Nimble fingers of assurance

"I HOPE the children find their mamas and papas... I hope the people become alright... Please buy them some medicines... Please use all the money!" were just some of the concerns that the group of children from Kids Central expressed to the team of doctors and management of Apollo Hospitals. "We'll use these 20,000 good wishes with love," was the reassurance that came from Dr. P. C. Reddy and this has imbued these children aged five to ten with the confidence that their gesture was indeed going to go a long way. For, they had just presented their contribution to the Gujarat Relief Fund at Apollo - a cheque for Rs. 20,001 raised with their own little hands.

When the earthquake struck in Gujarat, the newspapers and the media were full of stories, of images. It is so routine for one to read these news items, to watch the events unfold on the screen, but what impact does such a disaster have on the minds of little children is another story altogether. "It stays as confusion in their heads and so has to be spoken out. They have to be taken through the process," shares Valli Subbiah, director of Kids Central or more popularly referred to as the Afterschool.

At Kids Central, children delve into areas of life in a way that is seldom explored at other educational centres or at home. It is a value-based programme and hinges on social consciousness. Valli feels that reaching out definitely helps address life's realities and the fears that arise out of them. This is not the first time that the children have been involved in a social cause. They raised money for Kargil, sent their messages on tape and cards and also tied friendship bands on the wrists of some soldiers.

More recently, they have visited a community of Ari embroiderers near Sri Perumbudur as part of their Kids For Kids programme. They visited the school there, interacted with the children and learnt some embroidery from them. In exchange, they demonstrated their own artistic skills to the village children. They had been making and selling eco-friendly bags in order to raise funds for the school there. This was yet another opportunity for them to become aware and reach out to other children.

A few days after the earthquake struck, the children entered into a discussion with their adult facilitators - Valli, Sindhu and Saras during what is known there as 'sharing time'. Little did any of them realise what it would result in. For the children, it began with trying to answer the question, "what is an earthquake?" According to little Manav, it is like glass plates being stacked underground. Every now and then these plates start moving and shaking. When one plate falls out, they all start tumbling down.

For children at Kids Central, their hearts went out to the children in Gujarat whose homes and schools had crumbled down and to those who had lost their mamas and their papas in the quake. However, very quickly, they realised that they would physically not be able to travel to Gujarat and build those schools and so they decided to do the next best thing, to send money. "But where do we get the money from?" Was the next question they were forced with. When Valli aunty asked," How do mamas and papas get money?" they all answered, "They do work!" And from that they decided that they were going to turn their classroom into a little factory.

And so this concerned group of citizens finally found a way to help. They would make things and sell them and this money would be donated to the earthquake victims. On March 4, after 3 weeks of hardwork, their art and craft products, which included chains, necklaces, candles, cards, puppets, paintings, pencil holders, masks, paper weights and much more were on display at Kids Central, the sale of which helped them raise Rs. 20,000.

One had to just sit in the van with them to feel their concern and anxiety. Asked little Moulik, "Valli aunty, have we brought the money with us?" And through that question, he had his first lesson on banking and the concept of cheques. At Apollo, the children were shown video clippings and slides of Gujarat.

On the way back to Kids Central, the children felt happy that their contribution would reach the children of Gujarat. For children, these are moments of inspiration and hope. Just knowing that their small effort will make a difference to humanity, will keep them wanting to reach out more and more to the world around them. And by doing so, they are also exploring their inner worlds. Obviously, there is more that goes on in there than one can even imagine.

NIRMALA SESHADRI

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