Ever wondered what our logo means?
I see an adult and a baby elephant with a tree in between them,
all three connected to each other.
The Elephants
A mama elephant and a baby elephant connected by a tree in our logo. Elephants are herd animals. They are a tight knit group and they always stand for each other and move forward as a group. As a wise person said, it takes a village to raise a child. Elephant herds respect the saying too.
After a massive two year gestation period, very soon after the delivery, the mother and the newborn need to keep up with the herd, barely getting any rest. The calf is born blind and uses its trunk to keep up with unwavering support from the rest of the herd, all other elephants chiming in as need be.
As depicted in popular culture, elephants typically do walk a single file. When in search of food or water, babies typically hold on to a mother's tail with their trunk while the rest of the herd surround them to protect against any danger. I believe the calves look up to every member in their herd for support, protection, love and together the herd fosters a beautiful community.
And just like that, our children require the same unconditional support from our human herd. And perhaps a little more, a community who understands and accepts them as they are, and provides an environment for the little leaders to thrive.
Being part of such a community provides children a sense of belonging, a sense of identity and helps them to experience secure relationships. It helps them to be empathetic and appreciative of what they have. Just like the calves, our children grow in the context of a community. A supportive community provides relationships that children can depend on, that provide security, love, growth and confidence.
But the power of a herd doesn't just end there. The young adults and growing members of a herd get quick parenting and life tutorials with the rich experience from the herd. And for us human parents, being part of a community provides numerous similar benefits. It allows families to be a part of the richer, broader network of resources, connections, experience and support system. It provides a sense of togetherness, the support to thrive through good times and bad.
The Tree
A German forester and author, Peter Wohlleben, who has a rare understanding of the inner life of trees, conveyed that forest trees have evolved to live in cooperative, interdependent relationships, maintained by communication and a collective intelligence. Latest scientific studies show that all the trees in every forest are connected through an underground fungal network. Through the network, trees share water and nutrients, and also communicate. For the young seedlings growing in a greatly shaded part of the forest, the network is a lifeline. Lacking sunlight for photosynthesis, the big trees including their parents provide them food using the network.
The Connection
Symbiosis is the essence of life. The current view of our world that we are aware of is formed by a complex web of innumerable, unexpected and sometimes inexplicable symbiotic relationships. Zooming in from this abstract perspective just into the set of humans, one can quickly notice similar rich symbiotic relationships providing crucial support for different humans from different parts of our society to thrive. In every culture we can find references which explain the importance of a community, that we are all connected. In Sanskrit, the phrase, "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", means, "The world is One Family". The South African proverb, “Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu” or “I am, because we are”, explains that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others and caring for those around us.
These are the same values our community fosters at BFCP. The values of an elephant herd, to stand up for each child as our own, to help each child to grow, to protect our children and to help each other to grow in life. Just the way a tree provides warmth, shade, food, we at BFCP aim to provide the values that help children grow with fun, friends, confidence, unity and positivity.
References:
Richard Grant, March 2018
"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/