by Brother Jittin Mathew
MUMBAI, MAY 3, 2019: Thirty boys from standard five to nine of Bosco Boys Home (BBH) Borivli were treated to a day of storytelling and puppetry by Vanessa Essaki on April 27.
The session began with each boy sharing his name and identifying what he is good at. They were then led into a song and dance session and they boogied to the action song ‘Mere Jaisa Koi Nahi, Tere Jaisa Koi Nahi’, reinforcing their uniqueness while appreciating the same in others.
Stories were then told in Hindi using props and glove puppets. This was followed by a story facilitation round where the boys interacted with Essaki through a question and answer session to get a better understanding of the story.
A story imagery activity followed, wherein the boys expressed th
e story in art. “It was wonderful to see the colours and images they came up with, helping us understand what part of the story each of them registered in their mind and hearts,” Engelbert Gonsalves, one of the benefactors present for the session, said. Using puppetry, Essaki shared with the boys the stories of Bholu the Foolish Donkey and Sammy returns Home. “Thanks to Mrs. Essaki's puppetry, we learned through Bholu's story the importance of understanding ourselves, our uniqueness, being honest in all situations, and to be hard-working,” Pashruram Pujari, a ninth standard boy of BBH said.
“Sammy the bird gave us an understanding of why we need love and proper guidance, with an underlying message of good over evil. Sammy's experience with his (fish) machli-rani friend taught him the importance of giving proper advice and how careful one should be while choosing the right kind of friends. I liked it very much and learned a lot through it.”
Deacon Romero D’Souza, the Prefect of Studies of the boys, while explaining the concept behind the session said, “Using a puppet to tell a story is a wonderful technique that can lead children to discover the joy of literature and learning. Puppets help us to bring stories to life and to spark young imaginations anyway, anywhere and anytime.
As a token of their appreciation, the boys made beautiful handmade 'Thank you' cards and presented it to Essaki.