Letter Home August 2012 - University of California,...

Second Month- Before leaving for Mumbai, I had another week with the children in Shravan Vikas Mandir. The teachers notified the students that I would be going to Mumbai for quite some time, and the students immediately began asking me if I was leaving for America as I did last time, gesturing an airplane flying away with their hands. I smiled back and told them that I would still be in India, and that I would be coming back to work with them. They seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed as if I was giving my one week notice before leaving a job, and so everyday there was a new fun activity with the students. In addition to teaching, I also sat in their classes and observed how their teachers were teaching them to see how they absorbed the information. I began helping in a few classes by using different game methods to test the students on information that they learned. I taught them a few games during their break; one of the most popular with them was ‘Hangman’- which received the most active response. After trying a few practice games they understood the concept of ‘Hangman’, and soon all the students (including ones from other classrooms), were reaching in front of one another trying to guess the letters for the blank word. The students seemed to suddenly become so alert, aware, and excited to practice and learn new vocabulary; it was a different and more engaging way of grasping the material. Games always awaken students; in addition the teachers were really enthusiastic about incorporating these different teaching methods into their curriculum. This experience allowed me to understand the way students learn in a different atmosphere, and made me think of ways to help the teachers become more aware of abstract teaching methods (ones that ignite and maintain students interests). The next day, the school celebrated ‘Raksha Bandhan,’ a famous festival celebrating the bond of brothers and sisters. A sister ties a fancy thread, known as a ‘rakhi,’ around her brother’s wrist, vowing she will always be there for him, while giving him something sweet to eat. In return, the brother promises to protect her for life and gives her a present of her choosing. In the school, the staff makes all the girls tie rakhis to all the boys, representing their close family like bond. It is a wonderful little celebration, and the process takes quite some time because many boys are lined up to have most of the girls tie rakhis on them, and the boys who have the most rakhis on their arm show them off. I celebrate it every year with my own family in the same manner, and it was fun to be a part of it with the children. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7MUm_ZD-ow&feature=youtu.be

‘Raksha Bandhan’ (The Rakhi Festival) (The Rakhi in the picture is designed by the children)

*It is a symbol of the love between a brother and a sister *On this day, the sister prays and worships for her brother (using the plate shown in pictures) *Therefore the brother gives a present to his sister *The brother takes the responsibility of forever protecting and looking after his sister

Girls learning the process-‐ In the decorated plate there is colored power to mark the forehead, rice, water, a sweet dish, and a burning flame. After applying all the things on the plate, it is rotated around the brother's face three times to complete the ritual. The more gifts a brother has the more treats he gets!

Mayuri Bhandari Judith Lee Stronach Baccalaureate Prize Letter Home August 2012 1

***

One weekend my uncle took my mother and I to a disabled school he had discovered in a small village named Parola, about 1.5 hours away from Jalgoan. Here we met the Mahajan Sir, who was the founder/director of this small but humble mentally challenged school he built on his own land about 7 years ago. His story is truly remarkable. (Story of Mahajan Sir)-

Mahajan Sir had always wanted to help humanity in some way; and so he sought to become a teacher for disabled children. He was hired as a teacher in a small disabled school in the city of Pune. There he taught both mentally and physically challenged children; he even helped wash their clothes, clean their bathrooms, and took care of them as his own. Eventually, after others observed his many years of hard work, dedication, and pure love for the children, Mahajan Sir was eventually made principal of that school. Over time, he returned to his village in Parola and began his dream by opening his own school on his land using all his earnings as principal. Initially, he started out with about 25 students (children he had rescued or found throughout India who were being extremely ill treated due to their disability). After 7 years, his school has grown and now has about 80 children; most of them live in a small one room Hostel by the school that has been given to them by neighbors, rent-free.

All of the teachers he brought to teach at the school work without pay- strictly as volunteers; together they cook meals, wash clothes, educate, and take care of the children. It is truly amazing to see these eleven staff members distribute all this work daily and dedicate their lives to Mahajan Sir and this school. Mahajan Sir funded for the staff’s teacher training programs in Pune, and continues to send them for workshops so they are updated with the curriculum and proper techniques to teach the children. The staff gives all their credit to Mahajan Sir and they thank him for the inspiration he has given all of them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEeyXNukQ7s

The remarkable thing is that Mahajan Sir is not a wealthy person; he is a simple man from a small village who had a dream. He runs the school expenses on his own salary, and builds the school one section at a time. Meanwhile, he has a family of his own to support (his wife, 2 children, and father); and he uses the pension he receives (for his deceased mother) from the government to run expenses for his own family. He has made all of the children in his school his own, and he wants to make sure they have all the facilities and necessities his own children have. Mahajan Sir is definitely one of the most inspirational and selfless people I have ever met. Many people give to others, but

While the boys enjoy their sweets, the girls await their presents as they tie rakhis! At this school all the students have so many brothers and sisters; this really does build a strong bond among them. Also, everyone gets to dress up-‐ they like that they don’t have to wear their uniforms!


how many people honestly give everything of theirs – (their land, salary, time) to others before themselves?

Soon after meeting with the faculty, we were introduced to the children in the boys’ hostel; and I felt the presence of the caring connection that existed between the faculty and the students. Many of these children have found their true parents and a home where they know they are accepted and loved exactly for who they are. I had never before witnessed relationships such as these; I felt that this is truly love that exists without any borders or restrictions. This experience seemed to restore my faith in true selflessness; it was a blessing to witness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGgZEBg6ls0

My mother and I discussed with Mahajan Sir to state what immediate basic necessities they

needed that I could carry out. In the past, Mahajan Sir would walk for about 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles) almost daily carrying 2 big pails of drinking water for his students from the closest well. Now, the closest water pump was about 1.5 km (less than a mile) away. Therefore, my mother and I decided on constructing a pipeline to connect the water pump directly to the school. Since I was leaving for Mumbai, Mahajan Sir sent me required details for construction. My uncle and I worked through Jain Irrigation; we figured out the necessary pipe size, length, and water pressure required. After a few weeks, Mahajan Sir sent an approximate budget sheet after the dealer had scouted the location, and I gave approval for construction to begin. My uncle has been meeting with Mahajan Sir to make sure everything is working smoothly.

Eventually, I hope to work with the school and find out how the mentally challenged children

respond to dance and movement. They currently have a physiotherapy room where they go through basic exercises with the students; however Mahajan Sir has never had the opportunity to bring dance to these children. After working with them I would be able to figure out if a hall or big activity room would best benefit them. They have also sent me proposals for this project.

***

This is the Pipeline Budget Sheet given by Mahajan Sir. After going over these details, I approved the project. It is currently under construction. The pipes are from Jain Irrigation, and the dealer work/progress is being overseen by my uncle.


MUMBAI-

In Mumbai I became sick again for another week. It seems that my body is extremely fragile; I seem to fall ill every few weeks. I usually refrain from outside food, so I just need to allow my immune system to get stronger. Once I recovered, I set off to meet with organizations. I quickly came to realize how long it takes to travel from one location to the other; hours can go by stuck in traffic. I came to learn that I cannot commute too far; otherwise I end up wasting more time traveling instead of teaching!

After scouting several schools I researched on the Google India search engine, I found it to be quite inaccurate; much of the information was outdated and incorrect. That is why it took me 1-2 weeks to find proper schools/organizations. Most of the places I have ended up with were found through word of mouth or locations I scouted myself. Most schools I met claimed they had dance programs, which usually ended up being one performance for an annual fundraiser. When I would request to consider establishing movement as part of their curriculum, they would become reluctant. These schools did not have a problem with me teaching what I had to offer, but became hesitant with maintaining the process of dance/movement within their program.

That is when I met with Raju Mama, a close uncle of mine. My discussion with him was quite helpful. He explained that I went through such a rigorous process to find the right place, and I should allow the time to find it, for it would be better in the long run. He said that I needed to make sure the organization would be on the same page as I, that they were interested in the concept, willing to provide teachers, and most importantly focused on sustaining movement within their school. In addition, he mentioned that I should establish my own curriculum of teaching. Once this program was well established in a proper location, I would use it as model to plant in other schools and/or organizations afterward.

One day, as I was traveling home from meetings through Worli, I came across a path crossing for the blind, which led to an NGO that was titled NAB- ‘National Association for the Blind’! I was excited to find an organization close by! Even though this school has a website and is a non-governmental organization, from some reason it didn’t show up when I was researching for organizations on Google. I went inside to speak with one of the administrators, and I was introduced to Project Managers Pallavi Madam and Archana Tai. I learned that NAB is an association for young adults (blind and sighted) to become teachers/tutors for blind children in various locations throughout Mumbai. The concept is “Blind teaching the Blind.” The set up for the training program is very effective; initially students must take an exam to get into the association, and once they pass they become official trainees. They undergo lessons in various subjects and take multiple training examinations. Once they pass through, they become official trainers of the association and are assigned specific locations (within suburbs & Mumbai) to tutor blind children daily free of charge. http://www.nabindia.org/aboutus_history.htm

Entrance gate to NAB (right); opening to the two buildings for NAB (left picture); the classes are held in the right building on the 2nd floor.


Once I met with the Project Managers, I spoke with Rachna Tai- who was the coordinator of

the trainees’ classes. After discussing my ideas, we decided I would teach dance and movement workshops to all the trainees (blind and sighted) within NAB, and make them gain basic understanding of teaching movement workshops with children (i.e. exercises, warm up, stretching, dance steps, games and rhymes, etc.). Along with experiencing movement, they would also learn how to teach movement to blind students. After understanding the basics of my training, they would eventually go on to teach these dance/movement exercise and sequences to their blind children. In addition, I would want to observe their teaching skills as well, and test them on their ability to guide their students- because frankly, teaching is the best way to thoroughly understand what one has learned. A famous African proverb states, “To Learn, one must Teach; to Teach, one must Learn.”

This itself became a new challenge for me as well; not only would I teach movement and dance to blind and sighted students, but also I would have to teach them how to teach movement to their own blind students. I realized this could be the beginning of a process that would trickle down and eventually reach many blind children in various locations.

I started out with about 50 young trainees (half sighted and half blind); and I instantly made each sighted trainee partner with a blind trainee. This partnership itself is a huge help to me, because now I don’t have to go around repeating explanations to every trainee at all times. On the first day all the trainees were quite excited and full of questions, wondering what and how I was going to teach them. The first two days, I explained the importance of warm up and stretching, and gave them exercises from head to toe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P4YX_0cees http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFqjd-Xr-ko

I made each sighted trainee assist their partner, which was a challenge for many sighted trainees. They expected their partners to be able to do the movement without thoroughly explanation of guidance. Some of the sighted trainees came up to me after and said their partner wasn’t able to do the movements properly. I sat down and had a discussion with them, I made it clear that patience was required; if they were not able to handle their partners, how were they to handle children? I told them that there is not just one method of teaching, and not all students understand in the same way, which came as a bit of a surprise to them. Normally in the Indian education system there are not many methods of teaching, so this ignited their interest. I understood that they had never taught movement before, so I began to show them examples of how I explain and demonstrate in various methods, (including audio and kinesthetic).

Some of the sighted and blind trainees of NAB; posing for a picture after a movement session. Due to examinations the classes have become smaller and shift in rotations-‐ making it easier for me to focus on the each pairing!


Through my process of teaching trainees, I have established various techniques. In order to

keep count, temp, and rhythm I use claps, finger snaps, and a profound voice. To have them perform a step I start with explaining body position, then footwork, next hand work, and lastly styling details. The most important thing is for the assistor to come behind the body of their partner and physically guide them through the movement. Once they become aware of all the nuances they are free to perform the step themselves. I have found the key joints to guide movement direction are the wrists, elbows, and knees. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDkNSHh49LM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULh6AJkL7tc

I began noticing how beneficial and essential partner work was for each individual, including myself. I’ve created more exercises involving partner work- having them balance on one another for support while moving through exercises requiring them to distribute equal weight and maintain correct posture. Due to further partner exercises/sequences, students are realizing they need to maintain a relationship with their partner- it is making trainees understand they need the equal support of their partner to do the sequence well.

After a few sessions, the students began acquiring the warm up stretches. I learned that when I myself assisted a blind student along with them (providing an example) and guided the rest of the trainees on exactly what part of the body to move, I was more effective than when I was instructing and demonstrating the movement myself. This way the sighted assistants seemed less pressurized to have to come up with the explanation by themselves. I realized I can definitely challenge their creativity in how they explain the maneuver, but I must give them some ground work to start with before I do so. That is why I plan to start an extra session just for the sighted trainees, so I can interact with them to discuss their questions and/or observations, and provide them with the fundamental basics on how to assist their partners. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgLTizRqSIs

Currently, I am also teaching them movement sequences to nursery rhymes and lullabies for the young children they will teach; some of the trainees thought it would be great to have movements to lines of the lullabies, as if the children were physically acting out the verses. I include their own choreography as well; I make them motion what they feel when they hear particular words, and then connect various steps together and put them in a sequence.

Like my deaf children in Shravan Vikas Mandir, using the ‘What NOT To Do’ method on my blind trainees also proves to be very effective. I exaggerate the description of the incorrect

Some of my trainees; each blind trainee with their respective sighted partners-‐ The number of females in this program is significantly smaller than the number of males, but these energetic young women make up for that absence with their keen interest in dance!


movement, and make it humorous. Through this they remember what is incorrect and strive for what is correct. They have great energy as they move about, and become very eager to learn what is next. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgtwmteiBig

Due to the fact that I have to explain every step one motion at a time, most of the blind

student’s movement becomes very static. In order to get them to have fluidity within their movement, I use multiple adjectives and describe different aspects of Nature (water, wind, fire, etc.) to describe the dynamics of the movement. At one point, one of the blind trainees I was guiding suddenly began touching my shoulders as I was moving, because she trying to feel how my body was moving. It was then I realized how necessary touch was for them (as much as hearing) to understand the movement. From then on, I made sure that the blind trainees followed and physically felt their sighted partner do the movement so they could inhabit that same motion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8glZlNeyP18

I am teaching the trainees choreography sequences to music as well, which they enjoy. Songs are great because they can instantly relate to a song and their energy and enthusiasm suddenly rise. Once they memorize the beats in the music, they remember the choreography sections. Unfortunately, I have no video footage of the song sequences because my IPod captures the videos and provides the music- therefore both cannot function at the same time.

***

Along with working with schools I also continued to network with dance companies and organizations for disabled children. Initially I met with Aanchal Gupta, founder of Arts in Motion, the first dance studio in Mumbai. She hosts an annual fundraiser through which disabled and underprivileged children get to perform on stage. Her show for this year had just recently ended, and I was watching clips of the show. After talking with her, she recommended a few disabled schools nearby my area and gave some contacts as well. Aanchal recommended I speak with Karen Dorph, an American who started a small home for 30 underprivileged girls ‘Asha’ a few years ago in collaboration with a local NGO (Non Governmental Organization) named CORP.

A few days later I met with Karen, and went on to visit her organization and teach a dance workshop session to the girls. What I found special about the Asha Girl’s home is that not only are the basic requirements for education, housing, food etc. provided, but the girls get to experience what it is to be an average girl in the modern society. Generally, most organizations just provide the basic necessities, and do not go in depth of each individual and their particular issues, wishes, and desires. Since this organization has been specifically catering to only these 30 girls for the past five years, they make it a point to be completely involved and help with each individual girl’s growth, progress, and development. This program is currently in an experimental phase, because their eldest batch of girls who have now begun college are paving the path for the rest of the younger girls. This is a unique home Karen has developed because her program is involved in the girl’s lives in every step of the way, unlike most other organizations where they usually release girls at age 18, assuming they are completely able to fend for themselves.

In my meeting with Karen, after she heard about my quest, ideas, and challenges- she suggested that not only did I need to find the proper school and/or organization to work with but also that I needed to create my own module, my own curriculum to use to train at these various locations. She used an example, such as the ‘Mayuri Program’ that would provide a basic structure for teachers and students to follow and guide them in training various disabled children in movement and dance, empowering them to express themselves. She then suggested I connect with Emily Harrison, the


Executive Director and Founder of Innovaid Advisory Services. Innovaid provides strategic advice and management services to celebrities on their philanthropy in India.

One of Innovaid’s most well known organizations is Mewsic, founded by the infamous Australian cricketer Brett Lee. Through a collaborative partnership with The Music Therapy Trust of India, Mewsic pioneers Music Therapy in India as an integral tool in healing the physical, mental and emotional wounds of marginalized children. Through Music Therapy, Mewsic works to achieve therapeutic results by developing a musical relationship where emotions can be expressed - music is used as a tool to develop individuality, communication skills, confidence, motivation, creativity and self expression for children with a range of disabilities. http://www.mewsic.in/index.html

A few days later, I had a meeting with Emily Harrison and her Operations Manager Bhushan Lokmitra. I asked about their organization’s process in further detail and explained my project to them. Emily found it very interesting, and she explained how she would like to set up such a project in collaboration with their music program, as they are interrelated. I explained how I wanted to create a sustainable organization with teacher trainers to continue the project, and intended on reaching out to rural areas teaching disabled children dance and movement. She explained that if this project worked out then I would be provided with all the structure and support from Innovaid to make this an official program; together we would audition dance teachers who would be interested to become trainers to teach in this program. She explained that I would be the Master Trainer; this project would be my own (Moksha*) in collaboration with Innovaid. She also showed me a sample of their Music therapy curriculum, and suggested that I begin working on my own dance curriculum, which could eventually be turned into a guidebook for trainers, schools, and students to follow.

Since Mewsic is based in Mumbai, ideally this dance program would continue and be run by my trainees even after I left. This way, my program could still run in collaboration with Innovaid; I would be able to remain in contact while abroad and able to reconnect and develop the program further every time I returned to India. We touched base on how things would work out; she explained to me that I would have to work on a project proposal with Bhushan to submit to the Board Committee in Mumbai. If it is approved, it could become an official program in collaboration with Mewsic, Innovaid.

*** After discussions with my uncle Raju mama, Karen from Asha, and Emily from Innovaid, it was clear that I needed to create a guidebook, and along with that, a name for my program. I realized that deciding a name takes much more time and research than I had anticipated; everything seems to be generic, used, or stereotypical. I wanted a name that would merge my two cultures, my identity, and my purpose. I wanted it to be simple, yet still send a profound message. After thinking for a few weeks, I chose the name MOKSHA, which means liberation, release from obstructions to enlightenment, freedom in Sanskrit. Therefore I finalized- ‘MOKSHA… LIBERATION THROUGH MOVEMENT’ as the full title. I have begun working on a basic outline for the guidebook; since it is based on my research and analysis, I will add my findings/discoveries as I go along. The introduction will include the problem that exists for disabled people (children specifically), it’s statistics, the importance of movement, and it’s benefits. For right now, I am dividing into categories for the deaf and blind, teacher’s interest, energy, and enthusiasm, and how to approach teaching. Further, it shall state the varieties of dance and movement: warm up, stretching, choreography, sequences, games, improvisation, partner work, and so on. The various teaching


methods will definitely be stated, defined, and recommended to use. Most importantly, there will also be a section on how a guidebook cannot define everything- and how it won’t necessarily make the reader a perfect teacher. Their own experiences will lead them to understand their process. Rather, it shall be more like guidelines that will help provide a structure for teachers, trainers, and programs to follow so they establish movement within disabled children’s lives and help them grow and express themselves. They can apply and use this on a regular basis, like a curriculum. In addition, I can also provide some of my video footage and pictures to go along with the lessons, so the explanations can be seen visually. If this guidebook is created, I would hope to have it printed in multiple languages and be available in Braille as well. ADDITIONAL TEACHING-

As I mentioned in the previous letter, I was going to meet KRANTI- (an Organization for girls affected by Child Trafficking). I went to visit them, and met many of the girls in their home. It was wonderful to see the girls in an open, carefree, environment instead of confinement. Many organizations in India pack hundreds of rescued women and girls in small buildings where there are not many facilities and very few staff workers. Most of the women become claustrophobic, especially since they are usually not allowed to leave the premises. Ultimately, many women and/or girls end up running away from there and end up back in the place they were rescued from, continuing the vicious cycle.

However, at Kranti I saw that there were only 9 girls in this home, and they went to a school nearby. Their house parents, Katie and Robyn (from the US who are 2 of the co founders of Kranti) take care of them and set up their activities and programs. Unfortunately, the KRANTI home ended up being about a 2 hour travel from my location, so Katie and Robyn suggested that I contact their friend organization which was near my residence. They are known as AAWC (Apne Aap Women’s Collective) headed by their friend Manju Tai. I met with her assistants: Pratishta, Shraddha, and Sujitha. Both their offices are located in Red Light Districts (major trafficking areas) in Mumbai. In both locations there is a nursery for babies (of women who are working in those areas), an after school program for children, and education/activity funding provided for the youth. This organization helps women affected by trafficking find other career options, and is mainly to ensure that their second generation (children of women affected by trafficking) does not follow in that line. The organization’s remarkable feat is that since their establishment, every child who has enrolled in their program since has not turned or returned to trafficking. http://www.aawc.in/vision_mission.html

I met with Shraddha and Sujitha and discussed teaching the girls some workshop sessions in

different types of movement. They mentioned that this should not include Bollywood or film dance, because they are surrounded by those types of dances and even attracted to that style. Therefore, I intend to make them express themselves in a different way, through various other styles (including classical) and see what helps them open up and allow them to express themselves the most. In addition, I hope to observe counseling sessions and learn more about the girls by observing them and listening to their responses.

CHALLENGES-


Besides finding schools and dealing with Mumbai traffic, trying to hold workshops and finding venues to help fundraise has been extremely difficult. Any place charges loads amounts of money; unlike US college campuses, in India only students who specifically go to that college are allowed to enter their gated campus. Therefore, I cannot raise awareness, find students who are interested, or hold any workshops there. My cousin, Meenal Jain, has been trying to set up workshops and network with people, but she is currently busy with her college projects, which have had extended deadlines, so it has been difficult for her to further assist me. Despite the difficulties I am still working on this section; I am networking with past choreographers and dancers from the dance show I was on last year; I will continue to work with my resources. UPCOMING ACTIVITIES- *INNOVAID PROPOSAL- This is the big hope; not only would it establish a sustainable program, but also it would provide me a team to work with. They have a meeting coming up in a few weeks. If the proposal is successful and passes through, a budget will be established and together we would be able to fund raise and hold workshops. I’ve met with Bhushan, the Office Manager, twice now- and we will be working on a budget and proposal to present to the committee members. I have requested to be present in the board meeting, but I have yet to hear from Emily. If it is approved, I will be on to the next step to establishing a proper program. *PROGRESS WITH ORGANIZATIONS; (NAB) - I am looking forward to have a meeting with Rachna Tai and further establish an additional workshop for the sighted students. Overall, I am excited to see the development of the trainees and interested in continuing interactions/discussions to receive their feedback to try to improve upon their challenges. (For about a week in September- 17th through the 24th, a famous festival is celebrated throughout India- Ganesh Chaturti. Most schools/organizations are closed for the holidays for these days.)* *‘MOKSHA... Liberation Through Movement’ GUIDEBOOK- I will continue adding on to the guidelines; I plan on starting a blog as well. *CONTINUING NETWORKING- Meetings with organizations and directors will constantly co exist with my work. I have found that it helps to keep connecting and talking with various people in the community; it benefits in many ways and keeps me updated with what is going on within organizations and the community. Having contacts and networking is essential.

~Location (residing) In Mumbai I am staying with relatives who live in Walkeshwar (South Mumbai). I travel either by taxi or the family car when I get the chance. I go to the Jains office in Mumbai (Viti Station) often to open up my Citibank account in India. It was a bit of a struggle; even though I have OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India), I had to collect 8-9 various proofs and go back and forth to the bank for approximately 3 weeks to oversee further paperwork. After continuous persistence, my account was finally opened and now I am able to transfer money daily in small amounts from my US account to my Indian account.


Letter Home August 2012 - University of California,...

Documents

Transcript of Letter Home August 2012 - University of California,...