A World of Words

KATHA's Storytelling Workshops for Children begins again in May 2007, from 21st to 25th: a five-day module of fun, intrigue, adventures and thrills. In today's context of globalization where the dynamics of marketing, product promotion and packaging have made reading choices a foregone conclusion for children, Katha perceived a need for introducing children to fiction that has been written by the great wordsmiths of our country but which have completely bypassed their readership.

This Story-telling workshop for kids in the age group 3 - 9 years, is an initiative by Katha to bring to children in the age group the best of Indian fiction, both classical and contemporary. It seeks to cultivate in young minds a taste for fine writing and subtle sensibilities. Stylishly presented, the workshops will present books that strike the right balance of Indianness in content, and a global up-market look and feel. These are stories children would love to read and be seen with!

Come, join the KATHA family!

Register @

KATHA
No 8, 1st Main Road,
Karpagam Gardens,
Adyar,
Chennai 600 020

Timings: 10.30 AM – 1 PM

Age Group: 3 – 9 Years

Dates: 21 – 25, May 2007

For further details and enquiries, please contact us at 4211 4326/ 94443 90134

Igniting young minds

The dreams of thousands of children in Delhi's slums are lost in poverty. As part of a unique initiative, a Delhi-based NGO has set up Asia'a first computer clubhouse. Suruchi Khubchandani reports.

Amidst the chaotic traffic signals of the Capital, the race among them to get going is what we witness everyday. Often clad in torn clothes, these innocent faces make for a heart-wrenching sight.

Statistics affirm that there are about 100 million children who live on the streets in our country today. Sans any respite, most of them starve, dwell in unhygienic conditions and bear the burden of virtually parenting their siblings. Education or brush with technology is unthinkable.

But for a Delhi-based NGO, Katha, the status quo wouldn't have ever changed, at least in the Govind Puri slum cluster of south Delhi. Katha, which has stemmed from the renowned publishing house with the same name, had with the initative of Geeta Dharmarajan kick-started a literacy project, It started with just five children in the slums of Govind Puri way back in 1988. In a small setting at Sarvodaya Enclave three months back, the NGO gave shape to Intel's first Computer Clubhouse in the Asia-Pacific region besides giving a reason to the street and slum kids to smile. Not that they no longer feel the need to go and beg for alms or do nitty-gritty jobs at the traffic junctions, the enticement of a new technology, is helping hold their steps back.

The rendezvous with computers for these children starts every morning and afternoon, when the vans known as the 'Tamasha Road Vans (TRS) collect them from areas such as INA, RK Puram, Hauz Rani and Saket. Says coordinator Rajesh, Exploring various keys of the keyboard, their functions fascinated these children. With the passing days, they have learnt to draw and play on the computer and in the process have become familiar with many things including words. From the initial ''I can't' the proposition has changed to 'I can', they have knocked the T. More than 157 kids have visited the computer club and 50 have become regular. Besides divulging in Word programs, movie software and games, the children upto the age of 12 years, have transgresses to browsing the net.

But as it goes, the start is always a Herculean task and the computer club also found it difficult to attract and retain the children initially.

Starting from 10 children in the first month, the count increased. "It is not always easy to convince a child, more so if the child happens to be a breadwinner. These children have never been to a school so they are quite reluctant to follow a routine and use their thinking power. But when they come here, get acquainted with the computers and experience the thrill of operating one, they became quite regular. In fact, lately the numbers have increased to the extent that the TRS became jam-packed and children who were left out started running after it," adds Rajesh.

A spin-off of this set-up being that these children observing the well-dressed people doing rounds of the place have suddenly becomes conscious and aware of their own.

Amrita Talwar of Katha says, "They have become hygiene conscious and want to take a bath, comb their hair. In the long run, this exposure will instil lifelong learning skills in them, who are oblivious to such mannerisms."

Katha is back with its Summer Workshops!

Summer visits Chennai in full force, and together with it comes Katha's refreshing array of workshops for children, this 2007, through April and May - with more stories, activities and games than ever before, designed and created especially for youngsters! Katha's Books for children and young adults transport them to a land of make-believe, yet root them to the very real world around them. Katha displays its superbly told stories this summer, through its story-telling workshops, with fresh perspectives in language, illustration and design - chosen with care to suit the target age group.

Katha wishes to leave a creative imprint on the fresh minds of children much before they take on the fine print of an adult world. Something that will linger on and colour their years to come.

Come, be a part of the fun-filled Katha family, and listen to our stories!

Katha will hold these workshops for children in the age group 3 - 9 years, on the following days in April:

Module I: April 9th - April 13th 2007

Module II: April 23rd to April 27th 2007

Age group: 3 - 9 years

Timings: 10.30 AM to 1.00 PM

Katha's storytellers will entice you with beautifully rendered tales, challenging activities and creative games. Workshops are scheduled for May as well.

The Summer Workshops will be held at:

KATHA
No 8, 1st Main Road,
Karpagam Gardens,
Adyar,
Chennai 600 020

For further details, please feel free to call us at 4211 4326/94443 90134.