Transform the Lives of Children in Gujarat, India

The months of April- June 2023 were busy for Balsena. Children were engaged with preparing for their exams in April. Children discussed the topics that were difficult for them with the facilitators and activities were planned to ease their confusions and make the concepts clear.

An aviary was built by children by reusing non-biodegradable materials like plastic bottles, thermocol sheets. This coordinated group work helped them to realize the importance of team work and how working together also brings out inner skills of each of them. Children understood how important are trees for birds to live in long run and creating aviaries are short term solution. To reduce plastic use in their daily lives they also created paper bags and taught others who didn’t know how to make one.

On 30th April an Anti-Child labor rally was organized by Balsena children to inform and remind adults about child labor implications. 34 boys and 26 girls attended these rallies. Children to attend National Consultation on May 2023 was democratically selected by the Active Council members by considering all the required criteria. 982 children from all points were involved in April activities. 125 Children visited the Regional Science center, which inspired them to learn more about science and its wonders.

VACATION CAMP

The month of May is an important time to engage with children productively as children are free from all the academic pressures and enjoying their vacations. But on the other side, there are higher chances of children to engage in industrial work and go along with their parents to work in factories etc. To avoid children getting to these harmful labor, interesting games and activities were planned with the children two times a day. Children showed interest in coming to our activities and they stopped going to labor.

The activities primarily centered on components of air, water, food, and land. In all the 21 operating areas, through activities children learned to respect environment and be aware of the existing problems, especially climate change. They learnt how to lead an ecofriendly way of living in these hard times. Discussion and activities centered on healthy consumption of food, calories and effects of salt, junk foods on body, the number of toxins that come to our body by unregulated consumptions of high salt and processed food. Children also realized on how to prioritize our spending on these foods.

In similar manners, through the medium of FGDs, stories, poster displays, videos, importance of water, air and land was elaborated. The existing pollution of all these important resources and reasons behind was explored by children itself. This inspired them to engage in conscious consumption practices that less impact these resources adversely.

Healthy Home survey

Children after initial training on methodologies of conducting a survey organized the same in the 21 circle points. Both individual and family surveys were taken by children. Questions which were prepared by children itself were centered on personal hygiene habits such as frequency of brushing, bathing, keeping of towels, cutting nails etc. and family survey questions focused more on how drinking water is kept and hygiene practices associated with using the same, existence of drainage etc. Apart from learning the skills of action research and using of various tools, they also learnt about the different indicators that need to be considered for maintaining hygiene. Children did influence and convinced their families to maintain hygiene.

Zonal wise Kabaddi and Kho-Kho competitions were organized. 140 children participated in these sports activities and children displayed healthy competitive skills and cooperation. Bal mela on friendship games, such as mere hath se thotha udd gaye, Catch my finger, De thalli and several more were played among 79 children of the ages of 6 to 10.

The need of strengthening the existing children collective and inclusive and participatory leadership skills were the primary objectives of the one- day training that was conducted with 30 children. 147 Children also had a great time visiting the Victoria Park,Bhavnagar.  Apart from getting a deeper understanding about flora and fauna, they learnt of poisonous snakes, effects of these poisons on human body when bitten, the first aid protocols and even some medicinal plants, herbs that can help in curing. Plastic and its effects on environment were also deliberated to children.

The four children who attended the National Consultation of Children collectives at Ahmedabad shared their experiences and learnings in the Active Council Meeting of June. Baseline surveys were taken to update the number of children in point activities and as per the new data, 507 children with 274 boys and 233 girls attends the point activities.

26 selected girls from the operating points participated in a Girl Adolescents Training of Trainers (ToT). Here they learned of skills of conducting a training to trigger leadership and creativity among the participants. Girls initially realized their own strengths and weakness and further learned of mechanisms to manage any adverse circumstances or situations in a training by productively utilizing one’s own capabilities. They showed responsible behavior for spreading the learnings to others in the community.

The elections in all points were successfully conducted and new leaders were elected as per the criteria and rules. Children also were involved in a newsletter making training and newsletters were made in every points. Newsletters generally comprised of children’s art, song, stories, opinions on issues and their questions to the responsible adults in their community.

“ I will not stop going to Bal Sena - it is an opportunity for me to learn a lot .”

Krishna is a calm natured , understanding, responsible, active child who is involved in all the regular activities in his Akwada point Balsena . Being a conservative village, mingling of boys and girls are highly discouraged after the age of 15 or 16. As a result, Krishna is forced by his father to leave Bal Sena and stop getting invoved in its activities with girls of the village. But Krishna stood firm on his decision and made a bet to his father that ,”If you stop eating mava (tobbaco) completely , then I will stop going to Balsena ” His father disagreed and said he can’t stop eating tobacco. then Krishna reacted by, ”Then how can I leave Bal Sena. I will not leave Bal Sena because I get a chance to learn” Thus, Krishna continued in Bal Sena by fighting with his father. And now other children take example of Krishna and convince their parents strongly  if they stop them to go to Balsena.