Against All Odds: For children of daily wagers this poetry workshop gives wings to their dreams

These are the interpretations of the word Chunmum, given as an assignment to children belonging to families of farmers, construction workers, MGNREGA workers, and daily-wage labourers. They were asked to write whatever they wanted on the topic; the twist here is that they needed to write it in the form of a poem.

Children aged 10 to 13 in the village of Bansa, located in the Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh, are now able to express their imagination and dreams through drawing and writing. This provides them with a temporary escape from the often challenging realities of their lives.

Poems done, they listen with rapt attention to the voice and face from faraway Pune. The voice emanates from a laptop balanced on a plastic chair as writer and poet Garima Mishra tells them stories of poets like Rabindranath Tagore and Sarojini Naidu, before speaking to them about more familiar and everyday things like squirrels, birds, and the village streets to fire their imaginations.

In a unique collaboration between the Bansa Community Library, Mishra, and Lampshade Writers, poetry workshops have been conducted since May for children from 5th to 8th grade studying in Hindi-medium schools. The workshops enable them to express themselves and their surroundings through poems.

The Bansa Community Library, part of the Free Libraries Network, is a public library with open access that was started in 2020 by some law students in this village. Over the years, its collection grew, and so did the number of readers in Bansa and surrounding villages. With a strong belief in equitable access to education and the importance of imagination, the library tries to create learning experiences that spark the creativity of learners, especially children from low-income families.

From writing about a garden filled with birds and butterflies to the ordinary path from their homes to the library, the children have been finding poetry in their ordinary routines. Aadya, an 11-year-old in 5th standard, has been enjoying the poetry sessions and has not missed a single one so far. She is one of five daughters to her parents who are both MGNREGA workers.

Shaurya, a graduate who is now preparing for the armed forces, made a special request to participate in the workshops. With a background in farming, he grew up closely observing the plants, seasons, insects and animals around him and that is what comes through in his poetry.

Having completed two sessions, Misra has fostered a small community of poets in the village. She believes that poetry writing is a potent medium for young children’s self-expression and emotional exploration.

“Through this workshop, we want to help them develop their confidence, creativity, and critical thinking abilities, as well as their ability to convey their thoughts and feelings through words. As these kids have been attending the workshops and writing their own poetry, they are getting more confident, creative and being able to articulate their experiences,” she said.

Vaibhav, a 13-year-old from a farmer’s family, joined this class because he wanted to learn how to write creatively after travelling to a nearby city. His sharp mind and quick learning pace led him to become a student council member at the Bansa Community. He was one of the first to bring out his paper and pencil to attend the poetry writing sessions.

Shagun, a student of 8th standard, has been discovering her love for poetry. Taking a rather philosophical take to her poem she poses the question; “Who is Chunmun?”,

“What is my relation with Chunmun?” and “What does Chunmun like?” Shagun explains that Chunmun is a lawyer who also happens to be her classmate who likes to play in the mud. Shagun explained that she crafted her character based on someone she would like to have as a friend. Much like Chunmun, Shagun also wishes to be a lawyer when she grows up.

The Bansa Community Library has grown in size since its initiation. About 100 people of all ages come to attend classes and recreational activities. The Hindi poetry writing class has 15 students.

Srajal Patel, the local director of the library, says, “We introduced the poetry workshop only after Shaurya put forth the request with the staff after writing a poem on an Indian Premier League (IPL) match he attended. Students rush right after their school hours to come and spend time here. They get to participate in fresh new activities and learn subjects of their interest.”