It was not about teaching children how to make roof so they can make their own roofs :). But the idea was to create an environment of work and experience how we can find joy by doing.
We all worked together, some worked all four days, some left in between, some argued, some listened, some pondered, some followed, some learnt new skills, some observed…..Tushar started with a basic questions, Why do we need roof? Why animals do not need roof? Is cement useful for nature? Animals do not harm nature still have roof? What do we eat? Why do we eat? May be food has changed our capacity to connect with nature. Can we decide what else can we do around our home like planting some trees? At home we do not follow rules of place like Aarohi – do we wash our plates at home? Like this even nature also some rules, but do we follow those rules when we are back at our homes? Something to ponder!
Tushar shared how does sloping roof help in thunder and rain and also made us think on “Often we have money and do not think before buying… “One Bamboo is less, so lets buy new one, but if we have to live with nature, we need to learn to adjust with nature”. We brainstormed..
We agreed to commit for the work with our own strengths and weaknesses.
It started with understanding tools including simple tools like screwdriver. Some learnt how to use different tool like hand drill, sickle and skills like screwing, varnishing, climbing, chopping bamboo, listening, withstanding sun, etc
Then while making roof frame and each one was having own experience – some were scared to climb the roof, some used hand drill machine for the first time, some were wondering why were using screws and why not nails…
Then we stitched old sarees on the frame to make it look colorful from inside. This was interesting for many to explore when sarees were flying, they were slipping down the frame, thread was entangling, using biiiiiiiiiiig needle with jute thread…..Putting leaves was another experience. This was new for all of us, including Tushar, We discussed, pondered, tried…..and finally put layers of leaves and made frames and plastic sheets and one more layer of leaves… it was a complete journey
Here is what some of the kids shared
- First day I did roof making. I was cutting bamboo and varnishing. I learnt how to do varnish and how to cut bamboo and learnt about tools. It was difficult cutting bamboo. Next day I did go for roof making, because I wanted to do different things.
- It was very nice pleasure for me on Monday that Tushar uncle came to make roof. I learnt many things about Bamboo and also learnt stories. I also learnt cut Bamboo, it was very heavy but nice for me, we did it by ourselves not by machines. I went up to the roof, it was very shaky. I learnt how to use hand drill machine, it was nice to drill without any electricity, and learnt to screw and nailing. First I was not able to do, then I learnt and did it and felt nice. It was very difficult. We put the Bamboo, I was tired and I rested. Then aunty encouraged me to stich saree for the roof, I did not know, I learnt and I was happy, it was very difficult, we were not stitching by the sewing machine but by the hands,
- I was coming to campus for roof making workshop this week. I was excited when Tushar uncle came, I wanted to ask many questions about roof making, but I wanted to know him first. When we were working on roof making, first I was like ‘what!!”. When we were putting screws instead of nails, I was thinking why? Later I understood that when we put screw Bamboo can crack and when we put nail it will not crack. I had many questions behind roof making, but I was not ready to ask. The work was getting harder and harder but hard ran away and easy came and then I am looking forward to more in roof making and complete it. In between I was getting attracted to doing other stuff like film making which other kids were doing, but I was pushed to continue work on roof., It was hard but I was still working on roof making.
- I was a different person everyday. On monday I was very happy man with a cap. I did planning and I also took efforts to understand how the roof will be. I felt happy that I was understanding. On Tuesday I was a dizzy man – Was scared that my hand will get cut with sickle and hexsaw and at the end of the day I felt comfortable. I was sad that I missed fitness in the morning, On wednesday I was an old person…drilling so much with hand drill. On Thursday I was a vampire and I lied stitching sarees to put on roof, but I was not liking it so much. And I was liking people teasing me like I was fatting. On Friday I was robot doing what other people are asking me to do like cutting bamboo, cutting ropes etc. I was sad that I got only one piece of watermelon. In roof making it was easy in the starting to cutting bamboo and drill holes, later it became hard to stitch and cutting rope then measuring exact size and making frame. When it became hard i wanted to leave the project then I was pushed to continue with roof making, I was feeling frustrated. Somehow I continued, I was guided, supported when I it was difficult it helped 50% to go ahead, other half I was pushed more and I also pushed myself. It would have been horrible If we would have only started working on roof making on the last day, and no matter how much hard work we would have done, we would have not been able to complete. So much we work we did all the days how can we do in one day of last day of deadline.
- I learnt about wood and roof. I took part in roof making, I saw stitching, varnishing drilling, cutting bamboo. I achieved in making a roof – why we use Bamboo, why we use nails instead of screw driver, why we need to varnish the bamboo and etc.
- I went for roof making, because I wanted to try how is roof making, When I was climbing up to the roof, I was scared to climb up to the roof, because down it was all thorns and screws, I was scared. But I did that.
- First day I started with making the roof, cutting Bamboos, helping to count Bamboos. During sports time I was alert when playing Kabbadi. Next day again I worked on roof, I was doing the same thing but faster.
- I felt very nice I worked so hard for making roof (drilling and screwing). I ate fruits and felt “mehnat ka fal meetha hota hai”
- In roof making it was interesting to measure, cut, varnish and screw the Bamboos. First it was exciting to varnish but the feeling of sticking was not nice, next day I did not do and I did other works. In sports I was little sad because I had hurt when I was running on the bamboo where I should not have ran. It was interesting and excited to go to the roof and screw the screws and nailing the big nails. I was surprised that we get so big nails also, I was surprised that so much worked happened.. I was feeling achieved to work continuously on one project and finishing it.
- Watch video – making of roof