The Bal Mela, as suggested by its name, is a fair set by the fountainhead school students where underprivileged children from nearby government schools are invited into our schools to participate and delve into the world of Art, Dance, Sports and Fun. Throughout the schools there were different stations for every child and allow them to experience a new aspect that they rarely get the chance to. At our school ground, there was the sport center where the kids participated and learned many sports and performed activities that were both fun and helped them with their physical well-being. Further, At the school assembly, there was the dance and art station, I was part of the art station. The kids learned a simple dance routine and jammed to music whilst expressing themselves with dance, and right across the dance station was the art station where the kids could delve into art such as painting, making jewelry out of beads, nail paints and more. The art station was full of self expression and gave each and every child to make something that expressed themselves. I was part of the painting station where I painted on children’s hands and arms whatever they demanded for and saw their faces glow up with a smile of happiness.

LO5: Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively

The painting was a group task, many people with similar interest had signed up for the similar experience so we all came together and worked as a team in bringing a smile to these children’s faces. Many times during the fair I wasn’t sure how to paint certain things the children demanded for so my peers came very handy as they guided me whenever I was unsure and I did the same back. Adding on, there was a rush children many times at our stall so we ensured that all the kids were distributed equally so that no one person was dealing with a crowd and helping them avoid stressful situations. We also divided our roles, people who wanted to get something written, they came to me and a fellow peer of mine and people who wanted to get figures or images made they went to another set of peers which allowed to deliver our best work as per our expertise.

LO6: Engagement with issue of global significance

A issue of global significance here I engaged with was the lack of opportunities and lack of self-expression for the underprivileged children. Many children brought up in underprivileged environments suffer from lack of opportunities to discover themselves, their passions, their creativity and their sportsmanship but this fair allowed them to do just that. Children came to us asking for designs and things they want to get drawn or written on their arms giving them the chance to express who they are and I as a volunteer provided that opportunity for them. Not only that but through engaging with them, I learned a lot of things about them, like what things matter to people who are underprivileged and not like any of us. Many children came with the demand to write the word “maa” or their mothers name on their hands so they can express to themselves and their fellow friends how much their mom means to them and it me realise how people who are underprivileged care so deeply about people surrounding them especially their parents but many times we can be so ungrateful.

Video Reflection: https://youtu.be/0dgFSLVDsJY?feature=shared