Segar

Segar is 22 years old and became Aurovilian a few years ago, after a regular Newcomer period. Although he comes from the local village of Kottakarai, this does not mean that one is automatically granted to join Auroville.

Problems with birth certificate

Segar went to New Creation school until the 8th grade. "I did not attend any further schools, although I intended to do so in the beginning. But there were some problems with my birth certificate. (At the time of birth, Segar's first name wasn't yet determined and had been left open ever since.) My parents tried to solve it with the authorities but when it finally was done and over with, I turned out to be too old for Last School. For 6 or 8 months I was just roaming around here and there, looking for something to do. Finally I asked Michel, whom I knew from football, if he would know something. Michel is a potter from France and he told me that he needed a guy who could do the pots, so he started to train me in his 'Flame' pottery workshop in Dana. It was nice working there, I learned a lot."

Moving on..

"After 2 years I felt I had to move on, because everyone in the pottery was somehow related to me, which sometimes caused problems. I found another job at Pitanga Hall as a receptionist, but after another 2 years that was getting really boring. Then Swadha told me there was someone needed at the Financial Service. So one day I just asked Otto, the head of the Financial Service, who came to the choir sessions in Pitanga every week. "Come on Monday," he said. And from that time onwards I would do my morning shift at Pitanga and was trained in the afternoons at the Financial Service."

Sports addict

Like most of Auroville's youngsters, Segar is a sports addict. Late every afternoon you can meet him at the Certitude sports ground playing football, basketball, cricket, whatever. "Sports connects the children from Aurovilian and non-Aurovilian families," he observes.