Hope Now < Creating new possibilities

Creating new possibilities

Summer vacation was filled with many learning opportunities this year. Many of the children have been asking to learn some of the traditional Indian handicraft skills. There are so many interesting, historical and creative kinds of arts and crafts that the Indian people have been engaged with for hundreds of years.

We all decided to learn Muggam work, which is a particular type of embroidery using thread, beads, sequins and semi-precious stones. It takes a long time to become proficient enough to earn a living, but once the skills are learned and perfected this type of handicraft work can create opportunity for a stable income.

Over the summer holiday a professional in the field set up shop in our library and taught the kids how to do this beautiful work. A large loom was set up and children who wanted to participate had their own section. The kids worked for 2 hours a day for 8 weeks. Both boys and girls traditionally do this kind of handicraft and we had both boys and girls participating.

Hope Now is consistently creating new opportunities for our kids to learn, not just so they can create a life beyond our walls, but also to enrich their daily lives and learn about their history and culture. India is a region of the world that has celebrated the arts for thousands of years. It has been a wonderful summer of learning more about where we live, how to create new skills and just have fun.