In the beginning, there were two dolls, a young psychologist, Suchandra, and a worried principal, Ananya. That was in 2018.
November 2018: Suchandra, the psychologist from Calcutta Rescue, calls me and asks if I could organize dolls with genitals for her in Switzerland; she couldn't find any on the Indian market. Suchandra knew that Lea, a teacher and volunteer from Switzerland, would be coming to Kolkata and could bring the dolls with her. But it wasn't that easy. But in the end, Saumya, a pediatrician and volunteer living in Switzerland, was able to get dolls in Austria, take them to Kolkata and hand them over to Suchandra. That's how it all began. With two dolls, Suchandra and Lea laid the foundation for sex education at Calcutta Rescue schools.
Five years later, I am in Kolkata, sitting in a small classroom at Calcutta Rescue School No. 10, together with the principal Ananya, the guidance counselor Tuli, the social worker Souvik, who supports the students, and Suchandra.
We talk about sex education, gender equality, domestic violence, dowry and early marriage. Souvik lifts up laminated banners that the young people have designed on the subject of gender equality and domestic violence. The posters are colorful, sometimes with complex drawings, but in any case impressive and meaningful.
Ananya explains that there is no gender segregation in Calcutta Rescue schools and the subjects are taught in mixed groups of boys and girls. This helps to ensure that the boys do not make inappropriate comments about girls. The teachers deal with the topics in such a way that the discussions develop from the students' questions.
Nothing is taboo. Souvik says he explains that masturbation is a natural bodily function, like eating, but there are places and times when it is inappropriate.
Like all children around the world, Calcutta Rescue's schoolchildren are exposed to online porn from an early age. Souvik talks about this in his lessons and about the danger of becoming addicted to it. The pupils live in an unsafe environment where sexual abuse is commonplace. In one of the first lessons, dolls are used to explain to the kindergarten children which parts of the body may and may not be touched by other people. The term for this is "safe and unsafe touchs". In several cases, this knowledge has led to students who have been abused reporting this to their teachers. The Calcutta Rescue team was then able to intervene in time and stop the abuse.
They also talk about menstruation. Souvik says it's important that boys understand what their sisters are going through so that they behave compassionately and not inappropriately.
They talk to the older students about relationships and relationship break-ups and how to deal with them. Suchandra explains to the young people that they will get involved in sex, gain experience and that they have a right to it. She informs them about contraceptives and how they can deal with them when the time comes. Diseases such as HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases are also discussed with them.
The parents, who come from a traditional background, do not seem to have any objections to this. The students often share valuable knowledge with their families when they get home. In this way, taboos can be broken and myths dispelled.
Is Calcutta Rescue's very progressive approach to the issues representative of Indian schools? Ananya says that there is not a single government school in Kolkata that offers sex education, even though schools are required to do so. She says that several Calcutta Rescue girls were punished in the official school they attend for talking about it. But later, when an inspection took place at the school, the teachers put the girls at the front of the class, as only they were in a position to give knowledgeable information. Ananya, Souvik and Suchandra have worked very hard to further develop the topics and adapt teaching materials from other countries so that they are appropriate for their work with the children of Calcutta Rescue. They work closely with the Oxfam Foundation to achieve this.
Yes, in the beginning there were only two dolls. But now the 680 children and young people from Calcutta Rescue, who are growing up in the most difficult of circumstances, can use their knowledge to avoid a lot of pain and many of the pitfalls that other young people in this city have to wade through blindly.