Dance and Music March 12th

We bid farewell to the students at Usgaon on Sunday March 13. The sadness was palapable and the tears visible in the farewell "ceremony." On March 12th, Saturday , the night before, there was a big music and dance program at the school. The girls sang three English songs--"Come and go with me," "Siyahamba" and "This little light of mine." (pic below). During the farewell ceremony the next day after ther performance, the

children sang these three songs to us

without our assistance, so these songs now belong to them. They are songs from the African American Spirituals tradition and one if from the South African freedom struggle. We explaned the origins of the songs to the students and our wish to share songs of power and joy with them as they journey on their own unique struggle. As indigenous tribal people of India, they have been oppressed and denied human rights. One of the phrases they use in one of their prayers at the school which they sing everyday is--"we are not cattle we are human beings."

Pic to right--school program on Saturday March 12th. Pic above--Keith in the overnight train to Ajmer we took on Sunday March 13 after attending a wedding that same Sunday morning.