"Chhotti si asha"

So now we have a name – “Chhotti si asha”. I wanted the group to keep a name…so some of the kids and volunteers came up with their suggestions and voting was done to select the name.

Some of the other suggestion for the name were – “Apna Kal”, Jeevan Safal”, “Sahara”, “Sath Sath”.

Some tidbits…

* the latest at our end is that we have moved from the rose garden (the kids had some problems with the police there) to the parking lot of Jan Shikshan Sansthan (the vocational institute where some of the boys are learning stitching). i have hired Baljeet to teach the kids and i also have a few volunteers. Apart from baisc numeracy and literacy, we have started teaching some craft work as well as theatre to the kids...the theatre workshops have been real fun and we all have loved every moment of it.

* Recently, we have planned to put up an exhibition of all the craft work that we do (volunteers and the kids work together to make stuff that can be sold) as well as a small theatre performance in the same shopping complex where these kids beg. We all are working hard to make good quality items like bookmarks, shopping bags, coasters, magazine holders, pots, cards, cushion covers, cloth bags, apron etc.

* it is amazing the way people are coming forward to join us in this effort - a friend of mine is working on the logo and the brochure, somebody volunteered to make a "behind the scene" video, a couple of volunteers have agreed to come and teach and make various craftworks with us and yesterday, somebody came and volunteered to teach meditation and yoga to the kids. lets see how the kids respond to that :-))

* I have also started getting donations…without me having asked anybody for it! isn’t it greatJ

i will post some pictures soon.

I have been thinking of updating the blog about my experiment for a long time now but somehow i was not motivated to write anything...it was a mix of laziness, inertia and the conflicting emotions that i keep going through while working with these children/adults. sometimes, i feel great being with them and am happy with the way they are...then there are days when i see them being so mean to their younger ones, talking rudely, abusing each other and lazying around that i feel utterly disappointed and restless.

anyway, the key lesson is to accept them the way they are and then gently show them the other side. If they accept it - good. if not then try again :-)