By Manak Matiyani | Project Leader
Neha and Ali live in Nizamuddin Basti and are part of The YP Foundation’s Life Skills Education team. While Neha has been with the programme for three years, Ali joined recently to expand our work with children to other groups.
To expand our programme with young children, Neha and Ali reached out to a night shelter located in the area, run by the Society for the Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM). This shelter doubles up as a space to stay and learn for homeless and street children during the day and reached out to 25-30 children of diverse ages between 5-12 years of age. The children live on the streets and are vulnerable to abuse, violence and addiction. They learn early on to use violence to assert power and ensure they are heard and stay safe. The limited classroom engagement with them also follows a top down pedagogic model where they do not have power and autonomy. Their parents are rag pickers, rickshaw pullers or homeless beggars and unable to give any time or attention to the children.
It was in this context that Ali and Neha decided to initiate child-centered engagement that was participatory and non violent. Not accustomed to organized learning and classroom environments the children were quick to get restless, violent and aggressive and lack communication and listening skills. As a result it was very difficult to engage them in life skills workshops and ensure proper learning. Ali and Neha changed the model from workshops to “Playshops”. Over the past two months, they have set up a relationship with SPYM for regular engagement and scoped the needs of the children at the shelter. The sessions so far have comprised of collaborative games to improve listening, team work and effective communication among the children. The children are already showing signs of interest and now sit for longer sessions. The number of fights among children during the sessions have decreased. Over the next six months, the aim is to co-create a fun, collaborative learning space where children are able to set their own agendas and identify and follow their interests. Photography, games, exposure trips and personal sharing are some of the methods we plan to use to work towards delivering essential life skills and raising the children’s self esteem, confidence and aspirations.
Neha and Ali along with a cohort of community leaders want to expand The YP Foundation’s work with street children and create more diverse ways of engagement to bring together different kinds of young people to work together, true to the name of the Blending Spectrum programme. This could not and will not be possible without the support of individuals like you who reaffirm our faith in the value of this work and continue to champion our cause by supporting and talking about it with others. Thank you!
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