India COVID 19 continuing education for children

Thamarai team would like to say happy new new and a very big thank-you to GlobalGiving and our project friends. We have been nourished by your encouragement of our work that strives for the well-being and full potential of all. Currently, we have 2 after-school projects, health, sports and leadership programs ongoing for children. In March 2022, we will complete building a new learning centre and will also add adult education. Recently we boosted our after school programming with menstrual well-being for girls  and a Frisbee program that encourages girls into sports. We have also started STEM activities for all children and have started mentoring youth for internship opportunities elsewhere. We look forward to 2022 as a year where we can build an enabling environment for young people to thrive through quality education, opening up opportunities and developing skills, capacity and agency.

Ultimate Frisbee is designed to promote unity and equity as teams cannot compete unless they have a balanced number of boys and girls on each team. It is designed to build gender equity and confidence in the children. Thamarai has partnered with "Play equity" to start a program in Annai Nagar village and this is what our students and youth facilitator have to say about the program. " Bhavani 7th std"I like all Frisbee games, before Frisbee I never used to go on the sports-ground, now I go every day. Before I wasn’t doing any exercise, now I have energy. Frisbee is only for girls now, after we will teach the boys too.Selvi and Gothai are our coaches. Our parents don’t let us play at the sports-ground if there is no coach or a female facilitator from Thamarai"
We are now coached three times in the week. We manage to practice every day." Logeswari age 22
"Before Frisbee I had never played on the ground. Now I play with the children and I feel like a child myself. I can see that they are interested and everyone feels happy to be there.There was a change with the girls’ dress, they now wear trousers and the parents allow it. Unfortunately, the girls also have to do the house work on top of taking time for the Frisbee.The coaches are giving a lot of space for the children and they are very friendly. They encourage the children a lot, never blaming them. At the end they do a closing circle to express and share about the session. There is space for the children to speak up.Then there is a spirit circle where they make a game. The children are in the process to find a name for their team. In the team, even if I am a facilitator, I am at the same level as the children, learning Frisbee with them."

Thamarai team recently completed stage 1 of Radical Transformational Leadership with Dr. Monica Sharma. Here is what Arthi (20 year old youth facilitator studying Bsc in Mathematics) had to say about the program
“Before RTL, I did not have confidence about me, I did not know how to plan projects or get ideas from others. Now, I am confident about doing projects and can face any problem without fear. I got inspiration and a large vision in the Conscious Full Spectrum Response template to face my problems whether they are small or big. Before attending RTL, I felt I was not enough. I could see that I did not care about or consider myself, I was only caring for others. Now I learned I need to give the best to myself, then I can be strong for others. I was inspired by the quote of Azmi Eagles where the wise eagle tells the eaglet to look to the horizon, spread their wings and fly. I understand everyone has different gifts, when I find what I care about and my talent, I shine and I can fly high. Nowadays, everyone focuses on what others say they should do rather than finding what is their own identity.
I especially liked the tools commitment for action behind complaint and noticing my background conversations as this helps me to understand others which supports a strong bond because team is important, with team support we all shine”

And what Sona had to say about the Menstraul care program My name is Sona, I am 14 years old and from Annai Nagar village "I enjoyed this class because when this topic comes up I always feel shy to share with others but after this session I learned this is normal and it's happening for all the girls, not only me. In the beginning I got frustrated with my period because every month I lost blood but now only I realise that this is the natural process of my uterus so from now on  I won't feel scared or shy. I enjoyed this session with my friends and facilitators. Now I'm using a cloth pad. I'm trying to avoid sanitary napkins because it takes more than 500-800 years for each one to decompose. I also learned how to overcome myths about menstruation, thanks to this class"

With our new learning centre coming we look forward to 2022 being a year when many more opportunites will come for us all to grow and learn unfolding our capacity and supporting each of us to stretch and attain to our full potential.