When he came we asked “what are your interests”
He asked “what does it mean?”
We asked “what you like doing?”
He said, “Matlab (meaning)?”
We asked “what you do at home?”
He smiled “watch TV and play video games on my tab”
We got hopeful and asked and …
He said “that’s all”.
We asked to know more “and in school?”
With a smile again he said “bunk classes and play cricket with my notebook in the bathroom”
We closed the conversation
Next day he said “can I also do Quilling?”
He added butterfly catching and bird watching to his list.
One announcement “make tree circle with mud” aroused his curiosity and asked “matlab (meaning) – how to make it? We said whichever way you want to make, without using cement. He liked the idea of reusing bottles, he used in his tree circle. He worked for few weeks to make a circle. He had to make it solid and the constraint that this should not break with people walking around.
He picked up few more projects with mud, he loved the touch of mud and using tools. He started making friends with people who knew these skills (Seenappa Anna who knows only Tamil, and this child knows only HIndi).
He started spending time in Kitchen – helping in cooking, going to the market for grocery shopping. And now he has taken up the job kitchen manager, means organising grocery for the whole community and handling money.
He joined another child in extending light in our new areas, now he does it independently and we have to ask him to stop (to eat his food or go out to play).
A visit to brick factory was received with joy “ I learned so many things, my understanding of making as increased”. He likes visiting farms and connecting with farmers and undesadig about growing food.
He is also asked to read and write, he showed resistance “I don’t know, I cannot do”. We continued one hour investment with him to bring the basic skills of reading and writing in his learning journey.
He still likes videos games and watching videos and movies, but he does not play cricket in bathroom. He makes good friends with visitors and help them settling in the new environment, He is caring for our pets (dogs and cats). He plays football with the team in the ground. He has his own apprehension and hesitation with language but learning is always work in progress.