Jaamun Ko Rukh - A Success Story

Doing a theatre production would be a life changing experience for all of us at Koseli was something we had no idea about. No matter what we did at the school, we could not really pull up the confidence of the kids. We needed a magic wand and while we looked around for the magic wand, we thought of introducing the kids to theatre workshops. The workshops were fun but nothing more. Then one day, while casually chatting we came up with the idea of  doing an actual production.

Right from the beginning we were very clear in our minds that we didn’t want a sad story for our play. We already have enough of those at Koseli. It had to be a comedy with a message. The next day our director Rabindra Singh Baniya brought a story which was a political punch. We loved it in the first go. The auditions were painful. We needed to cast 30 kids in the play and here we had nobody who was even remotely close to any role. First three days into rehearsals and we thought it was an entirely wrong move. Least did we know that the final show was going to prove us all wrong. 

Three weeks into practice the children were ready to prove to the world that if given the right opportunity children from any background can perform miracles. 

Costumes were a big issue for us. The children were playing characters from everyday life and so they had to wear everyday clothes & shoes. But then most of our kids don’t have everyday clothes and shoes……

On the day of the final performance, two of our actors didn't turn up. They work on weekends to add to their family income, obviously acting in the play wasn't important enough. We searched for them and somehow managed to bring them just in time  to "Gurukul" our venue for the day's performance. We then waited with nervous excitement. We had sold approx 500 tickets but were not really sure if people would actually come to watch the play. But then slowly the hall started filling up and the children gave an immaculate performance.  The audience laughed, clapped and looked at the children in disbelief. 

Jaamun Ko Rukh is an adaptation of a story by Krishna Chander. The play is a political satire reflecting the current socio-political state of the country. On one stormy night a Jaamun (fruit) tree falls crushing a man underneath. The man is still breathing when he sees the caretaker of the garden the following morning and cries for help. As the tree fell in a government office, we can imagine the complications involved in removing the tree and saving the man. The file (to remove the tree) moves from one department to the other, each one shirking its responsibility. Finally, a week later the man succumbs to his injuries.  The play is humorous with lots of punches and a profound ending.

Jaamun ko Rukh is not just a success story of a play but a success story of what Koseli team is capable of achieving, a success story of opportunity and a success story of each child who lives in the slums or streets of Kathmandu.

Since then we have done two re runs of the play, one for the UN day celebrations and the other for Himalayan TV anniversary celebrations.

sharing the experience

If you want to invite our children to perform Jaamun ko Rukh at your school or organization, please call us at: +977 9849215533 or simply write to us at: nepalkoseli@gmail.com or look for nepalkoseli on facebook and send us a message.

Actors & Directors 

Art of Living - Tulika Agrawal

Children meditating

Each and every child at Koseli had an overwhelming background story which touched my heart yet sent shivers down my spine. I walked in, not expecting beautifully well- mannered and polite kids.

As one of the twenty million ‘Art of Living’ volunteers all around the world, I was here to take a five day program called ‘Bal Chetna Shivir’. This workshop is a practical week of experience and knowledge.Through play and fun and laughter, children learn to enjoy every moment, being in present moment.Yoga and breathing techniques help to eliminate fear, anxiety, depression and negative emotions.Meditation taps the hidden resources. They learn to share with others, work and play in harmony and develop sense of belongingness.

Playing guided games

A chorus of voices welcomed me with warmth. We took off with ‘fire in the mountain’ and ‘birdie dance’. It was a huge hit amongst the kids. The natural and joyful nature brought out the child in me. Their eagerness to learn made me more sincere. Sixty smiling faces listening attentively made me a better speaker.

The game times made me more alert than ever. When asked to close their eyes and remain quiet during the Pranayam and Meditation, they become as still as rocks, so peaceful, so calm. The children’s creativity showed up during our drama sessions. They acted with such enthusiasm and profound detail that it amazed me.

At the end of the ‘shivir’, I tried to find the answer to my question. Was I here to teach them something or were they teaching me?

by- Tulika Agrawal (volunteer Art of Living)

A High School Student’s Volunteering Experience at Koseli-Trisha Vijay, July 2011

 I came to Nepal with a notion of doing something that would be meaningful to me and perhaps significant to others. My visit has taught me to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. Renu - you are an angel and your ‘angels’ are lucky to have you in their midst! We decided that teaching Upendra to read English, one-on-one, would help him catch up for he was illiterate at fourteen. With a crash course in English reading he would qualify for first grade! 

Trisha n Upendra engrossed in reading

On my first day of tutoring Upendra, I was very impressed on how easily he understood the rules of reading English. I tried to remember my phonics lessons from pre kindergarten and decided to adapt the rules.  I slowly learned that his initial success wasn’t lasting. Every single morning it was like the first day all over again; re-teaching the same long and short sounds for each letter again and again. For the first five days we went over the same rules again and again, not adding anything new in case he got confused. It was slow and frustrating progress. After those first few days I realized that I would need to make the class more entertaining if I wanted Upendra to respond. I started to create little rhymes for him to remember what sound each vowel made. Immediately I started to notice that this augmented his understanding and more importantly his memory! He was improving, but I knew he could do better. The next day I gave him a large chocolate bar hoping to make him focus more. Later that day I tried to ask him if he liked the chocolate bar, but he couldn’t understand me. Later I found out that he had saved his chocolate bar to share with his younger brothers! His focus did pick up and his interest seemed to kick in too. 

kids outside their homes

We progressed at a steady pace and our two-week session culminated in Upendra being able to read short story books (second grade level in the US). I left him with an Enid Blyton book at Chapter three with a promise from him that he would keep the book and practice his reading. The part that will be challenging for him is that he will have to learn and understand what he is reading in English by context. Upendra phonetically has learnt to read English but has to slowly learn to appreciate and understand what he is reading. It will be a challenge for him and his teachers at Koseli. I hope he keeps at it, for I sincerely believe it will open up a lot of opportunities and avenues for him in his future.

Trisha gifting a book to Upendra

  During my stay, Renu suggested visiting the slums that the kids came from. I had some idea of what the slums would look like, but even the twenty minute walk there was unbearable. . We had to cross over a one foot wide stack of bricks over five feet tall to avoid quick-sand like yucky sludge. The huts were very close together and going down the dirty walkways between them was like a maze. Reality hit me further when I went into one of the student’s home  -  it was dark, small, stale and cold. This was certainly an eye-opener and my visual memory of this visit is an added incentive to continue helping Koseli in the near future. 

I was surprised to see Koseli’s methods to encourage the children to attend school - luring them with the promise of the basics, a bath and a meal. This concept did not even occur to me; that children would need to be enticed to attend school for reasons other than to do something “interesting.” Perspectives! Koseli’s kids and teachers have hope. It is indeed true that to be without hope is to be without purpose. My experience has given me renewed hope. 

Upendra with his siblings

I sense I have embarked on a meaningful journey and wish to continue it. I have some fundraising ideas for Koseli at my high school and neighborhood. Will keep you posted as they evolve. Good luck Koseli!

Renuka

Renuka is a 8 year old gentle child. She is an absolute pleasure to watch. She loves skipping ropes and makes sure that nobody is hurt while she is playing. She, (along with 3 other little girls), lives with her didi. All these five girls living in a small room are bonded by humanity even though only two of them are sisters.

Like most of the other children at Koseli, Renuka was also a happy child and never complained of any physical pain. Then, during the monthly medical screenings we realized that she bleeds. It was quite a shock for us as Renuka was too young to be menstruating. After a round of questions and answers we realized that there was blood in her stool. And it had been there for so many days, months, years..she didn’t know.. 

Its amazing how most children at Koseli have no proper sense of timeline. They relate to time through events. Usually there are long mental gaps between two events. No event is significant enough to remember at length. As young children, they keep moving from one place to another depending on their circumstances. Most of them don’t live in a place for more than 2-3 months. In addition to this, there is also the movement between the village and town. The days are filled with trivia, so to remember the details is actually too much of a pressure on their little minds. Thus, the stories they construct and relate are very vague and open ended.

So, Renuka too on her part was also not able to tell much. She able to tell when she spotted blood in her stool for the first time or if she had experienced any kind of pain in the past. Physical pain is a part of their lives and they don’t know what life is without it, so it generally goes unaccounted.

The stool test report confirmed that she had an ulcer in her intestine. The ulcer had become so big that it had started to bleed. The intestine was on the verge of rupture and here we had this girl still skipping her rope, not complaining of any pain and attending school regularly. In situations like these, I am at a total loss of words and feelings. It is beyond normal human capacity to react.

Fortunately, Renuka was diagnosed before it was too late. She underwent medication and has recovered fully. 

I request everyone who is reading this to take a moment and think about the whole situation. I wonder if any of you would react differently, if life ever  brought you face to face with a little child like Renuka.

Mamata

Home is the ultimate security or atleast I assumed that till I met Mamata. She is 9 yrs old and lives with her aunt and studies in Grade 1 in Koseli. She loves dancing and is passionate about her studies. It is not unusual for children of Koseli to disappear from school for long durations. But when Mamata didn’t come to school for a month we were worried and started digging for clues that were keeping her away from school. 

Mamata’s parents live in Boudha. Her father and step mother didn’t think that it was important for her to go to school. After all she is a girl and at nine years, she is  capable of doing all the house hold chores. So she was kept away from school. During that one month her father was sick, so she was also his nurse along with being the keeper of the house. Once her father was better, she expressed her desire to return to school, all she heard in return was a stern NO. As days passed Mamata missed school more and more and finally she decided to confront her father. On hearing a yet another NO, Mamata left home and came to live with her aunt who stays very close to the school. She has been very regular since then. 

Yesterday, Mamata’s aunt for some reason got very angry with her and threw her out of her house. She spent the night at a friend’s place. The problem came to our notice when she came for dance practice today. We have arranged for to stay with another family whose children also study at Koseli and tomorrow we hope to make her aunt understand the gravity of the matter and let her return home.

Mamata is not at discomfort about leaving her father’s house, being thrown out of her aunt’s house and now spending the night in a stranger’s house. Mind you, all these houses are shanty one rooms with already four, five or six members living in them. While it is impossible for most of us to even imagine leaving our homes, it is not a big deal for the slum kids to stay wherever they find space and with anyone who is willing to accommodate them. It is not a sense of security for them but a place where they spend their nights. And that is what makes them extremely vulnerable.

Madan

I noticed Madan soon after he joined Koseli. What set him apart from the other students of his class was that Madan didn’t smile. I thought it was some thing that I was assuming and I wanted to prove myself wrong, so I started observing him more closely. To my disappointment, I was right.

Even before I realized, it had become my mission to make him smile. And so everytime I went to the class I made it a point to ask the children to smile. In the beginning it was difficult, however after 2 weeks or so, I saw Madan breaking into a lovely, shy smile. The smile only got bigger and better after that, so much so that on Teacher’s Day, class six had scribbled on their white board, “Renu Ma’am SMILE”. It was a “SMILEY” day.

With the scarred backgrounds that Koseli children have, smiling definitely is not an easy job, which I realized in the days that followed. A lot of children did not smile. They talked, they fought, they cried but they didn’t smile. Probably while trying to survive in this ugly world they never learnt how to smile.

“What was even more painful that they never complained of any pain too”. Madan is 14 years old and stays in a slum nearby. He is a very quiet and shy child. He is also a very sincere, hardworking child. In addition to academics, he takes keen interest in his theatre, computer and "after school" activities. With a “smile on his lips” now he was perfect.

But,when the school re-opened after Dashain holidays, Madan was one of the many students who did not return to school. After waiting for 2-3 days, we went searching for him. To my surprise Mukesh found him gambling on the street with other street teenagers. Mukesh asked him to return to school the following, day but Madan didn’t show up. So I went to look for him. Even though I had heard of his gambling streak, it actually broke my heart when I saw him playing cards with my own eyes. He too was a little embarrassed and promised me that he would return to school the following day, and this time he actually did.

Something had changed in him again. For two days Madan did not eat a morsel of food at school. Finally, on the third day I made him sit with me, mixed his rice-dal and made him finish his lunch in front of me. The routine has been normal since. Madan’s mother is a compulsive alcoholic and his father does wood work with which he manages an income of Rs 3500-5000 ($50-70) per month. Madan has come back to school but he has once again left his smile behind. I wonder what goes on in that little head of his. Hoping to see him smile sooooon.

Winter was Setting in

The winter was setting in and everybody  was beginning to get into their sweaters and shoes. But the kids at Koseli were still waiting for their turn. I had promised them that if they return to school after Dashain and Tihaar holidays, they will get sweaters, jackets and shoes.

Rude, as it may sound the truth is that for many of them this was an added attraction. However, returning to school was not such an easy task for a lot of them.

We had to wait for 10 days before all of them turned up. Actually, we had to pester a few kids to come back to school. The school is finally resonating with the happy and gay voices of all the children. And so it was time to distribute their winter gifts.

The little ones were very excited to receive their gifts. They quickly formed a line to enable an easy distribution. It was beautiful to see how they helped each other and once all of them wore their sweaters they very cheerfully posed for pictures. All of them love being photographed and seeing themselves in pictures. I thought they looked like angels but my thought was quite short lived. The very next  moment, I saw them playing football in the ground and now they were all looked like little demons

The older kids were shy and waited very patiently for their turns. The girls, as it is their birth right, fussed over the sizes until they were happy. And before I realized they too were posing for pictures, which our dear volunteer Junu, was only more than happy to take.

Tomorrow, when they get their shoes, they will be fully equipped to face the winter and this year I know is going to be the warmest winter of their lives.
God bless all KOSELI FRIENDS who have helped to make this winter warmer for the kids.

MUKESH

Mukesh was 8 or 9 years when I first met him, 12 years ago. Having completed his first petty theft successfully, he was almost on the verge of taking to the streets of Kathmandu like hundreds of other kids who migrate to the valley from remote villages in search of a better life.

He lived with 5 other members of his family in a 6x6 feet room. Obviously till then he had not seen what a school in Kathmandu looked like from inside.

When Mukesh first went to school, the teachers were slightly confused for he was too old for pre-primary and not literate enough to be admitted in the primary section. However, soon he turned out to be a smart kid and within 6 months to the primary section. Mukesh was double promoted 2 more times. Today he is pursuing his undergrad studies in Public Health. He dreams of going to America for his advanced studies.

This is Mukesh's story. This is the story of hope. Sometimes all it takes to hold a hand to bring a metamorphosis in child’s life and fill his eyes with dreams of tomorrow.

Koseli

"Koseli" is run under a registered NGO (Shikshantar Outreach Program). It is a centre for slum and street children. Currently we have 75 kids with requests for more admissions every day.

These kids belong to the lower most economic strata of the society. Thus their biggest need is survival.

Koseli means a gift and the centre does exactly that. Our children come to school at 9am. Brush, bathe, change into school uniforms and settle down to study. At 1 pm they are served a hot, wholesome meal. They continue to study till 4pm and then have a light snack before leaving. However, from 5pm - 7pm we engage a few children in simple activities like making bags out of old newspapers, book marks etc. This is done to keep these kids away from gambling on the streets after school.

In addition to fooding, clothing, recreation and educational needs, the school also takes care of their medical needs. Our children survive in unimaginable living conditions so have a lot of medical issues and we know that there is nobody else to care of those.