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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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