Expanding...

KATHPUTLI COLONY COMMUNITY ORIENTATION

It is the month of December and the much awaited expansion phase of PROJECT KAYAKALP is here !! We proved our mettle by successfully working with four puppeteers from the KATHPUTLI COLONY , SHADIPUR DEPOT.Now it's time to expand and induct more willing souls into the aegis of the Enactus Kayakalp endeavour.
Now it's time to take the impact forward and help a few more from the colony to take their lives forward. 

On 8th Dec we organised a community orientation for the inhabitants of kathputli colony , famous for exhibiting multi variate talents and skills.

After setting the flex , laptop and projector in place , we divided ourself into 4 groups , each guided by one of our four puppeteers.  We then went into the colony/slum through extremely narrow lanes and conspicuous unhygiene to summon the people who our puppeteers thought would greatly benefit from our presentation.

The colony's major difficulties are the intolerable living conditions signified by open drainage system , astonishingly narrow lanes , no ray of sunlight entering the crammed up colony , extreme lack of clean water and zero awareness in the above mentioned fields.

Amidst these ghetto-like grounds, thrives the talent of our puppeteers . Between these unhygienic lanes , are the make shift houses of our traditional entertainers . These were the people we wanted to attract towards our orientation . People who are willing to change their lives for the better. Artists who have it in them to perform and rise up to all occassions.

After being back from our little marketing trip, we stay put in the Kalakar Trust hall to greet and interact with the interested people who came for the orientation. Soon , after achieving a decent audience we began the presentation telling them :

-- who we are

-- why are we here

-- asking them their problems

-- why do we want to help

-- how have we helped in the past

-- how we plan to help our new batch

-- our plan of training schedule for them

We had our existing puppeteers present at the scene to be a walking egample of our unfailing efforts. The evident growth of our previous batch of puppeteers surely stimulated others to join.

After listening to their problems and daily grievances , we told them about the significance of the training that we have planned for them :

-- Theatre workshop in December

-- One mutually decided day to hold team building activities and ice breaking sessions.

-- January training round

-- February training round

They were made aware of the virtuous cycle which will occur if they increased their knowledge , skill and experience of their pofessional field. Needless to say , it would improve their worth in the eyes of customers, help them assert their talent , improve demand for their performances , bring in more moolah into the house , lead to a better lifestyle. The highest point of this virtuous cycle would be if they will be able to break free from the strands of poverty and discrimination.

In the end , speaking of mutual trust and FAITH , we conveyed that how essential it is for them to adjust their commitments with our training and workshops.That they have to stop the unintentional exercise of wage cutting , by nurturing competition not with each other , but with the new forms of entertainment due to which the market for traditional puppetry is on the decline.  That the training they accomplish will only take them FORWARD . That our efforts are solely FOR THEIR WELFARE . That they ought to be serious and willing to put in the hours --  for THEMSELVES!!  

To conclude we had a small personal discussion with the group wherein they shared with us their work related and household problems. They are an inquisitive lot and we encouraged their such nature fully ! After answering their queries , we had them fill individual baseline forms which would help us in the final selection of the new batch of kayakalp puppeteers. In all we collected 24 forms (a number more than expected :D )

All in all , the orientation was a huge success and we look forward to the next one , in which we will be joined by many more who could not be present this time. And to hope the least , they would be willing to associate with us and keep on weaving the carpet of hope with their heart to learn and improve . We have to make them BELIEVE that this carpet that they are weaving with so much determination , will FLY one day ! YES IT WILL FLY .......

Cheers !

Akshita Yadav