain incomplete and they drop out. In such a situation, the Model School Project is helpful in improving the future of the economically weaker children.
Shakti (Women Empowerment )
Shakti (Women Empowerment) project of Girmitiya Foundation is for women's self respect and to make women self-reliant. This will help in providing employment to women through various government schemes, So that women can play an important role in bringing a positive change in society and in turn to their family. The world cannot be imagined without a woman therefore, their proper development will be a significant contribution to the progress of India.
Films, Food and Literary Festival
Films, Food and Literary Festival seem to be popping up everywhere these days as they introduce us to our own cultural heritage. The Indian Culinary culture is a product of historical and cultural development spanning over thousands of year. Films, Food and Literary Festival reflect our Indian culture in wholesome way and by holding festivals across Girmitiya Foundation will help in connecting to your roots. In India we greet our guests with respect and utmost care as we Indians believe in the concept of (अतिथि देवो भवः) “Atithi Devo Bhava” -“Guest is considered equal to God”.
Girmitiya pilgrimage project
Girmitiya Teerth Yojana will be the main pilgrimage of indentured clans. This journey will start from Kolkata and from here they will travel to Jharkhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. They will be privileged the View of the Ganges in Kolkata from where the Girmitiyas first embarked on their journey by ship. Bodh Gaya in Bihar is one of the holiest of Buddhist sites, the place of the Buddha’s Enlightenment to worship one’s ancestors. Girmitiyas will have an Opportunity to see historical places of Patna and Bihar. Religious tour and tour to historical places in Banaras located in Uttar Pradesh will be shown. The objective of this project is to make them visit the areas of North East India where indentured servitude has been associated with history.
