Telling Their Story Their Way!

Today is the second last day of the workshop. The kids have worked really hard, there have been the good days and bad days. From my past experience what I wanted to see was the change…and there has been a change!

The boys were disappointed on the first day that the no of girls were more, but the bonding has increased and they are able to interact with everyone, work with everyone, eat and live with everyone of the group!

Shruti came back, and surprised them today, as she wanted to see that the kids put the puppet in use and actually create the story. We had worked on a basic skeleton last night, it was about putting it together.

The first thing in the morning that we did was to discuss and plan the exhibition. I told the children the importance of putting up a display, was not only to see that other people come and see our work but it is also for us to see how we have done at the end of the day.

I also tried to give them the basic tool of how you plan an exhibition. Why you need planning and organization ? By listing down all the art works they had done, they got to realize for themselves how much work had been done in the week. Secondly, they also got to know what was incomplete, what was to be added.

We then put all their spontaneous finger paintings into a “train of thought”

We took the paper cranes and started working on streamers.

The only place TISS could provide us for the exhibition was the foyer of the boys hostel, as getting permission for anywhere else on campus is a hassle, and I really did not wish to waste time on permissions and management issues.

I believe it all turned out for the best, as it was close to where the children were practicing their little puppet play with Shruti, and at the end of it, after all the notices and messages to the community on the campus, it was only the children who appreciated their display.

The exciting part of the evening was a visit by a TV channel, SAAM Marathi, it is a Marathi news channel, they took a little byte of their play, as well as interviewed two of the kids, who were completely excited about being in front of the camera.

Apart from a few curious students, we did not manage to attract the attention of too many students of social sciences, in this social sciences university. But, the kids did want to share their work, so at dinner time, they actually got motivated to go upto each student in the dining hall and invite them for a performance of the puppet play they had learnt earlier in the day. They also then went to each room in the hostels calling them all. 

They did get a little audience, for sure there could have been more students, but, I have just began to believe that our new students of social work have more important issues to study and work with than children.

The innocence of the child is so pure, that they were happy and excited by just the 10 who landed up! 

Today, was the day of bringing it all together, the works, the thoughts, the learning, the story, the experience!

And finally, after 8 days of work, the only reward that the children asked for was PLAY TIME !!!!!