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Using sport to teach youth important social lessons
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Children with disabilities from Sucheta Kriplani Shiksha Niketan (SKSN Institute) in Rajasthan, are heralding a new wave of social development through IMAGE workshops based on sports and discussion in the surrounding villages.

SKSN Institute is not just another school in Jodhpur. Started as a school for children with disabilities (CWD) in 1991, today, it educates both, CWDs and non-disabled children from nearby areas. The CWDs come from various parts of Rajasthan, and range from 6 to 18 years of age.


Cultivating tomorrow's leaders
So what makes this school stand out from others catering to the needs of CWDs? It is the initiative of IMAGE sessions – a collaboration with the Indiability Foundation – which are Indian Mixed Ability Group Events (IMAGE) that bring together children from grades 6 to 12. These events raise awareness amongst nearby villages on socio-political issues like health, education, gender, disability, etc. The messages on the walls of SKSN constantly urge the onlooker to cultivate friendships with the students with disabilities, to treat them as equals and recognise their ability. Through IMAGE one doesn’t just befriend a student, but also learns important lessons from their peers.

Education through sport and play
Indiability places great importance on the medium of sports for the character and physical development of its mixed ability students. IMAGE includes games, children’s races, cricket and kabaddi competitions, and many other sports events to facilitate discussions on various development issues within the surrounding villages. Sport is used as both an ice-breaker and a tool for empowerment for the ‘children facilitators’ (peer leaders) who are themselves a CWD.

At a typical Sunday intervention, one would find the IMAGE facilitators dressed in their smart red tees conducting activity after activity aimed at tackling important social issues, these activities go on from eight in the morning until two in the afternoon. The village children now recognise SKSN’s students as their friends and mentors.

Does IMAGE really work?
So, why does it matter if 147 CWDs went out to five villages every month to play games and speak to 1463 children (and/or their parents) on varied socio-political issues? How does it help? Why are they the leaders that they are?

It cannot be simply reduced to the fact that these are children who are disabled and attempting to bring about a change. They are young agents of change who have embodied the message of good health, universal education, inclusive society, and gender equality, while imparting the same awareness to their peers. It deserves a mention because when capable governments are turning a blind eye to social development, these students are organising and spearheading a movement of change to build a society that is founded on community participation and well-being.
 
 

 
[This article has been edited by the Operating Team]

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