Bengaluru: There are many organisations in Bengaluru which take up projects to engage with the community and improve the quality of life of the marginalised. Haadibadi Trust, however, focuses on the cultural and cognitive diversity of communities.
For the last 10 years, it has been working for the welfare of marginalised communities, government schools and youth through theatre, art, dialogues and discussions. It believes in reclaiming spaces for today’s children and nurturing their free and independent learning.
The NGO works with children to create, collate and disseminate different narratives in regional languages to fill the gaps in textbooks. To help this, it has opened a resource centre and made it accessible to local government and other school students. The organisers claim that their programmes – Theatre in Education, Theatre with Communities, Learning Resource Centres and Haadibadi Library and Learning Centre – have been a success.
Mr Ravikiran Rajendran, a co-founder, told Deccan Chronicle, “To engage with children in reading and discussion, art, craft and theatre activities at the library is our main objective, and we have already completed 10 years. We conducted a series of programmes for BBMP school teachers, focusing on interpersonal skills, and a residential workshop to reflect on their beliefs and praxis in school and other spaces. The workshop created a platform for teachers to open up, build healthy relationships with other teachers and work on their own body, voice and mind.”
Haadibadi has been working to create spaces and avenues for art and cultural expression, access to books, support for education and to reach the underprivileged communities. “All children, especially from the marginalised groups, deserve quality education, and they should have access to best possible resources. It is the right of all children and it is the only way to ensure social justice,” said Ms Geetha M., another co-founder.
Its theatre wing works with various student and teacher groups in Karnataka and tribal youth in Visakhapatnam. It makes learning resources – reading, art and craft, play, world cinema and theatre, and science and technology – freely accessible to children and youth. They have worked with local school stakeholders to integrate the idea of free learning in the school space through ‘Open Library’ at Roopena Agrahara.
“Haadibadi’s has engaged with diverse communities through workshops focusing on communication, interpersonal skills, team building, critical thinking, developing and maintaining a positive attitude. For four years we have conducted community theatre through a series in different villages surrounding Bengaluru, including Maralugondalahalli, Koogonahalli, Chennaveeranahalli and Thippagondanagalli, where caste discrimination and untouchability still exists,” Mr Ravikiran explained.
