“One common feeling among participant facilitators was the transformation of their initial nervousness into confidence. Also, the fact that the children were initially a little shy and then totally got into playing and expressing themselves.” - Nikhil Mehta, PFP Facilitator, India
A 2-day play session was conducted at a Youth Service Center in Bolangir, Odisha, India on September 28-29, 2016. Nikhil Mehta, PFP India’s youth trainer, along with a team of 19 volunteers ages 20-30, used cooperative games to engage children and teenagers to a different learning experience. A play-driven experience that builds the child’s confidence and teaches him or her to solve problems. A creative learning environment with an atmosphere of fun and excitement. The center was built in 1990 to answer the call for child protection in Odisha and educate them about their inherent rights. This NGO has 20 child rights centers or child clubs in 20 villages. Poverty and abuse surround these children whose parents gamble to migrate to other states just to make a decent living. For most privileged children, food, fun, and laughter can come easily. But for the children of Odisha, it is as scarce as their daily needs of food, safety, and education.
“Panchayat," “Taluka,” or the administration with Mr. Umesh Puhorit, founder of the youth center, provided the support to reach out to these neglected children and give hope through Play for Peace. Nikhil and the other youth trainers prepared the warming-up process with activities such as the 5-Finger Contract, which defined the house rules and behavior of participants during the workshop. They were instructed to be appreciative, accepting, and committed to one another; the Noise Management Tool which used body movements for the children to feel at ease and loosen up a bit; deep discussion of Core Values which were written in Odia language; and Challenge by Choice where rappelling brought a lot of thrill and enthusiasm among participants. Keeping the positive energy going for these sessions was challenging as the youth trainers slowly got out of their comfort zones to play, transitioning from gamers to facilitators. One of the highlights of the workshop was the Experiential Education (“Anubhav Adharit Shiksha”) where the facilitators needed to respond to the needs of the moment. They wanted to meet the specific needs of children for acceptance, love, and comfort while training them to be independent as well.
“I shared with them how I had been consciously encouraging them to come out from their comfort zones into growth zones during the 2 days of workshops, and the strong implications that this knowledge can have on their own lives and facilitation with children. Also, how important it is not to overdo things which might result in people getting into a panic zone,” said Nikhil. More cooperative games were conducted to promote the inclusion and protection of the children. Bell Curve Diagram provided the time allotment for the succeeding session; Animal Sounds were used to divide the larger groups for better management of games, Session Design and Sequence activities were shared by Nikhil to new and budding youth facilitators; Stick Puzzles and Hand-to-Shoulder Interpersonal Feedback activity were all enjoyed. To prepare for the play sessions in the future, they have come up with an action plan that includes 1-2 play sessions per weekend and 1-2 monthly meetings of other villages in the block. This is a positive result of the mock session conducted with over 100 students in a nearby school. Because of the impact the “live session” had on school teachers and children, there was a need for a follow-up session. Considering the first-time facilitators, the event was a success.
Hopefully, they will conduct play sessions regularly. “It was quite pleasant to know that many of them are working with NGOs because they wish to have a positive impact on the lives of the children in their villages,” Nikhil added. Oida, the language of most participants, did not hinder the team from attaining their objectives. It was the means to communicate with the children while leading the cooperative games. To the youth facilitators, it was more than the verbal exchanges of positivity and hope relayed through games. It was the powerful language of fun and laughter that surfaced one afternoon on a school playground. “One of the things mentioned was how this workshop was unique in the sense that it involved head, hands, heart, rather than just a long series of lectures,” Nikhil shared with pride. The 2-day workshop ended with a friendship song. “Sounds of songs and laughter started emerging from the different directions of the playground,” Nikhil concluded. Children from Odisha work 6 to 8 hours daily. Their fragile little frames confront a harsh reality that they continually face. Their tired bodies long for respite; they should be playing like all other children. Their empty plates need to be filled with not just food but with the sustaining hope of a fair future.
After the session, the children wait for PFP youth facilitators to bring sunshine and spread hope in their humble villages in Odisha. Until such time, they will wait. [gallery ids="7526,7527,7528,7529,7531,7532,7533,7534,7535"]
