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Child's Play: "Khel Khel Mein" lets kids just be kids
Born to an upper-middle-class family in New Delhi, Kalyani Juggurnath was always
struck by the thousands of children she saw in the streets who did not grow up
with the same privileges and opportunities she had. After participating in the
Landmark curriculum, she knew what she had to do. Inspired by Landmark's
emphasis on making a difference in your community, Juggurnath and a group of
friends founded a program called "Khel Khel Mein"-which means "Fun and Learning"
in English-in order to foster self-confidence and self-expression in the city's
poor children through theater, music and craft workshops.
Children who had no experience with artistic expression were challenged to
experiment with color, texture, shape and form. They learned to stencil, create
papier-mâché, make collages and do puppetry. They even performed in a class
symphony, playing an array of handmade and found-object instruments. At root,
Juggurnath says, her program allows these desperately underprivileged children
"to just be [children]."
The two-month program, which now occurs annually in New Delhi, traditionally
ends with a spectacular talent showcase, but, Juggurnath maintains, the lessons
of "Khel Khel Mein" will not end there. "The children [learn] teamwork, and
[gain] a sense of pride and accomplishment that we hope will encourage them
throughout their lives."
See more articles about Grads
Making a Difference.
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