On 21st February 2016, seven SSIO members from the Caucasian Shanti Centre presented a programme on Sathya Sai Education in Human Values to 35 children at a correctional home. The volunteers first introduced the children and the guests to the life and works of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the famous French writer of the award-winning book, The Little Prince. To the children’s delight, a lively musical puppet show was then presented, showcasing the human values of friendship and love described in the book. Following the performance, a question and answer session demonstrated that the children understood and appreciated the message of the book. They were inspired by the beautiful tale of a young prince who fell to earth and subsequently experienced loneliness, friendship, love, and loss. Then, a class was held on demonstrating Origami, the art of paper-folding. The children quickly mastered the techniques for creating beautiful artwork, in the shape of lovely flowers and other objects, out of coloured paper. Origami has been successfully used as a method in psychotherapy, traditionally.
The Sathya Sai volunteers also presented an “express-theatre”, where the children were not only the actors, but also served as the audience. The most valuable lesson learnt from this creative technique was the opportunity to prove themselves through song and dance. The adults in the audience were grateful to establish contact with the children, and charmed by the determination and perseverance shown by the youngsters. Chocolates and balloons were distributed as gifts to the children in the end.
You must be logged in to post a comment.