Event Date: 19, 20, 21st June
Introduction
UTSAV was a 3 day event that we planned with various competitions. We included chess, carrom, painting, speech, singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, drama, and science projects as the various competitions for the UTSAV event. This was initially conceptualized by Sneha, based on the Annual Events that happen at regular schools. However, this was Dongri and something like this hasn’t really happened here in the recent past. Neither was this straightforward to think of executing, but we said we’ll try. After discussing it with the Superintendent, we started making preparations for the event and creating a hype around it. We finalized the dates and started announcing it to some of the boys.
We decided to approach some of the older boys to become captains for 4 teams out of 5. The 5th team was the team of the de-addiction center at Dongri since they are segregated from other boys. Making older boys the captains worked out very well since they have a strong command over other boys and an innate sense of leadership. Getting them onboard was difficult, but once they did, it meant that we now needed to mainly focus on keeping them motivated and they in turn guide their teams. We gathered all the boys and asked these 4 captains to pick their teams by picking a teammate one by one. This way, they had picked their own teams and we did not have to deal with complaints regarding team dynamics later. In hindsight, this was a great decision and prevented many issues for us as organizers. We also assigned a mentor to each team – they were different members of the staff, from teachers to medical unit members to housemasters and other NGO members. Very early on, we decided to keep the entire event decentralized and restrict our role as just organizers. Another decision that worked very well in hindsight was that we decided not to be the judges for any competition either. We assigned staff members as judges for each competition based on their interest and availability. We got a wonderful response from them and we had the suburban JJB Magistrate ma’am, Board Members, POs, NGO members, Superintendent sir and his office staff, and others who agreed to be judges for different events. This allowed us to simply focus on the organizing aspect and include many more people for this event. In the end, it truly became an event for everyone and with everyone, as it included so many people at the Observation Home!
Preparations
Initially when we announced the event and made the teams, the response and motivation was quite low, especially for the science project, drama and dance. For some of the other competitions, they had started preparing slowly. There was some skepticism, some resistance, lots of questions and a sense of doubt about how the event would go. We tried to stay focused on the organizing part of it and creating a different vibe around the event. We focused on decorations, conversations with captains, and nudging mentors. Every once in a while, we would call a meeting with all boys and staff to give them updates about how the event would be – the schedule, rules, points system, etc. This kept them on their toes as each team was now observing what other teams were doing. Slowly a sense of healthy competition was developing. The Superintendent actively helped us to keep the tempo high, especially whenever there was a drop. About a week before the event date, Vivek sir, who was one of the mentors, started actively working on the science project with his team. By the next day, everyone else started feeling uneasy and left behind and slowly they all started working on their science projects. Once the science projects started picking up, the enthusiasm and energy started shifting – everyone started gearing up for the various competitions. There was a sense of teamwork within teams and a sense of rivalry between different teams. Some of the boys who were very close friends, but in different teams now started being secretive about their science projects and other preparations. This was amazing for us to witness! As we saw that the children and mentors were working sincerely and putting in a lot of effort, we decided to step things up from our end too. We increased the decorations in the hall, we spoke to the Superintendent and broadened the special guest list, we involved more staff members from within Dongri, and lastly we really ramped up our prizes! What was initially planned as a simple small event had suddenly become very big. At the same time, we were ready to put in that effort from our end too. The three of us really had to work hard to make it all happen – make proper decisions, plan things in detail, focus on execution, collaborate with various stakeholders and most importantly, keep our purpose for doing the event at the center of it all.
As we were working on the decorations and creating a vibe for the event, we got a lot of help from a couple of boys. They came and helped us with making various craft materials, putting them up in the hall, and also came up with innovative ideas. They were almost a part of our organizing team. 🙂 One boy in particular, Rahim (pseudo name) helped a lot and to express our gratitude, we separately called on him during the prize distribution and gave him a small gift as a token of gratitude. He was thrilled to hear his name and also a little shy to come on the stage to receive his gift. But since then, we have a very strong bond with this boy. In fact, he has been very active in various events and we have also seen a huge change in his behaviour and personality for the better. He was also a part of the music program that happened after a couple of weeks of the UTSAV Event. For our decorations, we also had a volunteer come and support us. She came up with very interesting ideas and unique designs and showed our team and the boys on how to make things. Everyone was very excited to learn from her.
While we were preparing for the various competitions, suddenly we got a request from More ma’am, the superintendent of the girls section. She wanted the event to be organized for the girls too and that too on the same days! We were taken aback a little since we felt that there was a lot on our plate already and it would be difficult to plan and especially execute the events in the girls’ section simultaneously. However, she was adamant and also genuine in her request and so we accepted it while clearly stating that the scale would be smaller than that of the boys’ section and during the actual competitions the staff would have to take the lead while we would support. With this, suddenly we were looking at multiple moving parts, bigger logistics, more complex planning and a lot more excitement at Dongri!
We had to detail out the event schedule, develop a points system, assign judges for each competition, make scoring sheets for them, invite guests, plan and arrange for all the gifts, address issues from the mentors or team captains, oversee all competitions, keep a tally of all points and anchor the events! In fact, we were still figuring out the gifts and how to procure them even after the event had already started! All of this was quite a task for just 3 people given that there were 9 events, 5 teams from the boys’ section with about 60 boys and 2 teams in the girls’ section and the dynamics that exist at Dongri. Fortunately, things went very smoothly and successfully.
As our preparations intensified, so did the children’s. However, despite the effort and desire to compete, they continued to support boys from other teams with their practice. They would encourage them and even take their practice or give feedback. They had become competitive, but not enemies – they showed great cooperation and support. We discovered this later and were very happy to learn about it. 🙂
Day 1
As the first day of the event dawned on us, the children were energized and looking forward to the competitions and so were we. There was a different energy in the air and the atmosphere was charged up with a lot of positivity and a sense of celebration, as the name ‘UTSAV’ suggests. The decoration and set up helped. We even flagged off the event with an inauguration video which was unique and added to the glamour.
On Day 1, we had the chess and painting competition in the morning and carrom and speech in the afternoon. By the end of the day, the boys realized that except for chess and carrom, they were not going to find out the results of any other competition until the prize distribution! This added to their anticipation and curiosity and led to a lot more suspense over the 3 days and it created an amazing atmosphere during the prize distribution on Day 3! From the first day itself there was a different feeling in Dongri, a festive kind of a feeling.
Day 2
For day 2 and day 3, we had another friend of ours join us as a volunteer to support us with the event and also witness what was about to unfold. She could fit in very well and she was available as a helping hand for whatever was needed through the remaining two days. On day 2, we had the highly anticipated science projects in the morning and we were all mind-blown to see what the boys had made! We did not expect them to make such models. To judge the science projects, the Suburban JJB Magistrate ma’am had come along with the Board Members of the Suburban and City JJB Courts. Kanthikar sir also joined the panel of judges. Initially when they came, the Magistrate asked me if she could leave soon after the program began for the day. I was a little hesitant, but I just nodded. However, when she saw the science projects coming one after the other and the explanation that the children were giving, she got engrossed into it and stayed for the entire duration of the exhibition. There were points for the idea, the actual model and for explanation. So each team showed their model and explained what they had done. The judges actively asked them questions and enquired more about the models too.
We had 5 different projects:
- A working model of a vacuum cleaner
- A demo model demonstrating the generation of hydroelectricity
- A working model of an alarm system for households
- A model of the solar system
- A working model of rainwater harvesting
Below are some images of these projects:
One after another, children and staff were singing songs! It was a vibe to experience… a lot of shackles were broken – internal and external, a lot of conditioning was undone there, and everyone was in a unison. This went on until the 4:00 pm bell rang for snacks. On this high note, we ended Day 2. 🙂
We had the last 2 competitions, drama and musical instruments, for Day 3 morning, before we headed to the prize distribution in the afternoon. However, since the very beginning, all teams were skeptical about preparing for a drama and the response was very low. That morning, we had only 1 team out of 5 who said they will be doing a drama. We were a little tensed, but we decided to let go and focus on our preparations. We just kept telling the teams that, “if you don’t participate you will get 0 points.” At the last minute, another team said they will participate. Drama had more points than all other competitions except the science project and it was based on performance and not ranking. The team that performed last minute, did a brilliant job! Their act was beautiful with a powerful message. The judges were very happy and they got a full score, which actually gave them an opportunity for a comeback since they were lagging behind! This also made us feel a lot better and the other teams suddenly became nervous. We closed that morning with the musical instruments performance, which went well.
Prize Distribution
Now came the largely awaited prize distribution. We had invited a lot of esteemed guests for the event, but very few actually turned up. Among them, we had the Magistrate ma’am and Board Members from the JJB courts joined by a Police officer from Dongri Police and Kanthikar sir. For the prize distribution, the girls were also present in the hall of the boys’ section for their prize distribution. We had some performances repeated by the winners of certain competitions for the new guest present among us. However, we decided to complete the prize distribution of the girls first and send them back to their section and then move on to the prize distribution of the boys. This was needed to maintain the discipline and sanctity of the event.
By this time, the number of prizes and the actual prizes both become bigger. We decided to give prizes to the 1st and 2nd place participants for each competition. We wanted to give something that would be useful for the children. Since the children like to have their own diaries, we decided to keep a diary and pen as a gift. We also had a few water bottles and bigger packs of ‘Cadbury Celebrations’ as the prize for certain events. There was a special prize for the winner of the science project – a pair of badminton rackets! Looking at the involvement of the mentors, we decided to give a prize to the best mentors too (1st and 2nd place). We gave them a branded backpack, which was very special and completely unexpected for them. The runner up team for the entire UTSAV event got a football. And the winners got a cricket bat! They were thrilled to see the bat and in fact, right after the prize distribution, they opened the wrapping and started playing with it!
Before the prize distribution started, none of the children knew what the prizes were. We were successful in keeping this a secret too. All the gifts had been gift wrapped and the children really felt special. Since this event had become so big and everyone from the Home was involved, the Home staff also felt a sense of ownership and pride. We were pleasantly surprised and felt grateful when the Superintendent and 3 probation officers said that they would like to contribute monetarily for the gifts. They all contributed in their personal capacity and we were humbled by the gesture. We also felt supported and there was a strong sense of connection and teamwork.
The prize distribution itself was a sight to see. We had created a slidedeck where as the winner of each competition was announced the points would get updated and the children could see their team’s total score until then. So the suspense was maintained throughout. The mentors had no idea that there were gifts for them too, let alone such meaningful gifts. Kedar (a member of Prayas NGO who teaches the Electric Course) and Vivek sir (teacher at the Home) won the first and second prize respectively for the best mentor. They were thrilled when they were called on the stage and given the prizes. They shared about their experience leading their team and it was truly a powerful connection that they had built with their teams. Kedar especially was amazing throughout the event – he helped almost all 5 teams with their science projects. He would stay after hours to support the teams. He genuinely wanted to work with these children and guided them a lot. When the boys saw the sports equipment, they were overjoyed too, especially the bat. The prize distribution went very well and with that the entire event ended well.
Positive Observations
Throughout this event, we witnessed many positive stories. Here are some of our highlights:
- Behaviour Points: We had kept 25 points extra for good behaviour and this was the only aspect that we were judging. We had added this to indicate the importance of behaviour. Back then, we did not know that this would become our trump card for various situations. Whenever anyone was beginning to misbehave, their teammates themselves would quickly stop them from misbehaving so that their points would not get cut. We witnessed this multiple times throughout the event. Overall, all the teams behaved very well and there was actually a different version of theirs that we saw (and even they saw within themselves). Despite us being strict, most teams scored full points for behaviour and other teams also lost only a couple of points. Looking back, this was a beautiful addition that enhanced the entire experience of the event, and truly brought about a transformation in the children.
- Parth (pseudo name): As per our observation, Parth has major intellectual and social issues where he is unable to comprehend social norms and expectations. He has severe behaviour issues and is also an easy target to get teased and bullied. However, during the event, his team captain gave him the opportunity to represent his team in multiple competitions including speech, dancing and singing. He was diligently practicing for all 3 of these and put in a lot of effort. He had to do a lot to overcome his fear to go on the stage, especially since he was teased a lot. Nevertheless, he worked hard and he went on to get the first prize in speech and 2nd prize in dancing and singing both! As an individual, he received the most prizes among all the boys and he scored many points for his team in these competitions. He was so proud and his confidence went up a lot. Even the staff members were pleasantly surprised to see him win in multiple competitions and his perception changed among everyone. This was one among many such powerful outcomes of the event.
- Science Projects: Science projects were a huge hit and had a big impact on everyone – the children, the mentors, the staff and the judges. It really pumped up the children and the mentors. Vivek sir, one of the teachers at the home and a mentor, told us that, “we should do an event just on science projects, on a bigger scale. There is a lot of potential in these children and it was a lot of fun too!” We hope to do this in the near future.
- Decentralized System: As mentioned earlier, the entire event was based on a decentralized system which allowed so many people to be involved. This was very special and a big highlight of this event. It was truly everyone’s event. This was evident by the contribution that we received from the Superintendent and Probation Officers.
05. Girls’ Section: We were glad that we could have the event in the girls’ section too even though it was on a smaller scale. But it was important for us to include them and they also participated very well, especially in such a short notice.
06. Definition of ‘Cool’ Changed: The children were receiving appreciation for their skills and talents, and for things like the science project. They felt special and proud about it. They were also proud when their teams scored high points on behaviour. Suddenly, what was ‘cool’ before was no longer ‘cool’ now and what they looked down upon, had now become the new ‘cool’ thing! Seeing this in a place like Dongri is amazing!
07. Music Program: Right after the event got over, a few boys came to us and asked us, “What Next? Which event are we doing next? Can we do a music event where we play various instruments?” Suddenly, new ideas and requests had started coming from the boys. There was a lot more ownership and enthusiasm from them. 3 weeks after UTSAV, we conducted this Music Program and it went very well too!
08. Things in Dongri are Possible: At Dongri, you would very often hear from the boys that “Yahan pe baat sab karte hai, actually kuch hota nahi hai!” (“Everyone only talks over here, nothing actually happens!”). This perception was now shattered completely. Everyone, including the boys, saw that big events and new things are possible at Dongri and if everyone comes together then such events can happen. I am sure that this change in mindset will have a lot of positive ripple effects in the future.
All in all, everyone was very happy and there was indeed a sense of ‘UTSAV’, celebration, in the air. As we closed the event, we also sighed with a sense of relief, joy, and gratitude. We were also proud of what we had just pulled off. 🙂 We hope we can continue to sow seeds of transformation in these ways and more!
