MOP Site: Indiranagar-Chimbel, Goa
Resource Persons: Pranita, Simran, Terence
At the beginning of this year, we completed 7 years of the Mobile Outreach Program at Chimbel. Thanks to an opportunity from a sponsor, we were able to celebrate this, with the children. Besides a Magic Show, we planned to display the artwork that children had created in the last year. These consisted mainly of activities undertaken as part of the weekly art activities conducted by Vaishnavi Sankhwalkar and some of a guided drawing session done by Sujata Noronha. 
Exactly a week prior to the scheduled ‘Children’s Art Exhibition and Magic Show’ on 12 January 2019, the children and Resource Persons worked together on setting up the artwork on the walls of the library room.
In the last few sessions, we had been taking time at the start and end of the sessions to work towards the exhibition. This Saturday, as usual, the children were browsing through books, while we were selecting artwork from the last year.
One by one, they noticed us and joined in. Children helped us by offering interesting suggestions in selecting the artworks that go up, where to put them up and then taping them up to the wall.
Some days earlier Sujata had shared a short video documentation of a collaborative library setup facilitated by LEC participants (Divya Tirkey -LEC 2017, Salim and Tarun – LEC 2016). You can see their work (Khunti District, Jharkhand) here.
While the evening at Chimbel was unfolding, I was reminded of the visuals from this documentation.
As Circle Time approached, the children suggested that we continue with the setup, instead of doing the Read Aloud session. They were engrossed in designing word posters that they thought necessary for the library. ‘Welcome’, ‘Read’, ‘Reference Books’ signs were half complete and the children wanted to finish them. The Resource Persons discussed and decided to continue with the work.
It turned out to be a good choice because we managed to finish a chunk of the work with added contributions from the children. They liked the activity for a change, brought in new ideas and through this they had a chance to take up ownership of the library space.Many children pass the library later in the evening, while on their way home from tuition classes. Since they cannot be part of the session, which is almost ending by this time, they usually peep in, to see what is happening in the library and then leave. Today, when they saw the flurry of activity, they felt invited and came saying ‘we also want to be part of this activity’. They helped, some drew and coloured, handed these over to us and left, looking happy with the contribution they had just made.
At closing time, we all felt that it was an enriching collaborative experience. Setting up their own space and being involved in the decision-making, gave children a new way to connect to the library beyond the sessions. Through this, the children told us that they want to be part of what is happening and not be happy passively watching us. In their own initiative, they found a joyful space in the library. My own learning was that children are always willing to help and consider the library space of their own. Involving them more fully and deliberately in this process could have been a better way of going about this.
With thanks to the children and looking forward to a Read Aloud in the next session, we closed for the evening.