Art of living

Himalayan News Service, Kathmandu

Spiny Babbler signed terms of reference (TORS) with the Lagankhel Mental Hospital, Kanti Children's Hospital, Prisoner's Assistance Mission, Rokpa Shelter House for Street Children, PIN Shelter House for Girls at Risk, and St Xavier's College (Department of Social Work) to further the practical use of the arts among those who need the arts support the most.

An organization that promotes art and literature, Spiny Babbler enlists volunteer help to further its aims and objectives. Among its many programmes, the organization has categorized the programmed area for people at risk as its highest priority.

The task is not easy and has had to go through a series of tests for two and half years with the help of various people.

Volunteers contribute some time every week to encourage communication and add a little cheer in the lives of those that are not as privileged. They read stories, poems; encourage drawing, painting and other activities. "The main objective of this programme is to provide art-based education to people at risk. We teach them the history of art through various means," states Para Limbu, co-ordinator of the programme.

"Various means" employed are innovative learning methods that make it easier for the children to learn. Like this one: "We take five leading art personalities from Nepal like Lain Singh Bangdel, Sashikala Tiwari, Sashi shah and five leading international art personalities like Van Gogh, Picasso and others. Each child in our program is given one name and throughout the season, they remain the personality. They need to do a little research on what the personalities were like and everybody in class calls them by the personality's name," explains Sanjeevani Yonzon who has been working with the programme for more than a year.

The children love their little sessions and the volunteers are discouraged from overdoing things. This way, they learn to appreciate art but it is not just art they learn. Art gives them an opportunity to express themselves. Through these sessions, the children learn to share their feelings. "We want to make them feel confident about themselves. Through paintings and drawing they learn to learn about themselves also. It is not easy, it takes a lot of time," adds Limbu.

One of the aims of this programme is communication. Before the volunteers set out, they have to attend workshops that prepare them. The people that the programme volunteers work with have gone through a lot of psychological disturbance and thus are very sensitive. But through this programme the volunteers hope to help the healing process. The short sessions cannot work miracles but it helps ease pain for a short while, give the person some happy moments to dwell in and look forward to later. At the same time, they learn the value of art.

Creative arts projects are introduced from time to time and the works that the participants turn out are truly amazing. Spiny Babbler works at grassroots level and so far, their efforts have been really effective.

In Kanti Hospital, the only children's hospital in Nepal, they have worked with children with terminal illnesses [and newly the physio-therapy section] and are planning to spread out to different wards.

In Lagankhel Mental Hospital, also the only mental hospital in Nepal, the programme planners are looking for the best way to make their sessions with the patient more effective.

They maintain that familiarity with the volunteers help, so only regular volunteers visit as required. These volunteers read poetry and stories to the patients on their visits.

So far, the sessions at mental hospital had been limited to once a week but the hospital management and programme volunteers plan to extend it to two or three times a week. "The patients have short-term exposure, so once a week is difficult for them to connect with," says Anisha, another volunteer of the programme.

Art and literature are introduced through original ideas, which are encouraged into development.

Some include acting, singing and outings also, like an outing to zoo. Sanjeevani took children at risk from some of the organizations to the zoo followed by a free lunch sponsored by Nanglo's Bakery Café. "The children were really happy," says Sanjeevani, reflecting the feeling of the moment on her face. "We made a huge collage for the Bakery Café to say 'Thank You.'"

After that, of course, the children had to write about the trip to the zoo and do a little research on animals [and artwork]. That is how Spiny Babbler educates and makes learning fun.

The TORs they just signed should make a lot of difference in the work they are trying to do with both adults and children. Just introduced are handmade cards for sales in order to raise some money for programme.