Report on the International Literacy Day celebration at Puttenahalli Lake with PNLIT, Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books

Magical lands, extraordinary castles, quaint country roads, powerful heroes, ferocious beasts,  angelic fairies and more are all possible in the realm of stories and storytelling. And to bring this to life today ( Sep 9th) , Snehadhara Foundation was at Puttenahalli Lake for the 'One Day One Story' event organised in collaboration with PNLIT and Pratham Books to celebrate the International Literacy Day, marking our 10th year of this event together.

Children, parents, passerbys and all joined us at the beautiful gazebo nestled at the corner of the Puttenahalli lake. The calm waters, serene green scapes with quacking ducks and chirping birds would be our home for an hour of storytelling with drama, song, dance and play. Two beautiful stories were showcased this year Hakeem's Hiccups and Hello Sun. From the Hakeem plagued with a case of the never ending hiccups to the little boy's endless bright sunny smiles, the Snehadhara team enlivened the pages of the storybook and drew the audience into their world.

The adorable audience of little tots and big tots experienced their own transformation as hesitant "hello-s" turned to tentative imitations and the end, any inhibitions seemed to fly away as full blown cheers with initiatives to call out, sing, dance and hop along with people they had met just a few minutes ago! This space that drew them all in led to them opening up to each other, coming together in such seamless ways marking a new experience of inclusion through the arts.

Here's a peak at the absolute magic at the lake today!

Write up credits: Vibha Bhat

Sharing the FB album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=SnehadharaFoundation&set=a.702433938579283

Photo credits - Ramu

Celebrate International Literacy Day 2021

8th September 2021 - We will be celebrating the International Literacy Day with Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books by hosting an online interactive session for children aged 10 years and below. Event details are attached below.

Pratham Books' stories this year are Satya, Watch Out! written by Yamini Vijayan and illustrated by Vishnu M Nair for younger children, and Puchku Seeks a Song, a Level 3 book written by Deepanjana Pal and illustrated by Rajiv Eipe for older children.

Entry is free but registration is a must! 

So do register here - https://bit.ly/2Y9wW0T

The registered email ids will get Zoom meeting ID. For any queries, contact pnlit.events@gmail.com .

Celebrate International Literacy Day with PNLIT, Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books

Our annual storytelling event goes online!

We are delighted to celebrate International Literacy Day with Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books by hosting an online interactive session for children aged between 3 and 10 years. 

Pratham Books' stories this year are Angry Akku written and illustrated by Vinayak Varma for younger kids, and The Girl Who Could Not Stop Laughing, written by Meera Ganapathi and illustrated by Rosh for older kids. 

Entry is free but registration is a must!  So do register here - https://forms.gle/SJZRvFnwwoGwaddA8   

The registered email ids will get Zoom meeting ID closer to the date. For any queries, contact pnlit.events@gmail.com .

Warmly,

Sapana

PNLIT Events Coordinator

On Kottavi Raja and Drum Jam

Story telling at the lake has always been a magical time both for us and the participants. We love to see the looks on the children's faces match the story teller's. The event on 9th September to celebrate International Literacy Day took the excitement to another level altogether. It combined story telling with drumming! 

(Pic: Madhu)

The heads were too many to count but we would put the figure to over 70 kids. As for adults ... Parents, grandparents, regular walkers at the lake, passersby ... This was the best attended event we've had at the lake so far!  We loved it especially because it drew people, young and old from the entire neighbourhood around the lake. 

Rather than we give an account, let's hear it from the participants. Here's what Madhu Sadhwani from Brigade Palmsprings had to say:

Today the Putanhalli Lake was all set to welcome the kids and parents for perfect combination of story telling and drum jam. Snehadhara team had high energy start for the story telling session with prayer to impress rain god by all kids.

Voice modulation to adjust the natural sound and Making melodies in my heart with perfect stretching to set the kids for story telling session. 

The Story on Yawning King was exciting for kids to share many ideas and make it creative and highly interactive.

Story session concluded with experience of the lake by all kids forming perfect chain and going around the beautiful Puttenahali Lake and singing songs.

Drum Jam was amazing for kids and parents to participate and synchronise with the groups. It was a great session that showed us coordination, concentration and fun can be achieved at the same time. 

All hail the king! (PIc: Snehadhara Foundation)

Pandering to his majesty (Pic: Snehadhara Foundation)

Here's another report from Sushmita, South City resident:  

"I loved it !!! It felt so amazing to play the drums, I thought It was really fun to make up beats and hear everyone play differently." is what my 9 year old daughter Zain has to say. 

I echo her feelings. It was indeed a really nice event at many levels. Adults and kids playing together, inviting and including the kids from the local neighbourhood, not only the gated community neighbourhood, but the kids who live around the lake in the little settlements who were as much a part of the event made it a really special community activity.

Thank you to PNLIT, Snehadhara, Pratham books and the Drumjam team for making this a fun and meaningful experience!

Drum jam (Pic: Snehadhara Foundation)

Drummers (Pic: Kalai Gautham)

Thanks indeed to Pratham Books  for their 'One Day, One Story' annual storytelling campaign. Snehadhara Foundation (as always you were brilliant) and our new associate, Community Drum Jam Foundation.  Special mention must be made of Chhaya, the whistler extraordinaire!  Her sharp clear whistles stood out above the drumming!  

Sleeping through it all! (Pic: Kalai Gautham)

We couldn't help noticing an infant sleeping blissfully on his father's shoulder completely oblivious of the raw energy so palpable throughout the evening. You wait, little one. Your turn to come to our lake for an event like this is not very far off!

Best

Usha

Celebrate International Literacy Day with PNLIT, Snehadhara & Drum Circle

Join an interactive storytelling session which will be using voice, theatre and movement and participate in a drum circle where you will play on the drums, djembes and other percussion instruments!

Why?

Because 'One Day, One Story' the annual storytelling campaign of Pratham Books that runs around International Literacy Day is back! And like the past few years, PNLIT is a part of this program along with Snehadhara Foundation. Supporting Snehadhara this year is the Community Drum Jam Foundation (founded by Vasundhara Das and Roberto Narain).

What?
This year's chosen book is Kottavi Raja and his Sleepy Kingdom (written by Yasaswini Sampathkumar and illustrated by Henu). So travel to Kottavi Raja's land with Snehadhara and Community Drum Jam at Puttenahalli Lake to find out what happened there.

Where and How?
Venue - Gazebo, Puttenhalli Lake, JP Nagar 7th Phase, Blr 560078
Date, Time - 9th September (Saturday) 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Kindly assemble by 4:20 p.m.
Age - 5 years and above
Entry is FREE

Register your child/children's name by sending an email to sapana_rawat@yahoo.com. We need to get a head count hence its very important that you register.

We look forward to seeing a whole bunch of children at the lake.

About the International Literacy Day celebration

In a village called Adhania lives little Munia who cannot play like other children because she has a limp. She plays instead with the Elephant Bird who cannot fly. One day Vayu, the horse, disappears and the villagers blame the Elephant Bird for its disappearance. Well, the Elephant Bird is big enough to swallow a horse but did he swallow Vayu? Munia doesn't think so. She sets out to prove her friend's innocence. 

This story written by Arefa Tehsin, illustrated by Sonal Goyal and Sumit Sakhuja was the book chosen by Pratham Books for their  'One Day One Story'  campaign as part of the International Literacy Day.  

We used this opportunity to revive our story telling at the lake on Saturday 17th September. Are we happy we did! The children came in ones and twos and groups and soon the Gazebo was full of kids! A rough count showed about 65 young heads, the highest number ever for a story telling at our lake. Many of them had parents and/or grandparents with them. Some of the adults occupied the benches in the Gazebo, most of them stood outside. Their keen attention to the story telling was evident when they along with the children imitated the gestures of the story tellers! 

Inside and outside the gazebo

Breathing life into the story

The colours on our feet!

Snehadhara has a strong team of such talented story tellers who were enthused by the engrossed listeners, young and old. They brought the curious and brave Munia, the magical Elephant Bird and the suspicious villagers to life. The story ended but not the fun. 

Geetu and her team brought the kids to the open ground, got them to form a huge circle and everybody together played a couple of games. Then it was time to say good bye and disperse but very many of the children didn't want to leave! We didn't want them to leave either so we'll very soon organize another exciting event at the lake. Watch this space for the announcement! 

Bend your knees!

Hoola hoop game

Coming back to The Elephant Bird - the story may be fantasy but Elephant Birds did exist long ago in Madagascar. Read about them on wiki here.

If you would like to read the story to your child, please click on this link where you can access the book -  https://storyweaver.org.in/stories/1101-the-elephant-bird.

Usha

for PNLIT with Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books

More photographs can be seen here.

Celebrating International Literacy Day @ Puttenahalli Lake

Have you heard of an Elephant Bird? Yes, it sure did exist once. Don't believe us? Come find out about it for yourselves.

International Literacy Day is today, 8th September. However, PNLIT will be celebrating it on 17th September, with "The Elephant Bird" chosen for this year's 'One Day One Story' campaign by Pratham Books. This story, about a magical bird and a brave child, is written by Arefa Tehsin, illustrated by Sonal Goyal and Sumit Sakhuja, and published by Pratham Books.

We will have the wonderful team from Snehadhara Foundation with us to sing, dance and narrate the touching story of "The Elephant Bird". 

When: Saturday 17th September 2016 @ 4:00 p.m.
Where: Puttenahalli Lake, JP Nagar 7th Phase (near South City/ MLR Convention Centre, Brigade Millennium)
Entry: Free - All are welcome

A Special Story Telling - Save the Day - 12th Sep 2015

Children and Parents,

Let's celebrate International Literacy Day with "The Boy and the Drum" an engaging folk tale chosen especially for this year's event by Pratham Books. This book is special because it can be performed either as a play or read as a story. 

With the talented Geetu and her Snehadhara team gearing up to tell the tale, we ourselves are agog to hear "The Boy and the Drum". Will it be a play? Will it be a story? Find out for yourselves on Saturday, 12th September 2015 at the Puttenahalli Lake from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Entry free. 

Best regards

Usha

Note: International Literacy Day is observed on 8th September every year, by the United Nations' member countries 

A Magical Evening

What a truly delightful evening it was on the 9th, celebrating the magic of monsoon with some 30 children! 

The 20 member team from Snehadhara Foundation (SF) led by Geetu had come well in advance to welcome the children. Despite the fact that only 4 or 5 kids had arrived on time, we began the event at the scheduled time of 5 p.m. The late-comers missed the warming up and sing along. Adult and child alike sat on the floor of the Gazebo and introductions began with each participant adding an "O" or "Aa" to their names. 

Geetu dramatized the Search for a Rain Woman, her equally talented team members adding sound effects and prompting the shy ones to open up and mimic the falling of the rain drops and gurgling of the water flowing as a stream. More children came running followed by their parents. They joined the "train" that went hopping and skipping to the Viewing Deck for the next part of the event - giving free rein to their imagination through art. 

The team members got the children in sit in one of the four designated places along the walking track that curved around the deck. Volunteers handed out sheets of white paper and crayons and the kids were invited to unleash their creativity. The Quick to Begin and Slow to Start were soon deeply involved in their artistic efforts. They didn't see the birds in the lake behind or hear the call of the Common Coot. (If they, and you, would like to hear please click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AvfgmUuxT0).

Pic courtesy: Snehadhara Foundation

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Pic: Usha Rajagopalan

The children and we, trustees, were so caught up with the excitement that we lost track of time but not the SF team! By 6.15 p.m., the "train" was ready to return to the Gazebo, this time waving their sketches triumphantly over their heads. Some children who joined very late were still at work with a few team members keeping an eye on them. Geetu wrapped up the delightful evening and everyone dispersed though clearly loathe to leave! Chin up, folks! The next event is round the corner, on 7th Sept! 

On a personal note, I have a request and a regret: 

Request - please bring your children on time so that they don't miss any of the fun. This will also teach them the value of punctuality. 

Regret - with so many children living in our residential complexes close to the lake and whose parents have been informed repeatedly through emails, the attendance was still very poor. No entry fee, art material distributed free of cost, talented story tellers, clean environment, loads of teaching through fun and yet the majority of our kids missed it all. Unfortunate indeed!

You can see more photographs here and here.

Usha

Monsoon Tales @ Puttenahalli Lake

The monsoon is a love - hate season. You may hate the wetness, the puddles, the sniffling, the darkness of the skies, the difficulty in waking up but you can't deny that it is magical time with the cooing of the cuckoo, dancing of the peacock, crispy pakodas, hot chai ... the list is endless!

Let's celebrate the Magical Monsoon!! Paint your favourite monsoon scenes!! Tell your rainy day tales!!

Click image below to read

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Admission is open and free BUT we welcome your donations to PNLIT! Cheques in the name of "PNLIT" please! :-)

Children, parents, the young at heart - all are welcome. 

Date: Saturday, 9th Aug 2014

Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Venue: Gazebo, Puttenahalli Lake (of course!)

Best regards,

Geetu (Snehadhara Foundation)

Usha (PNLIT)