
At the Shiva Ji Mission School in Laxmanpur just outside Bhojubeer March 17 is the last official day of exams. All the students from the youngest to those in eighth grade all sit for exams at the school. It is also the last day at the school before the break for Holi – the Hindu festival of color.
As a celebration this week’s distribution of fruit has been moved forward and is being held on March 17 after the final exam is complete.
So when the end of the final exam is announced and the teachers have collected all the exam papers and laid them on the floor in the office area in neat piles, it is time for the Just One fruit distribution. The older children eagerly distribute 2 bananas to each of the younger children and three to the older students, producing smiles all around. Then the gong is sounded and the 20 children stream out to begin their break – but not before happily waving goodbye with smiles on their faces and bananas in their hands.