CHILDREN

It was an action-packed and noisy morning as the children were told it should be! Inspirations 2010 - a civic fest and exhibition marking the launch of the eleventh year of CMCA (Children's Movement for Civic Awareness) as well as the launch of the programme for the academic year 2010-11 was held at the St Joseph's Indian High School grounds on Vittal Mallya Road on Friday, August 6th. Cricketer Robin Uthappa, ambassador of CMCA, at Inspirations 2010. Pic courtesy: CMCA The CMCA was started in 2000 as a joint initiative of the Public Affairs Centre and Swabhimana (both Bangalore-based organisations)…

A childhood's memories Of looking and waiting For something exciting From the grove of coconut trees A busy woodpecker An agile tree climber Two young boys Who made little noise If we missed these We simply counted the trees What rekindled these memories Was Visthar's coconut trees! Situated in an eco-friendly campus in Dodda Gubbi off the Hennur Road in east Bangalore, Visthar is a treasure trove of nature's bounty that drives one to reflect inwards while celebrating life. A veritable hub of socio-cultural and environmental consciousness this organization turned twenty one recently. Famous for hosting annual festivals and events that…

It is very easy to review a play which has had a house-full audience, which was cheered to the echo, and was obviously enjoyed to the hilt by every child in the audience!"Tale of Haruk", a Korean fairy tale, staged by TUIDA, a Korean performance group (that aims to be nature-friendly in play-making) was brought to the Bangalore children by way of Ranga Shankara's AHA! initiative to provide theatre for children, supported by Britannia. The production used puppetry, some amount of sleight of hand, a set of musical instruments that are recycled from items of ordinary use,and a talented cast…

One day, during my morning walk, I came across a very cute little girl of about seven or eight standing in front of a half constructed building. She had another little boy with her, who was ‘perhaps her brother' I guessed. He was about five or six. My heart went out to them when I saw them picking up twigs from the footpaths nearby. I went close to the girl and asked her whether she was going to school. She said ‘No, I need to look after my younger siblings'' I asked her if she had ever attended school as…

Having been away from Bangalore for a very long stretch, it felt wonderful to go to the monthly (second Sunday of the month) birding outing at Lalbagh.Those who came for the outing included people who were coming to Lalbagh for the first time, and  those trying birdwatching for the first time, along with more seasoned birders. Apart from the regular birding group, Anil G T and Guruprasad also brought about 30 children from Rajarajeshwari Nagar, and they formed a separate group who went to the Lalbagh Lake first.By about 8am, an assorted group of people got together, with experienced birders…

Monday, June 21st saw 16 students from eight different schools participating in the 4th Annual V V Madhuranathan Memorial Debate Competition organised by Jnanajyothi, the Senior Citizens Association of Banashankari II Stage. The topic of the debate was "Law can prevent the abuse of elders by family members". Participants in the debate competition, with the Jnanajothi team. Pic: Prasad Students from standard 8th to 10th participated in this debate (some spoke in English while others spoke in Kannada) which was judged by a panel comprising of V R Kulkarni (Secretary, Swasahaya NGO), N B Jayaprakash (Director, Dignity Foundation Bengalooru Chapter)…

Parvathamma Aiyappa runs a small tea shop in a village near Kengeri. This is where she lives. She also works occasionally as a domestic helper. With some savings, she managed to get her two  sons – Shivaraj, 12, and Amar, 13, to a not-so-nearby school run by a welfare society, where she has to pay a nominal fee for books, admissions and uniforms. Her husband is a labourer. Parvathamma Aiyappa with her children. Pic: Lavanya Keshavamurthy. Being the self respecting mother that she is, she refuses to accept any donations for their education from the well-off families where she works.…

It's been thirty years since John Lennon passed but his spirit clearly still lives on. Nehru Bal Sangh, Bangalore, more commonly known as NBS, once again organised their much awaited inter- school cultural competition Cascade, at Bal Bhavan, Cubbon Park with the theme of ‘All we need is love.' Nehru Bal Sangh (NBS) is a United Nations recognised and accredited, voluntary, non-profit organisation with branches in 18 states of India. NBS is run by young student members who engage in social causes such as fundraising for organisations including the Spastic Society and Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA). In the past…

The water-melons slowly making way for the golden mangoes, dark grey clouds rushing in from nowhere to establish their sovereignty across the azure sky, the sudden afternoon thunderstorms playing the spoilsport and keeping the children indoors, the cool relief from the scorching heat as the sweet smell of the wet earth floats up and fills the air - the monsoon has finally arrived. Pic credit: Wikkicommons. With the schools welcoming back the brats after a seemingly never-ending summer break, the young mothers are happily settling down to trade in the bustling mornings for the long-awaited peace and normalcy in the…

For a mother who is often at loss about where to entertain her child, especially when you have no option but to take them along for some chores or shopping, it’s great to see some interesting play centers opening up in Bangalore. These are stand-alone activity centres with simple props and games that encourage action and provide a safe zone for kids to happily hop, skip and jump - not the noise pollution factories that masquerade as bowling alleys and gaming areas in most malls. There’s Monkey Maze in Indiranagar that has a huge soft play area for kids upstairs…