The saying ‘Sky’s the limit’ holds true, literally so, for ‘Team Kerala GOC’. The kite enthusiasts club initiated by Kite Life Foundation (KLF) has opened boundless possibilities of kite flying with their recent workshop in kite making and flying for kids suffering with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
With their new initiative they have shown these differently-able kids the courage to dream big and to reach the skies. “DMD is an inherited disorder that involves quick muscle weakness. Yet, kids even with this multiple disorder display wonderful skills and imagination,” says Rajesh Nair, founder member of Team Kerala GOC.
The workshop which was held on July 28 at the Codissia Ground in Coimbatore was KLF’s first ever initiative in this front. “We have conducted workshops for school children and elders but doing something for the special children was a wish that we always had. Dr B R Lakshmi who runs Molecular Diagnostics, Counselling, Care and Research Centre (MDCRC), an NGO, was interested in the programme. The aim of our initiative was to build up a dare-to-do attitude among the kids,” adds Rajesh.
While seeing the fluttering beauties in the sky, the pleasure of ruling the space enters the hearts of these children thereby infusing them with positive energy.
Ask Rajesh what challenges they had to face, he says, “The kites that we made for them are called ‘sled kite’ which do not follow the traditional kite making format. They rely on wind pressure to keep the sail. They do not require horizontal bars and some do not even require vertical bars. They are also very cheap and can be used sitting in a place, making it apt for the special kids.”
The kids who made the kites in one hour also wrote many thought provoking messages on them. “More than 36 kids, aged between five to 19 years, participated. All the kids had adult supervision from MDCRC. Even our programme’s catch line was on three Cs ie cautiousness, courtesy and commonsense,” adds Rajesh.
Seeing the success of the workshop, Team Kerala GOC is planning to start more of these initiatives in the state soon. “As the weather is unpredictable at this time of the year, our events are on hold. But we have talked with Sampoorna, an NGO working for special kids, in regard to conducting a workshop similar to that in Coimbatore. Events are also planned with Choice School, Kochi and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Wayanad.”
Meanwhile Team Kerala- GOC is also looking at making it to the Guinness Book of World Records. “At the moment, US holds the record of having made the biggest kite which is 70-80 ft. They have made their country’s flag. But we are aiming to make a 1500ft big kite where we will be using bamboo. It will represent Kerala culture to the world. Art forms like Theyyam, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, musical instruments like udukku veena and the like will be shown in this kite,” adds Rajesh.
Comments
0 comment