How much is safe?

Three kids climbed a tree, one child at climbed the tree, branch broke and the child fell on stone bench below. The child did not get hurt – this could have been serious also. Others climbed down, noone fell down further. Kids were not scared. (BTW he fell down at home while he was climbing ladder, the rope broke :( and he got hurt).

One child counting bricks, and took support of it, three bks fell on her

Children using tools like saw, plough with ease

Children also climbing trees, hanging with ease

Just thinking aloud what safety is and how we look at it?

How much do we WATCH kids?

Do we need to WATCH?

Child who fell down from tree shared “I was not scared, I felt I will die while falling down, take me to doc to show that everything is alright”.

Will this child be not CAREFUL next time?

Was he not CAREFUL?

Do we need to put constraint “no climbing tree?”

We have seen kids move ahead with their own sense of safety.

Few climb straight tress, while some stay down as they are not comfortable

We do have one constraint stay within adult’s eyes, and kids cannot go near construction site alone etc etc”. We do follow all the codes of road, travel safety etc – but at the campus how do we define it………….?

Just sharing to get some questioning from you to clarify my thoughts

Session prepration

Last week when we presented the idea of starting session to kids – they completely refused. Making of shelter was the biggest priority for them.

We were a bit apprehensive “how to start session in this land of opportunity”.

Well, last week as we worked on shelter, as we saw some of the thoughts coming, as we got used to of f working………the schedule fell in place”. The group is ready to start work from Monday 18^th June on schedule. We all together set up our note books, stationery……………and all excited too start session, All mentally prepared to start regular sessions of modules, workshops and all other elements.

I guess we were just one week ahead………………it was worth waiting for one week and let children find their own REASONS to start the session.

The journey started with

Excitement of the place

Lots of imagination, dreams “we can do this and that”

Implementation of dreams

Road blocks – how do we get water, tool…………hard work, material etc

Working on road block – go the experience by doing and solving

Did what we wanted to do (shelter)

Looking for more…………..as a process………looking to start what is our objective here…………….self goal.

Here is some peep in session preparation

Shalter continues.......

Last two days were different at O-campus

Venkattapa and Kids managed to make work each other. The work at shelter has moved ahead. The shelter team is exploring making of bricks with cowdung, mud and stones.

While JCB was coming  - I loaded few tyres in it and this became an excitement at campus.

Today we realized that we have to cover the sides also, as the wind is “too much”. Venktappa first was lovingly angry with us “I told you earlier also” and then he started planning with kids. Kids also have started understanding him and his excitement. He will continue to work on wed, we will join him on Thursday.

I pasted drawings at the door – and the entire foundation team was excited……..it was like a treasure for them. Each on calling other and showing the drawing – I did not imagined that a small act will create excitement at site.

Sports time is the most fun………..running at par with them:)

Food team continue to supply us fresh food with their love and care. Yesterday they also came up three tags in food arrangement “Proteins, Carbohydtares, Vitamins & minerals”. During breakfast we were saying “pass me carbohydrate” (we had poha for breakfast).

The conditions at site are harsh – the wind, the sun, the dust………………..facilities (no running water, we have really walk a long distance to get water)….………yet kids have managed to settle with full energy.

Here are some pics of our energy

Exploring trust?

Venkattapa told me “you do not trust me, what will you do with so much of mistrust?” I smiled, I had not much to say as I want to trust, but I do not trust. 

For me all journeys starts with kids and stops at kids….............This reminded me of similar situations in parenting

You do not trust  me – check mobile, mails, friends…….
You do not understand me – so you fail to feel what I go thru
And many more like this

When I meet a child I do not take any time to trust the child. Even if the child say lie to me I accept with the thought “as and when child will feel safe with me will say right things” and I continue to trust.

I am not able to trust people at site – is it because money and other materialistic things are involved? At site each one looks at with “doubt and caution” and all behaviours surround that one feeling. It is interesting journey for me. 

I am still exploring what is TRUST?

I am still exploring relationship

I am still exploring "inter-be"

I am still exploring my purpose

Any thoughts, any expetienec on my blogs are purely my experiences and my journey - any resemblance or contradiction with others thoughts are just a coincidence -:). I write for my reflection, I share for my joy.

First Shelter - by children with chidlren

We had two options

Keep the shelter ready for kids, so we can start session from the day one

Or make it with kids when they start session – this itself will be a learning experience

So we decided to choose second option

We drew the designs, took dimensions and planned the whole shelter together. The shelter team went to get material and in the process explored how to write voucher, what all kinds of  “sticks” available and it only tempo can bring the material, the counting of sticks has to be exact not approximately and so on…….

We tool the help of few labours to do the work and also they were our guide or experts.

Looking forward to next stage of creating flooring and other things like benches for the session area.

Here is our life while we created the shelter

Trust

This is my reflection of my working at K-campus on construction.

I want to continue the thought “Every person we meet, we have to meet with open mind, open heart and a desire to learn.”. I also want to TRUST each person whom I interact with. I began with doubting Sirram, and I got the feeling of cheating – I got back what I gave :)

I told Babu, Venkatatppa and Sriram on Tuesday “I do not want to check material on the site, I want to trust you”.

I want to move ahead with complete TRUST.

I realized

• I do not gain anything when I am not trusting them - I cannot just check their work, material, etc on the site - so I will end up chasing them and they chasing me"
• When I trust I gain a lot - I gain relationship.

Open for your thoughts