MANVAASAM May 2023 An Inclusive Magazine for Children Issue 2
CCoonntteennttss MANVAASAM Editor's note / Priyadarshini Guest Column / Ashish In the News Mountain Snow / Annika My Best Friend / Ishani The Donkey in a Lion's Skin / Sanjana A Day at the Beach / Manpreet Home / Kowshik The Farmer and the Crane / Priyanshi Bird House / Vedika Doll / Sera Book Donation Drive Travelogue/ Kkashyapi 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 1 2 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 9 9 10 11
14. Ganesha/Monish 15. Messi/Aravindhan 16. The Lion and the Cow/ Lalitha 17. Colors/Shivani and Julla 18. The Island/ Midhula 19. The Mystery of the Lost Egg/ Arunima 20. A Beautiful Gown/Adithya 21.Magical Flute/Poonam 22. Struggle/Karthik 23. Krishna/Maheshwar 24. Butterflies Under the Moon/Akshita 25. My Puppy/ Abha 26. Cat on a Branch /Prakrithi 27. Rainbow/ Shivani 28. A Day in my Life/ Rimjhim 29. Save the Environment/ A Collage 14 14 15 16 16 17 19 19 20 21 21 22 23 23 24 27
FFrroomm tthhee EEddiittoorr 1 I can’t believe that it is already time to release Issue 2 of Manvaasam Magazine! Honestly speaking, I am surprised by the kind of support that we have received. Once in a while, I get a message from strangers telling me how much they appreciate the goodwill behind our initiative. I also get requests and opportunities to collaborate with schools and organizations. I am immensely grateful for all the support that we have received because it reminds me that there are people out there who believe in the same vision of empowering young voices and providing children a platform to showcase their diverse experiences, interests and dreams. In Issue 2, we have several new pages to look forward to. Firstly, we have a write up by Rimjhim as she chronicles her family’s hardships, but also asserts her passion for getting a good education. We also have Arunima’s mystery novella that is going to be released chapter by chapter. Finally, but most importantly, we have a book donation drive with the aim of obtaining good quality resources and books for children who otherwise cannot access them. I eagerly await all your thoughts and opinions as you leaf through Issue 2 of Manvaasam Magazine. Priyadarshini Panchapakesan Chief Editor Manvaasam Magazine
Guest Column Ashish “I resign,” said the beloved former principal of my school. The rumours had gone around as they usually do, and we were all hoping that they weren’t true. They were. He was really going to leave. It was slightly puzzling, however, that his final speech had such a bold and tactless start. He waited for the shock to spread and settle before carrying on. “I resign and I retire,” he continued, “from the rigours of adulthood. I want to go back to a time when a pocketful of sweets meant more than a pocketful of money; when I could sit under a tree and do what I wanted and not what I had to.” Most of these lines were really said, although I do admit some things might have been bolstered by my mind in the 15 years that have transpired since the speech was made. Nevertheless, my former principal was striking upon an idea of tremendous value; an idea often overlooked. As adults, we have the terrible habit of thinking about children as “not quite adult”. We don’t really take them seriously all the time, we don’t often even listen to what they are saying. We don’t always give them the time and space to think and work things out for themselves because time is money and money is important. Rather sadly, I think, we simply don’t give them enough credit. That is why I think a magazine like this is such a fantastic idea. It does not conspire to hide away some child’s work amongst pages and pages of more sophisticated, more polished, more adult work but allows for a space to be by children and children alone. And yet, it is more than just that. The obvious tendency that adults often have is to quickly correct a spelling mistake here or there or to just round off the otherwise jagged edges of the apple that has been drawn because, after all, this is going to be published in a magazine. JJuusstt AAnnootthheerr GGuuyy 2
The strength to resist that tendency is underrated. We must, as adults, learn to let children be children. It is ok for their work to be flawed. Our flaws are what make us human; what make us beautiful. It is their ability and their desire to create that is far more important and ought to really be encouraged. Finally, the other thing that ought to be highlighted is the importance of featuring the work of a diverse group of children. Every human being is different. Every child has different things to offer the world. We must include them in our conversations, give them a seat at our tables so that we can grow as people. Sometimes, we can get so carried away with trying to help children grow into fantastic adults that we don’t allow them to be the fantastic children that they already are. If we can learn to value some silly sweets over some equally silly money every once in a while, we might just find it in ourselves to allow some fantastic children to help us grow instead. 3
IInn tthhee NNeewwss Read Chapter One of Arunima ' s story, The Mystery of the Lost Egg To find out what happens next, tune into Issue 3! Look at our Book Donation page, and hand over any unused children ' s books to those less fortunate! 4 Check out Rimjhim 's experiences of being a Rag Picker and find out how much spec she values learning! ialfeature
Mountain Snow Annika Age 10 My Best Friend Ishani Age 7 5
Once upon a time, a donkey found a lion’s skin. He dressed himself in that skin. Wherever he went, the other animals and people feared him. Everyone thought that he was a real lion. Soon he started to think of himself as a lion. One day, he heard some donkeys braying in the village. He wanted to show them that he could sing even louder. So he started braying, and the villagers heard him. They ran after him with sticks and beat him to death. Thus the poor donkey paid the price for his foolishness. The Donkey in a Lion's Skin Sanjana, Age 12 6 Moral of the Story: Cleverness
A Day at the Beach Manpreet Age 12 Home Kowshik 7
Moral of the Story: Bad company is always harmful. The Farmer and the Crane Priyanshi, Age 12 There once was a farmer who was very worried about his crop getting eaten by birds. So he laid a trap for the birds. Next day, he managed to catch a flock. A crane also got trapped in the net. The crane pleaded with the farmer for his freedom. The farmer retorted: “You have been found in the company of these birds who were eating my seeds, so I will not spare you.” 8
Bird House Vedika Age 12 Doll Sera Age 6 9
Book Donation Drive! Your books will be donated to schools that have limited reading materials and resources! Contact Details: priyadarshinimanvaasam @gmail.com 10
Spending a Few Days in Bagerhat, Bangladesh Day 1 I was sitting in the front seat of a "Dola" bus, travelling from Dhaka to Bagerhat District in Bangladesh. I was thinking about all the memorable moments I would experience and participate in! I was deep in my thoughts, till it was time for us to get down. My parents could not wait to visit their old friend; they had studied in college together. I knew her as my aunt. We went to their house, and although I was tired, what my aunt said next was thrilling! I would go to her school—Bagerhat Govt. Girls’ High School. I wanted to experience what it was like to be in a different kind of school. Everyone was so friendly to me, and a few kids kept on pulling me to their classroom! The students were well-behaved, and a few of them were extremely focused on an ongoing drawing competition. The set-up and the environment were very different from my school, and I enjoyed the difference! TRAVELOGUE Kkashyapi, Age 11 11
Day 2 We travelled to a UNESCO heritage site called ‘Shat Gombuj’ (60 domes) which is a Bengali Masjid with Turkish influences visible in its architecture. There were seven rows and eleven columns, with four domes on each corner. The entire central row had a Bengali hut-shaped chou-chala (foursided sloped-roof huts). We explored the inside of the Masjid. It was whitewashed on the top and had a floor made up of bricks. The building is made out of red terracotta. The Masjid was built sometime in the 1450s to 1460s AD by a saint named Khanul Azam Ulugh Khanjahan, who was known to be a Turk with a fondness for cultural habits. There was a quote on a signboard written in Bangla in front of the mosque, which had a meaningful moral—‘If you explore your own roots and branches, you will know more about your cultural base and your past through a thousand narratives’. 12
Day 3 We decided to go to my aunt’s village, Kalshira. The whole village seemed wrapped in green and crisscrossed with the most sparkling water bodies called ‘gher’. We walked through narrow paths in the fields, patted some of the farm animals, and walked on two bridges made out of just three pieces of bamboo! We decided to spend a night at their place, but my one and only fear—fear of lizards—kept me paranoid all the time. When it was dawn the next day, I wanted to go to the spinach field, but I was too drowsy, thanks to the lizards! Finally, when it was around 10 am in the morning, we took the freshest of vegetables, fish and milk—which my aunt’s mom had lovingly kept for us from her fields and ponds—and said goodbye to the village. We had taken quite a lot of pictures and videos, which I have kept to cherish these wonderful memories later. Bibliography Photos 1 & 2: Google Earth Photos 3 & 4: Jina Saha Information on Shat Gambuj Chau-Chala: Bengali Culture over a Thousand Years by Ghulam Murshid (pg 42-43). Publisher: Neogi Books. 13
Ganesha Monish Age 13 Messi Aravindhan Age 12 14
Moral of the Story: Unity is strength. The Lion and the Cow Lalitha, Age 12 Once upon a time, there lived four cows in the forest. Every day, they used to graze together in a particular spot. They were all friends. One day, a lion saw the cows grazing together. The lion wanted to eat them, so he went to catch them. When the cows saw the lion, all of them fought with him. The lion had to run away. A few days passed, and the cows quarrelled between themselves and started grazing separately. One by one, the lion killed all of them. 15
Colors Shivani and Julla Age 7 The Island Midhula 16
In a beautiful and dense forest called Bulbul Land, there were all types of bulbuls, like the black bulbul, the red-whiskered bulbul and so on. In Bulbul Land, there was a towering apple tree; in the tree, there lived a bulbul named Beauty. She was very kind-hearted and was always respected by others, even by a hawk! One fine sunny morning, when Beauty heard the chirping of the other birds, to her amazement, she laid eggs. She was so happy. After a few days, when Beauty was sleeping…"plock" came a noise. Beauty was very excited because she was wondering if one of her eggs had hatched. She turned back and said, "I am going to turn my head…" the rest of her sentence went back into her throat. The moment she turned back, she saw that one of her eggs was missing… She started to chirp and chirp but did not sing. She was screaming and screaming for help. She was very downcast and not at all calm and cool as she had been till then. She called her brothers and sisters. None of them had any idea where her egg was. Finally, one of Beauty's sisters declared that a hawk named Hawky Jacky had stolen it. They were all furious. They started to look for Hawky Jacky. While they were looking for Hawky Jacky, they came across a huge, gigantic footprint. It looked like a bird’s footprint. They looked closer and saw Hawky Jacky written on it; then they looked up and found even more footprints! The Mystery of the Lost Egg Arunima, Age 10 Chapter One 17
Beauty was on cloud nine! They started following the footprints… The footprints seemed to be going on forever! Beauty said, “It is no use!” But then one of her brothers said, “Who says so? The hawk is right there”. He pointed to a deep hollow. They all hopped into the hollow and saw that Hawky Jacky was fast asleep. Suddenly, all of Beauty’s brothers and sisters were shocked to see what Beauty was doing. “Hey, Hawky Jacky, you think I am a fool? My brothers and sisters found your long and huge footprints, and now we got you! By the way, why did you steal my precious egg?” asked the fierce Beauty. At that moment, Hawky Jacky woke up. He stared at Beauty. “How dare you disturb me in my sleep! And I haven’t stolen any egg or anything that belongs to you! And besides, I don't even know you!!” “You liar! You think I am a fool or what!” said Beauty. “How dare you to talk to me like that, you silly bird!” shot back Hawky Jacky. “Okay then, but show us the proof!” said Beauty. “Okay. Firstly, I don't even know you. Secondly, I do not eat eggs. Thirdly, I am a good and kind-hearted hawk! If I had been a bad and mean hawk, I would have eaten you right on that spot”, said Hawky Jacky. “Okay, I believe you! But tell me, Mr Hawky Jacky, did you see anybody with a brown spotted egg?” asked the tense Beauty. “Oh yes, I saw an owl passing by with an egg that looked just like your description,” said Hawky Jacky. “What is that owl’s name?” Beauty asked. “The owl’s name is Oilman Hamlin. “Wow, that is such a big name. Never mind, let's hope for the best”, said Beauty. To be Continued... 18
A Beautiful Gown Adithya Age 11 Magical Flute Poonam Age 13 19
Moral of the Story: Unity is strength. Struggle Karthik, Age 14 In a city in Uttarakhand, there lived a family —father, mother and two brothers. Father was a government teacher. His salary was around Rs 1000. They were facing financial problems. The elder son was suffering from some severe medical issue. His medicines used to cost around Rs 700 and that too just one inhaler cost Rs 350. They tried their best to make their son recover soon. The younger son was studying in 2nd standard. It was very difficult for the elder boy to attend school regularly, but due to his parents’ care and proper medication, he recovered soon. Soon after his recovery, he started earning by taking tuitions and making some YouTube videos. He helped his parents financially and emotionally. He made his and his parents’ life good. His parents were proud of him. He faced many problems and struggles, but he proved his worth and showed his mettle to the people who were bullying him by saying, “You are good for nothing”. 20
Krishna Maheshwar Age 12 Butterflies Under the Moon Akshita Age 11 21
Seen my puppy in the street Cool down honey cool down Called his name, and sent a greet Cool down... He ran to me and wagged his tail Barked at me and told his tale Was it joy? Or was it wail? Cool down... Heard a birdy chirping by Cool down... Butterflies were flying high Cool down.... And my puppy jumped on the floor We both raced to my mother’s door Stirring up a sweet uproar Cool down... My Puppy Abha, Age 8 Abha Shakya is eighty years old and loves poetry. She is a huge fan of Maya Angelou. This poem, My Puppy, took root in Abha's mind when she heard Maya Angelou recite a poem called A Negro Love Song by Paul Lawrence Dunbar. My Puppy is Abha's tribute to her favourite poet. 22
Cat on a Branch Prakrithi Age 12 Rainbow Shivani Age 11 23
I live in the slums of Nepali Railway Station. My father (Daboo Alam) is a rag picker, mother (Chuni khatun) is also a rag picker. A typical day in my life starts by waking up between 4 and 5 AM, sweep and clean the house, complete my household chores, then walk and search for the masses of garbage in mutually agreed territories, rummaging in wasteyards and passageways bending countless times to collect nearly 20 kg of recyclable waste with bare hands. I pick through piles of rotten garbage looking for scraps of plastic or metal. A full bag would fetch 50 to 100. In no time, we are ready for whatever we can pick. The most dangerous part is picking up coal alongside the railway tracks. The trains unload a huge amount of coal and the left overs are gold for me. I risk everything to gather the fallen coal into a bag. I am constantly hungry, and constantly vulnerable to abuse and harassment as I roam the streets. As a girl I am exposed to danger. It is a fight to survive. I have no choice, and work hard so my family can afford a meal. Ragpickers live and work in filthy and vulnerable conditions, thus getting prone to worms, anemia and respiratory problems. Often exposed to medical or chemical waste and to toxic exhausts. We are lacking of sewage, drainage or running water. A Day in My Life By Rimjhim 24
After a day of hard work, I freshen up and come eagerly for the (ASHA) classes, I love the EFA curriculum. I find happiness learning and doing what is asked of me. I am able to dream of something and it drives me to work hard in my studies. I get love and appreciation for what I do in the class. After the classes, rush home to go to the railway tracks to look for left over coals. After the sunset it is unsafe to be around so, in the evening I come back home. Dinner is always a dream; we have to make enough to feed the family. I go to sleep waiting for another sunrise. Hoping it to be a better day. I have always dreamed of going to a school, but I knew I couldn’t. Most of the children in my area couldn’t go to school. I can’t stop hoping to enroll myself in a school. I hope for better things. 25
मेरा ना म रि मझि म खा तून है I मैं अपने भा ई-बहनों में सबसे छो टी हूँ।हूँ मेरे मा ता -पि ता कूड़ा बी नने वा ले हैं। हम नेपा ली रेलवे स्टेशन के पा स रहते हैं। मेरी दि न सुबह 5 बजे शुरू हो ता है - सबसे पहले, बकरि यों की सफा ई करना और उसके बा द क्षेत्र को धो ना है । मैं फर्श सा फ करती हूं, बर्तन धो ती हूं और खा ना बना ने में मदद भी करती हूं।हूं ना श्ते के बा द, हम को यले वा ली ट्रेन की प्रती क्षा करते हैं। जब हमें पता चलता है कि को यले को उता रने का समय हो गया है, तो हम मौ के पर पहुंच जा ते हैं। मुझे जो कुछ भी मि लता है मैं उठा लेती हूं,हूं क्यों कि को यले का हर टुकड़ा हमा रे लि ए कमा ई है। कभी -कभी हमें चो ट लगती है, और कभी -कभी लो ग हमें गा ली देते हैं, लेकि न मैं इस बा त को मैं को ई महत्व नहीं देती , न ही नि रा श हो ती हूं, क्यों कि यह हमा री आय का स्रो त है। मैं को यले को सा फ करके ची र में बाँ धती हूं। अच्छे गुणवत्ता वा ले को यले बा जा र में उचि त मूल्य पर जा ते हैं। और जि नकी गुणवत्ता अच्छी नहीं हो ती , वे हमा रे घर में इस्तेमा ल हो ते हैं। दो पहर के बा द, मैं डंकन अस्पता ल में हो ने वा ले ई॰ ए॰ फ॰ ए॰ पा ठ्यक्रम के लि ए अपने दो स्तों के सा थ जा ती हूं। हम बेसब्री से गुरुवा र का इंतज़ा र करते हैं क्यों कि हमें अच्छा खा ना मि लता है। इसके बा द, मैं और मेरे दो स्त कपड़े बदलते हैं और नेपा ली रेलवे स्टेशन के पा स कुछ और को यले इकट्ठा करने या उन को यले को सा फ करने हेतु मि लते हैं, जि न्हें हमने सुबह एकत्रि त कि या था । मैं रा त 8 बजे के बा द घर लौ टती हूं,हूं फ्रेश हो कर डि नर के लि ए तैया र हो ती हूं।हूं कभी -कभी अगर हम पर्या प्त कमा ई नहीं कर पा ये, तो हम रा त का खा ना नहीं खा ते हैं और बि ना खा ए ही सो जा ते हैं। मैं कि सी दि न खुद को एक स्कूल में दा खि ल करना चा हती हूं, ता कि मुझे एक बेहतर शि क्षा और बेहतर कमा ई का मौ का मि ल सके। रि मझि म की कहा नी 26
Save the Environment A collage 27 Images from students of St Alberts and Little Drops
Meet the Team Ms Priyadarshini, Founder and Chief Editor Ms Eesha, Head of Arts Mr Jebin, Editor Saanvi, Student Volunteer Ms Meena, Outreach Coordinator Mr Alfred, Tech Support
An Inclusive Magazine for Children MANVAASAM