Singing and dancing mark pre-Independence Day celebrations at Savda Ghevra
Remarkable People!
Not the majesty of Red Fort… not the grandeur of a mega celebration. Just a simple shamiana near the ‘centre square’ of Savda Ghevra. But lots of vivacious dancing and singing.
As almost 70 young girls( & a few boys), all enrolled in the Hasmukh Kala program, took over the stage, their families and neighbours watched in excitement. Starting with Vande Mataram & Saraswati Vandana, the kids moved on to patriotic songs and popular, folk ones. As colourful costume after costume came on stage, the kids in the audience realized what they had missed out, and the clamour for enrolling into Hasmukh Kala grew louder.
Orchestrated by Guru ji, the event was a resounding success. The architect and pioneer of Hasmukh Kala, my friend Hemu Javeri, had come down from Bangalore to see this outcome. As Hemu charts out more ambitious plans – including a scholarship program and an expansion with Growth for All – this initial success at Savda Ghevra reaffirmed that the Hasmukh Kala concept has the potential to truly engage and empower underprivileged girls & women, besides bringing joy and laughter to the communities.
As important as this successful event was, what was more important was the process. In Hemu’s words, “ it was a treat to see the buzz around the place as they prepared for the event. That itself was worth it”.
This collaborative effort( conceived by Hasmukh Kala, supported by Growth-for-All & Delhi government) once again demonstrates the collective power of well-meaning individuals, organizations and the government. As we take the Growth-for-All movement forward, this is an encouraging proof-of-concept.
