Since about a year and a half we initiated Khel! ('play' in Hindi). This project started when azeer wanted to make his final year design project of academic architecture a reality. With the help of Ashoka's Youth Venture we designed, created and built a bicycle cart. Khel! may have been initiated by 1 person, but right from the start it has always been the TEAM learning and working together.
Khel! as the name suggests is about playing. We use the bicycle cart which we cycle out to kids twice a week as a base to play from. We believe in learning as we interact, so it’s not about "teaching" the kids what we know but about exploring and learning together. Non competitive games, planting medicinal plants, singing, dancing, etc help a lot in achieving this. We eventually want to tap and nurture the skills of the children as also learn new skills ourselves. We aim to create a spark in our kids and ourselves to be curious, question our surroundings and feel good about who we are. Most of the kids live as pavement dwellers in Bandra, Bombay, India. We have games and activities on the cart by which one can explore/improve their senses, and understanding of themselves. We created this cart out of some waste material as also toys and musical instruments from waste.
The concept is that anyone can use a cart like this and tweak it to their own positive need and create your space anywhere. Imagine if you loved music we create a cart in which you can put your instruments and ride it to any place you want. The park, school, beach- literally the word is your playground. You then open it up and have now created your very own learning environment. Imagine now learning about the sunrise/sunset/landbreeze/seabreeze while actually being at a sea front rather than reading about it only from a book. When you are done the cart can go back to being parked in a safe community space. It is a multi functional and user friendly mobile learning environment.
Young people who have just graduated from degree school are expected by family and community to do a certain specific task called 'making money'. We at Khel! share common values and beliefs about things. The way we want to lead our lives, and what we feel is important to us. Apart from coming together for the children, what truly changes will always be within us. It is this love and these relationships that we use as experiments in this wonderful situation call life to always be true to ourselves. Because “WE” is “ME” mirrored!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL0mUcIMo_Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6aZwHnnFT8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJsFd1DTeE4
http://www.youthventureindia.net/venture-impact-azeer/
http://cityspinning.org/2009/05/mobileculture-the-short-listed-proposals-for-the-dot/
