This joy of giving week , Preeti and I, Programme Facilitators at Apni Shala Foundation, want to help our students by gifting them the "Power of Expression".
The stories below will help build a connection for the same.
Story 1 : Krutika
I never thought being a facilitator would create such an impact on the student's life and mine. When a 6th grader sent a letter with their current facilitator saying they miss me and that they wanted me to come back and teach them. It made me feel proud that he thought it was safe to express it to me. I wonder if he expresses well in other spaces of his life but I would consider this to be his baby step towards Expression.
 It reminds me that the work we are doing is helping us foster safe spaces for children to express themselves as they want.
Story 2 : Preeti
While facilitating a session on individual differences upon asking a question to the children " what would you do when you see that your friends are not accepting another person, who is different?" One boy said that I'll tell my friends that if you were in that person's place how would you feel when others do not accept you?
What astonished me was that the boy remembered Empathy taught to him in the previous grade & was able to apply it and express Empathy in the given situation.
Story 3: Krutika and Preeti
After the Anokhe Classroom event (the year-end showcase) the school teachers expressed that the children whom they thought wouldn't participate were the ones who showed the most participation & interest in the event. Those students helped the facilitator set up & decorate the whole space. Some of them took up hosting the event and very beautifully kept the audience connected throughout the event. Witnessing this change in their self-confidence & willingness to express themselves in front of others made us realize, this had become possible through Social-Emotional Learning.

For us, Expression is definitely Powerful as we know the importance of it. But we recognized through facilitation that it is not a common phenomenon.
Through Social-Emotional Learning sessions that we facilitate, we strive to achieve and build more spaces where Expression is invited through Art, Drama and various other modalities.

At Apni Shala, we build Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) opportunities for children in municipal schools, low-budget private schools and other NGOs, primarily in M and L wards of Mumbai.Our vision is to build social and emotional competencies among individuals so they can constructively engage with society and have a harmonious co-existence. I facilitate to over 250+ students every week so that they reflect upon their emotions,channelize their thoughts and explore their competencies.I believe Social and Emotional Leaning gives a way to students to constructively engage in dealing with challenges of every day lives.
Our spaces are designed with art, drama, songs, games and community projects. To create a more wholesome and long-lasting impact, we also work with parents, guardians, teachers and other stakeholders through our awareness sessions and campaigns.

We are Grateful to Apni Shala for providing us a platform where we can be a part of such meaningful spaces.

Our aim of this  Campaign is to raise an amount of INR 50,000 to provide Year Long SEL to 20 of our students.

Support us to create spaces for expression by contributing to our campaign, this Joy of giving week.

What happens after you donate?
You'll thereafter be informed about how you helped make a difference.
You get the chance to interact with the children you supported and observe Apni Shala sessions.
You will receive email updates on stories from the on students' development and growth.