BIS #2939 EMBARKING ON A JOURNEY OF ENRICHMENT - PART 3

BIS Mumbai                                  

BOSCO INFORMATION SERVICE #2939

EMBARKING ON A JOURNEY OF ENRICHMENT – PART 3

Rhea Serrao

POLAND, MAY 24, 2012: The much awaited Cultural Exchange Programme 'BEZGRANIC FESTIWAL MLODZIEZY ROZANYSTOK 2012 (Without Frontiers Youth Festival)' began on May 22, 2012.

 

The festival hosted by the Salesians at Rozanystok has a two-fold aim. Firstly it communicates the sense to the people that the Salesian World extends beyond their territory. They get to interact with Salesians and youngsters from different parts of the world. Secondly Rozanystok being a village far from the mega cities like Warsaw or Krakow, the Salesians have created an opportunity for local people to get a taste of various cultures of the world so they can be in touch with and feel part of the larger human family.

The festival is divided in two parts. The morning consists of visits to schools where in each country presents part of its cultural performances. The evenings are allotted for a Cultural Gathering where in artists from around the world are invited to present their performances.

 

Our troop visited two schools in the morning. At the High School of Suchowala named Teny Popieluszko we presented the Vande Mataram song, Punjabi and Bollywood dance number before two hundred and fifty middle and high school students and staff. The principal Mr. Michal Matysuiel was ecstatic after the presentation and thanked us for our effort and work.

The next destination was the primary and secondary school whose patrons are Tadeusz Kosciuszko and the National Army respectively. As a group we performed the Punjabi and the Bollywood dance. Fr. Isaac, Sr. Rita and translator Kasia spoke to the audience about the beauty of India. The group was grouped by young and enthusiastic children from the school who wanted autographs.

 

Two other countries namely Japan and Mongolia also presented their performances in these schools. These were indeed moments worth remembering!

 

We then moved back to Rozanystok to gear up for the Cultural event in the evening.  The cultural evening began with a parade led by a brass band performed by a Polish school Orchestra. In the first half of the cultural evening, the assembly was shown a documentary on the previous year's cultural festival. At around 8pm, our team met up with Mr. Mieczyslaw Kazimierz Baszko the Minister of Culture in Poland and exchanged peasantries while also extending a warm invitation to him to come to India. The second part of the cultural evening saw a group from Poland all dressed up in traditional Indian costumes dancing to the tune of popular Bollywood songs. Their dance was specially choreographed in Mumbai by an Indian choreographer. It was admirable to see that being polish they presented the dance in real Indian style. Second in line for the evening was a folk band, Zetod, all the way from a small country called Estonia who got the entire assembly burn the dance floor.

 

The day's ahead promise to be exciting with workshops, exhibitions, performances and a host of other surprises. Looking forward to experience the enrichment.

BOSCO INFORMATION SERVICE (BIS) MUMBAI

Don Bosco Provincial House,
Matunga, Mumbai - 400 019. INDIA
Email: bis@donboscomumbai.org