Written by Meghna
As part of my unplanned trip in Goa, one of the things I was going to do was spend time at Bookworm. I’ve done this before – sat in on Meetings, attended talks and volunteered at Jumble. And as with every other occasion, this time too, I was welcomed. We narrowed down on visiting the Chimbel MOP and on the evening of Thursday 4th June, I set off with the team equipped with Laptop, Books and other required material.
The experience turned into an interesting evening of many firsts and I will try and share some of those moments here…
As we drove past gorgeous green fields I got a little lost in the beauty of the landscape. Arriving at the Chimbel site was then a bit of a shock. In the middle of my idea of ideal rural spaces, here was a slum community – minimal, grimy, narrow, dark, alive, REAL. In having explored Goa in non-touristy ways over the last few trips, I thought I was beginning to know the REAL Goa. Bookworm showed me another reality of the State – one that it has been engaging with in the deepest possible ways.
As we walked into the Chimbel basti, we were surrounded by a number of children, excited, noisy and mostly welcoming. The Bookworm team began to interact with them on the street itself. Greetings were exchanged and “How are yous” asked. But these were not cursory. There was engagement with the children from the word GO. Sujata peppered her conversations with them with many questions – where were they the previous week, were they coming to Library today, had they been attending school, how was school going, why had they quit coming to Library. And the interaction wasn’t one-way. The children started telling her stories, about school, about each other, often teasing and complaining. To me this truly felt like a “community” programme – one that is not limited but has organically and seamlessly worked its way into the lives of its children.
The next surprise for me was the realization that the MOP in Chimbel has a fixed physical space of its own. Not a temporary, unreliable structure. Not a shared public premises. An actual library room. To me this in many ways was evidence of Bookworm’s commitment. In my understanding, the space not only lends permanence to the program but also allows the learners a sense of security, warmth, freedom and empowerment. What a privilege! And how wonderful that Bookworm deems it important to make such an investment at their sites!
Once, the session formally started the energy was infectious. Students were clearly aware of what processes to follow and proceeded to choose their books and started to read. Two girls chose me as the person they wanted to read aloud to. The younger one read the entire story of Ruru the Rooster. She read fluently and confidently and was able to get her tongue and head around most of the words. Those that she didn’t understand, she clarified with me. The older girl had chosen the more ambitious The Wizard of Oz. She started her read-aloud with a question – what is a wizard? After a brief discussion with me she embarked on her reading task. The entire experience was interactive and the girls worked hard at telling me their stories. Doubts were clarified and meanings discussed. Hindi and English were used simultaneously and the focus was as much on seeking meaning as on fluency. The confidence these girls read with and their fascination for their books was inspiring.
Unfortunately, the rains came down on us – again my first in Goa. The electricity went off but the Bookworm team has a contingency plan. Books were put away, children regrouped and the bunch launched into song. A few songs and group games later however, the current showed no signs of returning and the rain beat down on us harder. The MOP session then had to be aborted before actual closing time.
As I walked back to the car, getting drenched in the downpour, juggling questions from “happy-in-the-rain-kids” about whether or not I’d be back the following class, for the moment I felt truly immersed.